Helping you understand the terminology of methodology

Are you fluent?

Project Methodologymost people can name a few methodologies

fewer people can verbalise WHAT a methodology is

the sheer volume of terminologies, references, terms, debates, exams, qualifications, manuals and books on the topic, can make the task of looking at methodologies, so terrifying for some, that it seems not worth the effort

Let’s begin with what is not...

While they’re useful, you can’t deliver a project with these skills alone:

Common senseAn inclination towards perfection

So what is methodology?We’ll revisit this towards the end, but for now, a methodology is:

Defined, repeatable steps followed in order to gain efficiencies in project delivery

Name some:Ask a group of project managers to list some

methodologies, this is what you’re likely to hear back:

WaterfallSCRUMNimblePRINCE2AgileDSDMKanban

Categorise themAsk the same group to attribute each name on their methodology

list to these categories:

Standard Approach Framework Type Methodology Methodology family Principle Model Tool

Confused?

The most important thing to know is:

methodologies can be categorised they exist to help you!what you thought you knew as a

methodology may NOT be best considered as a methodology

Be clear and consistentThere is no list of pre-ordained category

names, which is great because there can be no wrong or right

Develop your own categories and give them names

Arrange your categories into a hierarchy

Do think about itDo be consistent

Why should I categorise?:

if you try to call everything a methodology your project management lacks definition and clarity

there are thousands of recognised ways to deliver a project, so you need to categorise eg:

Abstraction principle (programming)Agent-oriented programmingAgile software developmentAgile Unified Process (AUP)Aspect-oriented Programming (AOP)Behavior Driven Development (BDD)Brooks's lawCapability Maturity Model IntegrationCode and fixCode reuseCohesion (computer science)Constructionist design methodology (CDM)Continuous integrationControl tablesConvention over configurationConway's LawCoupling (computer programming)CrystalCrystal ClearDependency injectionDesign Driven Testing (DDT)Design-driven development (D3)Domain-Driven Design (DDD)Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)Encapsulation (computer science)Enterprise Unified ProcessEssential Unified ProcessEvolutionary prototyping (Evo)Extreme Programming (XP)Feature Driven DevelopmentFree software licenseGeneral Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns (GRASP)Hollywood PrincipleInterface (computer science)Interface (object-oriented programming)Inversion of controlIterative and incremental developmentJoint application design, aka JAD or "Joint Application Development"KaizenKanbanKISS principle original (Keep It Simple and Stupid), derogatory (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)Law of Demeter (LoD)

Lean software developmentLean Software DevelopmentLean-To-Adaptive Prototyping in Parallel (L2APP)Literate ProgrammingMicrosoft Solutions FrameworkMicrosoft Solutions Framework (MSF)Model-driven architecture (MDA)MoSCoW MethodOpen sourceOpen Unified ProcessOpen/closed principlePrince2Principle of good enough (POGE)Principle of least astonishment (POLA/PLA)Program optimizationProgram to an interface, not an implementationProject Management Body of KnowledgeProtocol (object-oriented programming)Rapid application development (RAD)Rational Unified Process (RUP)Release early, release often (RERO)Responsibility-driven design (RDD)ScrumSeparation of concerns (SoC)Service-oriented modelingSingle responsibility principleSingle Source Of Truth (SSOT)Software craftsmanshipSoftware System SafetySOLID (object-oriented design)Spiral modelStructured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM)SUMMIT AscendantTeam Software Process (TSP)Test-driven development (TDD)Two Tracks Unified Process (2TUP)Ubuntu philosophyUnified ProcessUnified Process (UP)V-ModelWaterfall modelWheel and spoke modelWhen it's ready [2]Win-Win Model

Define, name and arrange your categories

My category names:

1. Methodology Framework

2. Approach

3. Methodology Family

4. Methodology

5. Principle/ tools

A little infogram often helps with understanding:

1.Methodology Framework

3.Methodology Family

2.Approach

4.Methodology

5.Principle/ tool

But, they don’t just work in isolation...

Let’s go back to our original list...

