It's still an open discussion: what role does the Project Manager play in an Agile setup? I've attended many workshops that try to explain how the Project Manager can get involved. It doesn't help that whilst Scrum and other Agile flavours mention the Product Owner and ScrumMaster roles, they don't tend to mention us.

1. The REAL Role of the Project Manager in Agile
Derek Homer
Sept 2014
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/derekhomer/

2.  About Me
 Roles
 Definitions
 Lifecycles
 Hourglass Model
 Example
 Summary
2
Contents

3. 3
About Me
XP
Enterprise
Agile
Scrum
Kanban

4. Developers
Scrum
Master
Product
Owner
4
Roles
Project
Manager
?
? Assist Tech Lead (scrum master)
? Support Product Owner (not all
POs are equal!)
? Admin (meetings, requisition
requests)
? Communication with the business
? Looking outward
? Third party management
? Interface between teams
processes and customers
? Managing deployments
? Scope Management (large CRs)
? High Level Milestones
? Lightweight Risks & Issues
? Status Reporting

5.  What is a “project”?
 “It’s a temporary group activity
designed to produce a unique
product, service or result.”
(www.pmi.org)
 It’s a group activity designed to
improve or enable a product,
service or result
What are “management”
responsibilities?
 Planning
 Organising
 Staffing
 Directing
 Control
5
Definitions

6. 6
“Our” Lifecycle
DeathMaturityInfancyBirth

7. CloseDevelopmentPlanningInitiation
7
Our “other” Lifecycle

8. Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation
Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation
CloseDevelopmentPlanningInitiation
8
How do Project/Product lifecycles relate?
Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation Close
Developm
ent
PlanningInitiation
Feasibility
Study
Project
Plan
PRODUCT Lessons
Learnt

9. Pros Cons
Fast Feedback Highly Tactical
User Adoption Cost Planning
Cost Avoidance Cost
Early Value
9
Why use Agile?

10. 10
The Hourglass Model (by Citi)
OBJECTIVECSFs
PRODUCTS
RISKS BENEFITS
IMPACTS
PROBLEM
© CITI Limited 2012
email@citi.co.uk
www.citi.co.uk
Agile
Or any other
appropriate Product
Delivery
methodology
“The REAL role
of Agile in
Project
Management”

11. 11
Example
Speed Bullets Agility
Project
Product
Development
User
Business

12. Looking outward
Communication with the business
High Level Milestones
Lightweight Risks & Issues
 Manage deployments
 Admin (meetings, requisition requests)
 Support Tech Lead (scrum master)
 Support Product Owner (not all POs are equal!)
 Third party management
 Interface between teams processes and customers
 Scope Management (large CRs)
 Status Reporting
12
What should the Agile Project Manager Do?
 Definitely Yes
 Absolutely No!!
 Perhaps…
Define the Problem (not the solution!)
Define the single Objective
Define the Critical Success Factors
Plan how & when Impacts/Changes will
occur
Define Benefits (and plan how/when they
should be realised)
Define the “products” that are required
along the way
Manage Risks against the Product
Manage Risks against the Benefit
Keep the Sponsor (the person paying!)
informed!!