What Is Adaptive Project Framework (APF)?
Adaptive project management is a formal and organized process that helps you to progressively develop your choices and activities by learning from the consequences of decisions you have made at previous phases of the project.
Through addressing projects with the awareness that core elements are continually in motion, teams may follow a flexible approach to learning consistently by reassessing outcomes and choices during the process.
This requires frequent interaction with stakeholders at all levels so that the team can adapt quickly.
The main characteristics of Adaptive Framework are:
- Thrive on change
- Learn from discovery
- Client driven
Why do we need Adaptive project management?
It is no wonder that the rapid technological advancements and ever-increasing demands of today ’s marketplace have transformed project management in three main areas:
- Strategy – it is now more complex and difficult to foresee
- Work -The emergence of advanced technology has accelerated the work pace
- People -working collaboratively and aspiring to build a true team culture
Considering all these developments, it is clear that software development projects are changing as they go, and that implementing traditional project management will be futile.
How it works: The 5 phases of Adaptive Project Management
1. Definition of the project scope
The first and most critical part of the scope is to consider what the consumer would be satisfied with.
The first action then is to establish the satisfaction conditions, known as SCOs.
⇒ This addresses the question: what are the needs of the client? How are you meeting these needs?
The essential fact here is to set a fixed target for a project that gives a compass to the project. You offer yourself a point of reference by getting a SCO at the beginning.
Then, you have to establish the Project Overview Statement (POS).
It actually summarizes the conditions of satisfaction, explains what will be accomplished and how, and outlines the risks and possible obstacles, as well as the opportunities and the predictions for success.
Finally, you must produce and complete three documents:
Firstly, there are the functional requirements, which is a list that prioritizes actions. This will change as the project develops.
Secondly, there is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – which breaks down the work to be completed.
At last, there is the triangle scope – it’s how time, cost and quality converge.
2. The cycle plan
This is the start of the cycle that is continued for the next three stages. This is the iterative aspect of the process.
You define the individual tasks to be conducted in accordance with the WBS, decide the order in which they are to be carried out, classify their interdependencies, delegate them to your team members, and specify their deadlines.
3. Cycle completion
At this point, we’re starting to work on the project. Follow and change the cycle as you go. The cycle ends whenever the time specified has elapsed. Anything that is not done in this cycle will be carried forward to the next cycle.
As the cycle is completed, it is necessary to write down any suggestions for change from the client and any proposals for improvement from the client or the team. It is also necessary to keep a list of problems and to follow the resolution status of these issues.
4. The customer checkpoint
This is a review point and a key step in the AFP process.
The client and the project team will meet to discuss the consistency of what has been done. They prepare, along with the project manager, any corrections or enhancements to be made in the next iteration.
When the analysis is finished, Steps 2, 3 and 4 will be repeated until the time and budget have been depleted and the work is finished.
5. The final report
The final report shall determine if the operating outcomes have been met. In other words did you do the job or not?
The study should also be descriptive – considering the usefulness of the methods used and determining which methods should be maintained.
Pros and Cons of the approach
Advantages of the APF method:
- A helpful solution when you know what the ultimate objective is, but you’re not sure how to get there.
- The process is adaptable to the project needs
- It promises flexibility and savings when implemented correctly.
Disadvantages of the APF method:
- Due to the flexibility and frequent changes in the scope, APF can lead to project delays and/or higher costs.
- Not suited to construction projects as well as large-scale projects
- Repeated tasks and thus longer cycle times
Leave A Comment?