Predictive Project Management 

Historically, we have done predictive or traditional – sometimes also called waterfall – project management. This is where we work out (or predict) what is required and then try to stick to that plan.

In predictive project management we try to plan ahead, and so we work out the scope of the project very early on. After, we create a schedule to know when things happen, and build a budget. Then, we try to stand by the scope, schedule, and budget we planned.

Because we have done all that upfront planning, we desperately want to adhere to that plan. As such, we will probably try to resist change. Any change to that plan is going to mean a lot of work, so we carefully manage anybody who suggests any changes to our predictive plan. 

If we are building houses, or a new hospital, or a new school, or a motorway, we are trying to plan the next 6 months, 12 months, or 18 months ahead, and then stick to that plan. These are examples of where predictive project management is commonly applied.

Adaptive (or Agile) Project Management 

Adaptive or Agile Project Management is where we do not fix our plans in concrete, but we work for a few days or a couple of weeks to achieve some objectives and then evaluate:   

With software projects we need a much shorter timeframe, and we need to be far more agile. In Agile project management, we would create a mock-up or a demonstration of what could be done with software. We then show it to the customer for feedback and changes and additions. This adds value to the business quickly. Releases of software with more functionality might happen every 2 weeks.

Hybrid Project Management 

For a long time, we have been working with hybrid project management, which is a combination of the predictive and the adaptive approaches. We use waterfall project management for some things, and for others we use agile project management.  

Project Management Approaches 

Project management is not a skill at reading the future. We are trying to plan what might happen in the future. 

However, it is pointless to try to plan further than three or six months. Even on traditional projects, we might have a detailed plan for the next three to six months, but no more than that. Then, towards the end of that phase of the project, you plan the next phase in more detail. This may sound like iterative or adaptive, but in fact it is called Rolling Wave Planning – it is an approach from agile that we use in a traditional anyway. 

This course is mainly based on predictive project management tools and techniques which are going to help us deliver a project. That does not mean what we will learn is not applicable to the adaptive world. In fact, the tools and techniques we will teach you are equally valid for that adaptive world. 

Over to you 

What project management is practised in your organisation? Do you prefer one project management approach over the other? Share your thoughts with other learners in the comments section below.