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The Agile PMO

Raising the PMO bar ~ PMOSIG ConferencePresented by: Adrian Quinney

8th March 2011

Contents• Agile background

– Values of Agile– Scrum

• Agile & the PMO Challenge• Delivering the Agile PMO

Agile PMOs“over the 10 years that the PPSOSIG has been in existence, as a profession we've just about got to grips with dealing with waterfall projects, their delivery and their governance.”

“How do we fare with agile projects then? "Not very mature"

“we really need to start having the debates and formulating the approaches right now, if the PPSO is to survive in this new world”

Taken from the August 2010 newsletter by Chris Walters

AGILE & SCRUMBackground

Values of Agile• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools• Working software over comprehensive documentation • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation• Responding to change over following a plan

While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

Agile?

What is Scrum?• Scrum has been used as a framework to develop

complex products since the early 1990s.

• Framework consists of a set of Scrum Teams and their associated roles; Time-Boxes, Artifacts, and Rules

• Employs an iterative, incremental approach to development for predictability and risk control

• Every Sprint - teams build and deliver increments of potentially shippable functionality that adheres to a working definition of “done.”

• Encourages self organising & managing teams

“In almost every instance in which Scrum has been applied, exponential productivity gains have been realised”.

(Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle, 2002)

Artefacts, Roles, Time-BoxesScrum Roles• Product Owner – Prioritises the backlog• Scrum Master – Runs the daily “scrums” • Scrum Team – Delivers artefacts and productsTime-Boxes• Release Planning Meeting• Sprint• Sprint Planning Meeting• Sprint Review• Sprint Retrospective• Daily Scrum.

Artefacts• Product Backlog• Release Burndown • Sprint Backlog• Sprint Burndown

Scrum Lifecycle

Courtesy of Mountain Goat Software – Mike Cohen

PMO CHALLENGESAgile

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Agile PMO Experience

Maverick Television

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Wow this agile stuff means I don’t have to document anything!

Wow this agile stuff means I can give the users untested products!

Wow this agile stuff means we don’t need project managers anymore!

Wow this agile stuff means we don’t need change control on our project anymore!

Agile Challenge

Scrum & the PMO

PMO

Scrum

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Scrums

How Agile challenges the PMO

• Misalignment of governance with Agile – Protracted sign off & workflows– Waterfall End stage gateways– Creates overhead and lack of accountability

• Misalignment of tools, techniques and reporting– Can’t keep pace with velocity of sprints– Disconnect between scrum board & PPM

tools– New ways of reporting

• scrum boards, backlogs, burndown charts

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• Initially most staff in the PMO resist the transition to Scrum– Change is personally and professionally

frightening– Absence of PMO in Scrum and agile literature– The “Process Police” staff are protective due

to compliance requirements

• Scrum scatters traditional project management responsibilities– Scrum Master, Product Owner and the Team,– Project managers questioning their role.

How Agile challenges the PMO

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THE AGILE PMODelivering

The Agile PMOPeople & Organisation

• Run the Agile PMO as a Scrum Team• Optimise for throughput & velocity• Eliminate waste – non value added

activity

• Support & empower Scrum Teams• Establish training environment• Provide coaching & mentoring• Maintain consistency across scrum teams

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The Agile PMOMethods & Process

• Debunk Corporate Governance• Re-engineer waterfall workflows• Reduce heavy weight sign off• Focus on business outcomes rather than

meaningless deadlines

• Portfolio Management• Split Large projects • Terminate the Sick• Limit Work in Progress (WIP)

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The Agile PMOTools

• PMO reporting• Reduce death by PowerPoint & Excel• Establish & collect appropriate metrics

• PMO tools• Implement lightweight PPM & agile tools

• Aspyre, @Task , Versionone, Agile buddy, TeamPulse, Miniscrum, Jira ...

• Deploy collaboration tools• Basecamp, Huddle, Confluence,

Mingle …

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Q & AAgile PMO

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Please contact us for more information

Adrian Quinney

Account Director

Magic Milestones Ltd

Birmingham, UK

adrian.quinney@magicmilestones.biz

www.magicmilestones.biz