Brian Wernham (Governance SIG) on ‘The Agile Portfolio’. Brian gave a non-stop ‘pecha-kucha’ presentation where there are 20 slides, and each automatically moves on every 20 seconds. A very demanding format that was great fun to rattle through – the big advantage is that you know that it will last no longer than 6 minutes and 40 seconds!

1. The Agile Project
Portfolio
A ‘Pecha Kucha’ presentation
ペチャクチャ= chit-chat in Japanese
20 slides for 20 seconds each = 6 mins, 40 secs
Brian Wernham
Deputy Chair APM
Governance SIG
Sept 25th 18:30 Barclays, Canary Wharf, London
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

2. Traditional Project Portfolio
evaluation
3. Reduced Costs?
 Large scale
procurement
1. Overall Return on
investment?
 High stakes
2. Delivery Risk?
 Over prescriptive
business case
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

3. Traditional Project Portfolio
evaluation - It’s OK when:
3. External drivers mandate
a traditional approach:
i. Existing contracts with
suppliers
ii. Legislative requirements
iii. Delivery contract to an
inflexible customer
1. Technology is well
understood
2. Experienced teams
are in place
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

4. Traditional Project Portfolio
evaluation - It’s NOT OK when:
3. External risks indicate a
cautious approach:
i. Wildly differing
forecasts/estimates
ii. Many implementation
options
iii. Customer not sure of
requirements
1. Innovation in
technology is required
2. Delivery teams are not
in place
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

5. Aim Higher: Identify ‘Agile Governance Behaviours’
• Satisfy the customer
• Harness change
• Be very incremental
• Get the business and
technical people together
• Create trust through ‘Light-
Tight’ leadership
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

6. Aim Higher: Identify ‘Agile Governance Behaviours’
• Satisfy the customer
• Harness change
• Be very incremental
• Get the business and
technical people together
• Create trust through ‘Light-
Tight’ leadership
• Face-to-face conversations
• Reward real
progress/working solution
• Pursue simplicity, not
complexity
• Give your teams the space
they need to excel
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

7. How do we create these Agile
Governance outcomes?
 ‘Agile Portfolio Management’

8. ‘Agile Portfolio Evaluation’
- when and why?
Project environment:
• Innovation
• Inexperience
• Forecasts unreliable
• Many options possible
• Requirements unclear
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

9. ‘Agile Portfolio Evaluation’
- 4 steps
Project environment:
• Innovation
• Inexperience
• Forecasts unreliable
• Many options possible
• Requirements unclear
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele
4 steps:
1. Is the business case ‘agile’?
2. Look for low Work in
Progress
3. Look for Regular flow of
delivery
4. Look for Pilots with business
value

10. Recognise when to use ‘agile’
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele
Agile is suitable when:
• Innovation
• Inexperience
• Forecasts unreliable
• Many options possible
• Requirements unclear

11. Recognise hybrid
‘agile’ approaches
Mixing waterfall
and agile?
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

12. 1. Is the Business Case ‘agile’?
We prefer
Many options over One option in detail
‘Fail-fast’
breakpoints
over ‘Death marches’
to the bitter end
Piloting and
phasing
over ‘Big-bang’
Bread today over Jam tomorrow
(or never?)
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

13. 2. Look for low Work in Progress
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

14. 3.Look for regular flow of delivery?
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

15. 4.Business Value from Pilots
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele

16. Workshop briefing – Project One
1 New sales process 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Net ROI
IT develoment costs -£12m -£12m -£12m
Benefits £20m £20m £20m £20m £20m £64m

17. Workshop briefing – Project Two
2 Annual legislative changes Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015
Analyse legislation -£1m
Agree IT Changes -£2m
Build IT changes -£6m
Test -£3m
Legislative Deadline Jan 2016
Benefits £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m

18. Workshop briefing – Project Three
3 Marketing campaigns Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016
Develop -£3m -£3m -£3m -£3m
Implement -£3m -£3m -£3m -£3m
Benefits £8m £8m £8m £8m £8m

19. Workshop briefing – Project Four
4 Website Enhancements
Develop -£3m -£3m -£1m -£3m -£3m -£3m
Implement -£3m -£2m
Benefits £16m £5m £8m £8m

20. The Agile Project
Portfolio
1. Q&A - - 5 minutes
2. 10 minute workshop
brian.wernham@gmail.com
@BrianUkulele