Agile PM - DSDM Products

05/28/23 • 16 min

The DSDM Agile project framework focuses on a set of products that describe the solution, the main deliverables of the project, and anything required to help with project governance and control or anything that helps with the process of evolving it. The formalities associated with each product depend on the project and the organisation.

Terms of Reference define the top-level objectives of the project. The aim is to justify the feasibility phase. It is a governance product because it may be used for the prioritization of a project in a portfolio.

The Business Case justifies the project. The justification is based on an investment appraisal determining whether the value of a solution to be delivered by the project warrants the cost to produce and maintain support for it.

Prioritize Requirement List (PRL) describes the requirements the project needs to address as well as their priority in meeting the objectives of the project.

The Solution Architectural Definition provides a high-level design framework for the solution, intended to cover both the business and technical aspects of the solution making the scope of the solution clear.

The Development Approach Definition describes the tools, techniques, and practices that will be applied to solution development as well as how quality will be assured. This makes a strategy for testing and reviewing crucial.

The Delivery Plan is a high-level schedule of project increments. It rarely deals with task-level detail except for tasks being done without the involvement of the solution development team.

The Management Approach Definition reflects the approach to project management considering how the project will be organized, stakeholder engagement, and how progress will be demonstrated.

Feasibility Assessment gives an idea of how management products will exist at the end of the feasibility phase when the product should be able to contribute to the feasibility of the product.

The Foundation Summary shows evolutionary solutions and management products as they exist at the end of the foundation phase. Each product should be useful in deciding whether the project will deliver the required ROI.

Evolutionary Solution consists of all components of the ultimate solution alongside deliverables necessary to explore the details of requirements and the solution.

The Timebox Plan provides depth and detail for each time box identified in the delivery plan.

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Prioritize Requirement List (PRL) describes the requirements the project needs to address as well as their priority in meeting the objectives of the project.

The Delivery Plan is a high-level schedule of project increments. It rarely deals with task-level detail except for tasks being done without the involvement of the solution development team.

The Management Approach Definition reflects the approach to project management considering how the project will be organized, stakeholder engagement, and how progress will be demonstrated.

Feasibility Assessment gives an idea of how management products will exist at the end of the feasibility phase when the product should be able to contribute to the feasibility of the product.

Evolutionary Solution consists of all components of the ultimate solution alongside deliverables necessary to explore the details of requirements and the solution.

The Timebox Plan provides depth and detail for each time box identified in the delivery plan.

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Ogaga Johnson- Conversations between two PMs

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Ogaga studied engineering and then got a Master's in Sustainable Energy Systems. However, she got bored after working in the field for a while and then left the job. She later came across a project management course and had more interest in it. In 2015, she got a job as a project manager using the knowledge she gained from the course she took, and has fully transitioned ever since, working in several countries.
The passion for impacting knowledge led Ogaga to found her project management Edtech company, where she helps professionals begin or advance their PM careers. Her company also helps startup businesses launch their project ideas through PM skills. One of the biggest challenges of project management is stakeholder management.

In managing difficult stakeholders, it helps to listen and truly understand the reason for their resistance. As for cross-functional teams, there are several logistical considerations to make, especially the different work cultures of different teams. Also, part of this is identifying and ensuring the presence of the key stakeholders required for any particular meeting. Sending out meeting minutes and actions after each meeting is necessary, both for those who were not around and as a means to follow up to ensure people do what is required of them.
Highlights of Ogaga's career include situations where she helps professionals get a PM role or advance their careers. Also, being able to talk to a thousand people at a conference was a huge moment as well as generally being able to impact lives. A major cause of burnout in PM is handling multiple projects at the same time. With a similar experience, Ogaga came up with a process to manage multiple projects by noting things down instead of trying to remember everything. This helped her declutter her mind and become more organized. She has now created a video on YouTube explaining her full process to stress-free project management titled "How to Manage Multiple Projects at Once"

Ogaga has used all project management methodologies and there is no single superior one because the method will depend on the project. For longer-duration projects that can be done in iterations, Agile is often preferred.
Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam.
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Reflections and Gaslighting within the workplace

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In this episode, I highlight some challenges that come with having the uncertainty of work roles as well as lacking managerial support, and how professionals can go about tackling these issues.
Generally, women are not comfortable talking about their ages, however, Sarah is marking her 39th birthday. The general belief is that by this age, people should have figured life out but for Sarah, every day is an adventure with wisdom to gain.

The intersectionality of being a woman at work, who is black and neurodiverse can often be overwhelming and lonely. Even racism presents itself in the form of microaggressions. Sarah has experienced this which can be a confusing situation.

In addressing work role uncertainty, it is necessary to sit with the boss to get clear direction because it is the job of your manager. You should not have to go to work unsure about what you're supposed to do. Part of the problem is the fluctuation between encouragement and antagonism from the employer. It may cause insecurity about your abilities. Sarah has had to encourage herself when necessary, understanding that the lack of support does not mean she is performing poorly. In fact, a lack of managerial direction is more of a reflection of the deficiency of the manager in their responsibilities.

Also, rather than using acronyms or large terminologies to sound intelligent, it is more supportive to communicate simply. It is equally important to be confident enough to ask questions where needed, instead of feeling inadequate if you are not receiving a clear understanding of your role and what you need. This may be difficult due to Imposter syndrome but should be discussed with your manager. Additionally, speaking up helps to identify with other people who have similar feelings which validate yours.

The first step is to schedule a meeting with your manager to detail exactly what you need in terms of guidance or instructions. What makes a great project manager is being able to communicate effectively enough to have an impact on people from all works and life. This has always been a major skill set of popular successful leaders.

It is imperative to share additional challenges you're facing, especially when the manager cannot relate. It is better to address such issues than to always struggle to conform to the norms in different settings which is exhausting. Sarah had an area called "Safe Haven" where she could ask questions and get advice without judgment. Finding space and someone to have these conversations with, can go a long way to help people feel better. Listeners can reach out to have these conversations with Sarah by sig

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