It’s not either/ or; multiple delivery approaches can apply to any one project eg:

WaterfallAND

PRINCE2

So they don’t sit in isolation• How could your infogram better explain that a project can

incorporate multiple delivery methods?

Framework

Approach

Methodology family

Methodology

Principle/ tool

What do you mean by framework?A collection of knowledge areasGenerally accepted as best practice in the industry Give you industry guidance (whereas

methodologies give you practical processes for managing projects

Frameworks are not methodologies, and vice versa

The two most popular frameworks are PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) and Prince2

What do you mean by approach? And what would be an example of one?I believe that most projects fit within these

2 sub-categories, which I call approaches

Linear e.g. WaterfallIncremental e.g. Agile

What do you mean by family?this is a level that I added because I felt it

was requiredsome things didn’t fit within methodology

and some didn’t fit within approacha family, in this context, refers to a group

which the methodology sits under

it’s probably easier to consider the methodologies first, then return to this category

What do you mean by methodology?the repeated process of the same steps in

order to gain efficienciesa definable set of methods, processes and

practices that are repeatedly carried out to deliver projects

What do you mean by principals?A set of tools which you use to deliver

your projectYour project toolkit

Where would that leave the original list given by our project managers?

Framework

Approach

Methodology family

Methodology

Principle/ tool

6. DSDM Atern

1. Waterfall

3. Nimble

4. PRINCE2

5. Agile

2.SCRUM

For those who consider categorisation a waste of time:Remember the thousands of ways to

deliver a project

Abstraction principle (programming)Agent-oriented programmingAgile software developmentAgile Unified Process (AUP)Aspect-oriented Programming (AOP)Behavior Driven Development (BDD)Brooks's lawCapability Maturity Model IntegrationCode and fixCode reuseCohesion (computer science)Constructionist design methodology (CDM)Continuous integrationControl tablesConvention over configurationConway's LawCoupling (computer programming)CrystalCrystal ClearDependency injectionDesign Driven Testing (DDT)Design-driven development (D3)Domain-Driven Design (DDD)Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)Encapsulation (computer science)Enterprise Unified ProcessEssential Unified ProcessEvolutionary prototyping (Evo)Extreme Programming (XP)Feature Driven DevelopmentFree software licenseGeneral Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns (GRASP)Hollywood PrincipleInterface (computer science)Interface (object-oriented programming)Inversion of controlIterative and incremental developmentJoint application design, aka JAD or "Joint Application Development"KaizenKanbanKISS principle original (Keep It Simple and Stupid), derogatory (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)Law of Demeter (LoD)

Lean software developmentLean Software DevelopmentLean-To-Adaptive Prototyping in Parallel (L2APP)Literate ProgrammingMicrosoft Solutions FrameworkMicrosoft Solutions Framework (MSF)Model-driven architecture (MDA)MoSCoW MethodOpen sourceOpen Unified ProcessOpen/closed principlePrince2Principle of good enough (POGE)Principle of least astonishment (POLA/PLA)Program optimizationProgram to an interface, not an implementationProject Management Body of KnowledgeProtocol (object-oriented programming)Rapid application development (RAD)Rational Unified Process (RUP)Release early, release often (RERO)Responsibility-driven design (RDD)ScrumSeparation of concerns (SoC)Service-oriented modelingSingle responsibility principleSingle Source Of Truth (SSOT)Software craftsmanshipSoftware System SafetySOLID (object-oriented design)Spiral modelStructured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM)SUMMIT AscendantTeam Software Process (TSP)Test-driven development (TDD)Two Tracks Unified Process (2TUP)Ubuntu philosophyUnified ProcessUnified Process (UP)V-ModelWaterfall modelWheel and spoke modelWhen it's ready [2]Win-Win Model

In summaryYou shouldn’t call everything a methodology,

even if you know what you mean, others won’t

Define your categories at a company, departmental or project level as applicable

Be flexible – document your categories, but accept that they will and should change in line with industry best practice

The key is consistency and communication of your terminology

Stacey E Lowry | The Good Enabler

Email: gumption.eu@gmail.com

Website: TheGoodEnabler.com

Part of: TheBigStartupExperiment.com

Twitter: @gumptionpm