Selecting the Right Project Management Methodology
By Harold Kerzner, Ph.D. and J. LeRoy Ward
Abstract
For many years, the project management methodology (PMM) used by the majority of companies provided for a waterfall approach to accomplishing work.
Today, many practitioners assert that a key role of the project manager is to decide which type of life-cycle to use on a project (i.e., waterfall, agile or hybrid) given its many characteristics. Others content that new frameworks can be created from the best features of each approach and then applied to a project.
What we know for sure is that the focus of our work on projects is on delivering value to our customers on a frequent basis. Whichever approach gets us there is the one we should be employing.
This white paper will give you key insight into selecting the right project management approach and increasing the likelihood of success on your projects.
CONTENT OVERVIEW
- Understanding Methodologies
- Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All
- Critical Changes in the Project Management Landscape
- How to Select the Right Framework (including 8 Questions to Help You Decide Which Life-cycle is Best Suited for Your Project)
- Why (and How) Project Teams Should “Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst”
About the Authors:
Harold Kerzner (M.S., Ph.D., Engineering, and M.B.A) is IIL’s Senior Executive Director for Project Management. He is a globally recognized expert on project management and strategic planning, and the author of many best-selling textbooks. His latest book is Innovation Project Management: Methods, Case Studies, and Tools for Managing Innovation Projects (Wiley, 2019).
J. LeRoy Ward (PMP, PgMP, PfMP, CSM, CSPO) is IIL’s Executive Vice President of Enterprise Solutions and a recognized thought leader, consultant and adviser in project, program and portfolio management. With more than 39 years of experience in the field, his insights, perspectives and advice have been sought by hundreds of companies and government agencies around the world.
