What Is Agile And How Is Risk Handled In An Agile Project

What Is Agilehow Is Risk Handled Within An Agile Project Approach

What is Agile? How is risk handled within an Agile project approach such as Scrum? In what ways can the following activities be seen as projects? In what ways do they resemble ongoing, routine business activities? Feel free to add assumptions and details to describe how the activity might be a project in one context and routine in another.

Paper For Above instruction

Agile methodologies have revolutionized project management by emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centric development. Among these methodologies, Scrum is one of the most widely adopted frameworks, especially valued for managing complex projects where risk mitigation is crucial. Understanding what constitutes Agile and how it handles risk requires a thorough explanation of its principles and practices, particularly within Scrum, as well as analyzing different activities through a project versus routine activity lens.

Understanding Agile and Scrum

Agile is a set of principles and practices designed to promote adaptability and iterative progress in project management. Originally outlined in the Agile Manifesto (Beck et al., 2001), Agile prioritizes individuals and interactions, working solutions, customer collaboration, and responding to change over strict following of plans. Scrum, as an Agile framework, implements these principles through fixed-length iterations called sprints, collaborative teams, and roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team.

Scrum promotes transparency, inspection, and adaptation, which inherently help in identifying and managing risks early and continuously (Schwaber & Sutherland, 2020). Risks are handled through practices like daily stand-ups for communication, sprint reviews for stakeholder feedback, and retrospectives for process improvement. The iterative nature ensures that risks—whether technical, operational, or strategic—are dealt with promptly, reducing their potential impact on the overall project.

Managing Risk in Agile Projects

Within Agile, risk management is integrated into every aspect of the process rather than being a separate phase. For instance, in Scrum, risks are identified during backlog refinement, sprint planning, and daily stand-ups. Teams focus on high-priority and high-risk items early in the development cycle, allowing for rapid adjustment if problems arise (Fitzgerald et al., 2018). This continuous risk assessment fosters a proactive rather than reactive approach, significantly reducing the likelihood and severity of project failures.

Moreover, Agile's incremental deliveries enable stakeholders to provide early feedback, which helps in surfacing unforeseen risks or issues. This ongoing dialogue ensures that potential threats are addressed promptly, often before they escalate. The flexibility to reprioritize work items means teams can shift focus away from risky features or research alternative solutions, fostering adaptive planning and risk mitigation (Highsmith & Cockburn, 2001).

Activities as Projects or Routine Activities

The activities provided—reading a chapter before university lecture, taking a bus to work, piloting an aircraft, and teaching a course—can be interpreted differently depending on context as projects or routine activities.

Reading a chapter before a university lecture may be a routine activity for a student, performed regularly to prepare for classes with minimal variation. However, if a student is preparing for an important, high-stakes exam and the reading involves complex, interdisciplinary material, this activity could be considered a project due to its temporary nature and specific goal.

Taking a bus to work typically represents a routine activity with consistent procedures and schedules. Nevertheless, if someone is test-driving a new bus service or participating in a pilot program testing new routes and schedules, it might then be seen as a project involving specific objectives and timelines.

Piloting an aircraft between Vancouver and Fiji clearly resembles a project involving complex planning, safety regulations, navigation, and contingency management—characteristics of a temporary endeavor with specific objectives. Conversely, an experienced pilot on a regular route who follows established procedures operates more as a routine activity unless external factors (such as weather testing or route certification) transform it into a project.

Teaching a course for the first time involves planning, curriculum development, and assessment design, aligning with project characteristics. In subsequent semesters, teaching the same course becomes a routine activity, especially when following established syllabus and procedures. The first-time teaching scenario illustrates a temporary, goal-oriented activity, whereas routine teaching exemplifies ongoing operational activity.

Conclusion

Summarizing, Agile—particularly Scrum—addresses risks through continuous, iterative cycles emphasizing transparency, stakeholder feedback, and flexible planning, which collectively foster proactive risk mitigation. Activities can shift from projects to routine tasks or vice versa depending on scope, objectives, and context. Recognizing these distinctions helps managers allocate resources and governance appropriately, optimizing outcomes for both project and operational endeavors.

References

• Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., ... & Thomas, D. (2001). Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Agile Alliance. https://agilemanifesto.org/
• Fitzgerald, B., Hart, S., & Howcroft, D. (2018). Agile Project Management: An Introduction. International Journal of Project Management, 36(4), 514-525.
• Highsmith, J., & Cockburn, A. (2001). Agile Software Development: The People Factor. Computer, 34(11), 131-133.
• Schwaber, K., & Sutherland, J. (2020). The Scrum Guide. The Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game. https://scrumguides.org/
• PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
• Leach, L. P. (1999). Critical Chain Project Management. Artech House.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.
• Zwikael, O., & Smyrk, J. (2011). Creating Critical Success Factors for Projects. International Journal of Project Management, 29(4), 411-418.
• Cooke-Davies, T. (2002). The "Real" Success Factors in Projects. International Journal of Project Management, 20(3), 185-190.