the agile project portfolio - a 'pecha kucha' presentation

The Agile Project Portfolio

A ‘Pecha Kucha’ presentation

ペチャクチャ = chit-chat in Japanese

20 slides for 20 seconds each = 6 mins, 40 secs

Brian Wernham Deputy Chair APMGovernance SIG

Sept 25th 18:30 Barclays, Canary Wharf, London

[email protected]@BrianUkulele

Traditional Project Portfolio evaluation

3. Reduced Costs? Large scale procurement

1. Overall Return on investment? High stakes

2. Delivery Risk? Over prescriptive business case


Traditional Project Portfolio evaluation - It’s OK when:

3. External drivers mandate a traditional approach:

i. Existing contracts with suppliers

ii. Legislative requirements

iii. Delivery contract to an inflexible customer

1. Technology is well understood

2. Experienced teams are in place


Traditional Project Portfolio evaluation - It’s NOT OK when:

3. External risks indicate a cautious approach:

i. Wildly differing forecasts/estimates

ii. Many implementation options

iii. Customer not sure of requirements

1. Innovation in technology is required

2. Delivery teams are not in place


• Satisfy the customer

• Harness change

• Be very incremental

• Get the business and technical people together

• Create trust through ‘Light-Tight’ leadership

Aim Higher: Identify ‘Agile Governance Behaviours’


• Satisfy the customer

• Harness change

• Be very incremental

• Get the business and technical people together

• Create trust through ‘Light-Tight’ leadership

• Face-to-face conversations

• Reward real progress/working solution

• Pursue simplicity, not complexity

• Give your teams the space they need to excel

Aim Higher: Identify ‘Agile Governance Behaviours’


How do we create these Agile Governance outcomes?

‘Agile Portfolio Management’

‘Agile Portfolio Evaluation’- when and why?


Project environment:

• Innovation

• Inexperience

• Forecasts unreliable

• Many options possible

• Requirements unclear

‘Agile Portfolio Evaluation’- 4 steps


Project environment:

• Innovation

• Inexperience




4 steps:

1. Is the business case ‘agile’?

2. Look for low Work in Progress

3. Look for Regular flow of delivery

4. Look for Pilots with business value


Recognise when to use ‘agile’

Agile is suitable when:

• Innovation

• Inexperience




Mixing waterfall and agile?


Recognise hybrid ‘agile’ approaches

1. Is the Business Case ‘agile’?We prefer

Many options over One option in detail

‘Fail-fast’ breakpoints

over ‘Death marches’to the bitter end

Piloting and phasing

over ‘Big-bang’

Bread today over Jam tomorrow(or never?)


2. Look for low Work in Progress


3.Look for regular flow of delivery?


4.Business Value from Pilots


Workshop briefing – Project One

1 New sales process 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Net ROIIT develoment costs -£12m -£12m -£12mBenefits £20m £20m £20m £20m £20m £64m

Workshop briefing – Project Two

2 Annual legislative changes Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015Analyse legislation -£1mAgree IT Changes -£2mBuild IT changes -£6mTest -£3mLegislative Deadline Jan 2016Benefits £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m £0m

Workshop briefing – Project Three

3 Marketing campaigns Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016Develop -£3m -£3m -£3m -£3mImplement -£3m -£3m -£3m -£3mBenefits £8m £8m £8m £8m £8m

Workshop briefing – Project Four

4 Website EnhancementsDevelop -£3m -£3m -£1m -£3m -£3m -£3mImplement -£3m -£2mBenefits £16m £5m £8m £8m

The Agile Project Portfolio

1. Q&A - - 5 minutes

2. 10 minute workshop
