AgilePM Practitioner cheat sheet

AgilePM is built on the DSDM framework; its core promise is to fix time, cost and quality (features) at the outset and instead flex scope via prioritisation.

The eight DSDM principles are: focus on the business need; deliver on time; collaborate; never compromise quality; build incrementally from firm foundations; develop iteratively; communicate continuously and clearly; demonstrate control.

The 'iron triangle' in AgilePM inverts classic thinking: scope is variable, while timebox duration and cost (resources) are held fixed.

A timebox is a fixed period of time (typically 2-4 weeks for a project timebox) during which agreed work is completed; scope may be reduced but the deadline is never extended.

MoSCoW prioritisation ranks requirements: Must Have (mandatory, <=60% of effort), Should Have, Could Have, and Won't Have This Time (explicitly excluded).

The philosophy is 'enough design up front' (EDUF) rather than big design up front; just enough foundation work is done before iterative development begins.

AgilePM defines three project lifecycle stages before deployment: Pre-Project, Feasibility, Foundations; then Evolutionary Development and Deployment.

Fitness for business purpose is the primary quality criterion; quality is fixed and never traded away to meet a deadline.

Three role categories exist: Project Roles (Business Sponsor, Business Visionary, Project Manager, Technical Coordinator, Team Leader), Solution Development Roles, and Supporting Roles.

The Business Sponsor is the single decision-maker and 'project owner', responsible for the business case and for removing escalating blockers; there is exactly one per project.

The Business Visionary defines the business vision, provides strategic direction and is the ultimate authority on business requirements and their prioritisation.

The Project Manager leads the project at a tactical level, manages the timeboxes, resources and risk, and reports to the Business Sponsor.

The Technical Coordinator ensures the solution is technically coherent, chairs technical reviews and is responsible for technical architecture and standards.

The Team Leader leads one or more Solution Development Teams, ensuring the team delivers the agreed products within each timebox.

The Business Ambassador is a Supporting role representing business users, providing day-to-day business input and reviewing/accepting products.

Solution Development Roles are fulfilled by team members who create the products; AgilePM does not prescribe specific titles but requires the work to be covered.

Pre-Project: the Business Case is initiated and refined; the Terms of Reference may be produced to commission the project.

Feasibility stage products include the Business Case (refined) and the Feasibility Assessment, which decides whether to proceed to Foundations.

Foundations stage produces the Terms of Reference (updated), the Prioritised Requirements List (PRL), the Solution Architecture Definition, and the Development Approach Definition.

The Prioritised Requirements List (PRL) captures requirements with MoSCoW priorities and is the single source of agreed scope throughout the project.

Evolutionary Development produces the Timebox Plan, Timebox Review Record, and evolving solution products; each timebox ends with a review and a deployable increment where appropriate.

Deployment produces the Deployment Plan, a Benefits Realisation Plan, and the project review/assessment of the delivered solution.

The Benefits Realisation Plan defines how and when the expected business benefits will be measured after deployment.

The Business Case is a living product, reviewed at each stage gate and at the end of each timebox, not a one-off document.

MoSCoW: Must Have effort must not exceed 60% of total effort; aim for at least 20% Could Have to preserve flexibility; Should Have is the contingency buffer.

Timeboxing: a Daily Stand-up (typically 15 minutes) coordinates the team; the timebox is never extended, and scope is reduced if necessary to protect the deadline.

Modelling: use workshops and visual models; model to understand and communicate, not for completeness; heavyweight documentation is avoided.

Iterative Development: each iteration produces a demonstrable, tested increment; feedback from each increment informs the next.

Prioritisation is applied at every level: requirements, products, and even tasks within a timebox.

Facilitated Workshops are the primary technique for collaborative requirements gathering and decision-making, bringing business and technical roles together.

Tailoring: roles can be combined or shared in small projects (e.g., Business Sponsor also acting as Business Visionary), and products can be scaled to project size.

AgilePM can be combined with other frameworks (e.g., PRINCE2, Scrum) but the DSDM principles and timebox discipline must be preserved.