Adaptive Project Framework

Draft

Adaptive Project Framework (APF) is a methodology used in project management where the need to constantly adapt to the changing environment of a project. This is a systematic and structured process that allows project managers to enhance their decisions and practices during the project life cycle based on learning from previous results achieved during the project. APF is designed to continually adapt to the changing situation of a project from its very beginning to its very end. Therefore, with this approach, nothing is fixed: neither the duration of the project, nor the budget, nor the risks, and everything can be continuously adjusted according to changes in the project's characteristics. This is a costumer driven process that requires the client and the project team to be effectively involved, acting in an open and trusting partnership.

Overview

Recognised strategic leader in the field of project management, Robert K. Wysocki published the book Adaptive Project Framework in 2010, where he describes the APF approach when managing complexity in uncertainty. The AFP method was created to help teams adapt continuously to projects changing environment. Therefore, with this approach, nothing is fixed: neither the duration of the project, nor the budget, nor the risks, and everything can be continuously adjusted according to changes in the project's characteristics.

To implement the APF methodology successfully, project teams must be willing to accept and adapt to changes. It is a costumer driven process, where the client is involved in every stage of the process and even given the opportunity to control the direction of the project. Consequently requires the project team to be effectively involved, acting with an open mind and trusting partnership.

Application

Taking a closer look at the project framework, it consists of five main steps.

Project Scope

Figure 1: WBS with Coding scheme

The first part of the process is identifying the project scope and that involves understanding the needs of the costumer. Therefore Stakeholders first step is to determine the Conditions of Satisfaction (CoS). That is the project goals and the desired outcome, by finding out what are the client's needs and how to meet those needs. From this point the Project Overview Statement (POS) is written to outline the CoS and is approved by all stakeholders, this is done to evaluate the effectiveness of the process and how it will be accomplished.

Finally three documents are needed to finish the project scope. First, there is the Functional Requirements, that prioritises actions as well as possible risks, challenges and assumptions. As the project progresses, this may change. Second, there is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that enables teams to estimate costs, develop schedule and break down the processes into manageable parts that need to be accomplished. Finally there is the triangle scope, which is how time, cost and quality will converge.

Cycle plan

The project is divided into multiple mini-projects or cycles, where each cycle delivers one or more deliverables. This is the iterative part of the method, that is repeated over and over again for the next three steps. The cycle plan involves defining each task that needs to be accomplished in each project cycle according to the WBS but is adapted between cycles. Order of the tasks is established, their interdependencies are identified and assigned to employees with an given deadline.

Cycle completion

Cycles can be changed as the team works on the project. The cycle finishes when the pre-defined time elapses, and all the tasks that were not done during this cycle transfer to the next. Ensuring consistent contact, noting any demands for change and new ideas for improvement is critical. They should also be discussed in the next cycle when the team encounters some problematic situations.

Client checkpoint

The Client review is an important step of the process, this is were the client will review the accomplished deliverables during this cycle and evaluate the quality. Together with the project manager a plan will be conducted on any corrections or improvements to be made for the next cycle. Once the review is done then steps 2, 3 and 4 are iterated until the project is complete or until the time and budget has been exhausted.

Post-version review

Completion of the project, the project manager, client and the team will come to together and evaluate the success of the project and determine whether project goals have been accomplished and that the client is pleased. Document of the whole process is done to reflect the effectiveness of the method, lesson learned and possible improvements for future projects.

Figure 2: The five steps of APF

Limitations & Challenges

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Conclusion

Adaptive Project Framework is a very effective method that enables teams to forget about the limitations of traditional project management approaches. Similarly to the traditional models, APF also includes scoping and planning phases. However, an adaptive framework allows for effective collaboration between teams and stakeholders. This way, they can adapt the project to the changing environment and quickly react to unforeseen challenges.

APF is a flexible approach. When used correctly, it can also help companies minimise expenses and maximise the value proposition. Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that every project is unique, and APF cannot be called a universal approach that will fit projects of all kinds. With that said, if you’re looking for flexibility, APF is certainly the right choice.

Annotated Bibliography

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