Hi all,

I find that PM methodologies such as PRINCE2 or PMBOK are often misunderstood. These provide you with a set of tools, and it is up to you how you apply them: this can be in a very deterministic way, or it can be agile and experimental. They certainly make you think about what you want, but that doesn't mean that they aren't designed for agility.

There's a good article at http://eprince2.com/articles/prince2-is-agile/2011/03/17/ discussing this.

Whereas a key risk with PRINCE2 in digital development is in over-specification and over-administration, a key risk with Agile is losing touch with what you're trying to achieve, and with it the big picture of how your project fits in the world. Your vision, intended outcomes, and your view of the end benefits that you want to realise shouldn't be agile - they're why you're doing the project in the first place. Agile methods change the route you take to get there. 

I think that the key point (whichever PMM you choose) is identified by Mike - an on-time and on-budget project that doesn't meet user needs is still a failure. Get the requirements capture right at the beginning, allow for flexibility and testing with real users during development, and keep talking to your users. Just don't lose touch of the outcome you want, alongside having satisfied users.

Cheers,

Max

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-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Mike Ellis [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 21. Februar 2013 13:17
Betreff: Re: Digital Project Management

Hi

I think the problem we have here is that the word "Agile" has been taken over by a very specific methodology which as Nick (and others) have pointed out is best suited to a software development world.

However - I think Joe's point about being in a position to iterate and flex as you go is absolutely crucial - probably THE most crucial thing in trying to realise any kind of project, let alone a large scale one which runs over months, or (god help us), years.

I haven't run a project yet, ever (and I've run a few, ranging from three Science Museum web re-launches, an NMSI-wide CMS project, Ingenious, an unknown number of website launches for museums and other clients).. where ANYONE has known exactly what they want the end result to be at the beginning of the project. 

This is the big strength of digital - being able to test, talk to people, iterate, wireframe, prototype, admit you were wrong and start again.. 

Too often a project is called a "success" purely because it delivered to time and on budget. This stuff is great and you'll make it less likely you'll get sacked, but if you deliver something on time and to budget which no-one wants, you've failed anyway, big-time.

Personally I'd run a mile from Prince2 or anything that formal - in my experience it almost always takes the passion, enthusiasm and energy out of a project. But I think like anything, you can take valuable things from more formal methodologies AND from the more "agile" (lower case) ones and create something which suits individual project needs.

Oh, and this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmje/8495112954/in/photostream :-)

cheers

Mike



_____________________________


Mike Ellis 

Thirty8 Digital: a small but perfectly formed digital agency: http://thirty8.co.uk  

* My book: http://heritageweb.co.uk *




On 19 Feb 2013, at 10:56, Joe Cutting <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> >>
> Does anyone have any thoughts on the best way(s) to manage a large digital project? I will be projecting managing several over the next couple of years, and will need to manage external developers and partners, colleagues from different departments, and stakeholders such as audiences and funders. Does anyone have experience of managing this kind of project?
> >>
> Yes, lots, I've been doing it for museums for over ten years :)
> >>
> Did you use a particular project management methodology (i.e. PRINCE2, Agile)?
> >>
> Most museum digital projects use some kind of "Agile" methodology. In essence this means that you don't start by trying to write a full detailed specification of everything you want. Instead you write a prioritized list of your aims for the project. You then produce a prototype which attempts to solve the most risky of these aims and test it to see if its successful. Depending on how it goes you then adjust your design and produce another prototype and see if its better.
> 
> The most important thing to realise is that this is completely different from the way that construction projects work. They tend to use the "Waterfall" approach, in which you go through various stages of writing and refining the specification and only actually build something at the end. I would strongly advise you not to use this method and when you come across other project management advice consider carefully whether its coming from a construction or digital project background.
> 
> PRINCE2 is more of a set of tools for overseeing digital projects and defining roles. It's got some good ideas but unless everyone involved understands it, it can be difficult to get them to stick to their role.
> >>
> Did you brief external and internal people in a way which proved to be successful (or unsuccessful)? Any tips on this welcome.
> >>
> I've written a guide to writing a brief for digital projects which is here: http://www.joecutting.com/creativebrief.php
> along with other advice on digital projects which is on my web site here: http://www.joecutting.com/advice.php
> 
> If you could give more details about project or have any other specific questions I could give more help.
> 
> All the best with your project
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Joe
> 
> 
> 
> Joe Cutting
> Digital exhibits and installations
> www.joecutting.com
> 35 Hospital Fields Road, York, YO10 4DZ
> 01904 624681
> 
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