An Introduction to Agile Foundations

Table of contents

What is Agile

Agile is an iterative and incremental approach to delivering value to customers through adaptive planning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Agile mindset: Focus on outcomes and customer value rather than strict adherence to a plan.

Agile is not a single methodology — it’s a philosophy supported by frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, and Lean.

Agile Philosophy

Agile thinking stems from recognizing that: Requirements often change as the project evolves. Teams deliver better results when they are empowered and collaborative. Early and frequent delivery of value allows feedback to improve outcomes. Agile replaces command-and-control management with empowerment, transparency, and trust.

Characteristics of Agile Projects

Characteristic Description Iterative Work is done in cycles (iterations or sprints) to allow frequent feedback and learning. Incremental Each iteration adds usable features or value. Collaborative Team members and stakeholders work closely throughout the project. Adaptive Plans and priorities evolve as requirements change. Customer-focused The goal is delivering value that meets customer needs, not just project scope. 1.4 Agile in the Context of PMP PMI recognizes Agile as one end of the delivery spectrum: Predictive (Waterfall) → Plan-driven, stable scope, sequential stages. Iterative/Incremental → Partial delivery with evolving understanding. Agile → Fast feedback loops, continuous adaptation, customer involvement. 1.5 Agile Mindset and Culture People and interactions are valued over tools. Teams are self-organizing — decisions are made close to where work is done. Leaders serve as coaches, removing barriers instead of directing. Continuous learning and reflection are essential. Agile is more about values and behaviors than tools or ceremonies. Chapter 2 – The Agile Manifesto The Agile Manifesto (2001) was developed by 17 software thought leaders at Snowbird, Utah. It establishes four core values and twelve guiding principles that define Agile culture.

The Four Values

These values shift the emphasis from rigid process control to people, adaptability, and value delivery.

The Twelve Principles of Agile

Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable product. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Deliver working product frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Business people and developers work together daily. Build projects around motivated individuals; trust them to get the job done. Face-to-face conversation is the most effective communication method. Working product is the primary measure of progress. Sustainable development pace — teams maintain a constant rhythm indefinitely. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. Simplicity — maximize the amount of work not done. Self-organizing teams produce the best architectures and designs. Regular reflection and adjustment to improve effectiveness. 2.3 Applying the Manifesto in Practice Individuals and interactions: Encourage daily collaboration (e.g., Daily Scrum). Working product: Prioritize delivering usable increments early. Customer collaboration: Involve the customer through reviews, demos, and backlog refinement. Responding to change: Use short planning cycles and flexible backlogs. 2.4 Agile Values in PMP Exam Context Expect questions comparing: Documentation vs. value delivery Plan adherence vs. adaptation Customer collaboration vs. contract negotiation

✅ Tip: When both options seem correct, choose the one that aligns with adaptability and value delivery.

Agile vs. Predictive vs. Hybrid Approaches

Project Life-Cycle Types

PMI identifies several delivery approaches along a spectrum: Type Description Best When Predictive (Waterfall) Entire scope is defined upfront. Sequential phases. Requirements stable, low uncertainty. Iterative Deliver prototypes or partial functionality to refine understanding. Solution is unclear, needs validation. Incremental Deliver usable increments regularly. Customer wants early value. Agile Iterative + incremental with frequent inspection/adaptation. High uncertainty, frequent change. Hybrid Combine predictive planning with Agile execution. Large or regulated environments needing control + flexibility. 3.2 Agile vs. Predictive: Key Differences Area Predictive Approach Agile Approach Planning Fixed plan, detailed upfront Adaptive, rolling-wave planning Scope Baseline established early Evolves with customer feedback Delivery One large release Frequent, small increments Change Management Formal change control Changes welcomed and prioritized Customer Role Limited (review milestones) Continuous engagement Leadership Style Directive, top-down Servant leadership, collaborative Team Structure Specialized roles Cross-functional, self-organizing 3.3 Hybrid Approach A Hybrid project uses predictive elements for planning and Agile for execution. Example: Predictive: Define high-level requirements, budget, and schedule. Agile: Use Scrum for development and frequent delivery. Hybrid allows: Governance and compliance required by management. Flexibility and responsiveness within the delivery teams. 3.4 When to Use Each Approach Environment Recommended Approach Stable requirements, high predictability Predictive Rapidly changing requirements Agile Partially stable, partially dynamic Hybrid Innovation or R&D projects Agile or Iterative Large, regulated programs Hybrid or Predictive for oversight, Agile for execution 3.5 Agile Mindset for All Life Cycles Even in predictive projects, PMI encourages applying Agile principles: Engage stakeholders frequently. Deliver partial value when possible. Maintain transparency and adaptability. Agile isn’t limited to software — it’s a universal approach to complex problem solving.

Glossary

• Value Stream Mapping (VSM): Is a lean methodology tool that uses a flowchart to visualize the entire flow of materials and information needed to bring a product or service to a customer, originating from their request.

• Throughput Chart: The throughput histogram is Kanbam tool that aims to visually represent your team’s productivity in the past. It is measured by the number of finished tasks each day and how long it took for this to happen.

• Servant leadership: Servant leadership is the practice of leading the team by focusing on understanding and addressing the needs and development of team members to enable the highest possible team performance.

• The 100% Rule: A principle in project management that ensures a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) captures all the work required for a project without including unrelated tasks. It emphasizes that the totality of the project must be represented at the top level, with all components broken down accurately at lower levels.

• Fast Tracking schedule: Arranges work tasks from in series to in parallel. No extra cost, but increase in risk.

• Crashing schedule: Assign more resources to work tasks. Increased cost but reduced schedule duration.0

• Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS): Is a hierarchical structure of the identified resources by resource category and resource type. Resource categories include: labour, material, equipment, and supplies. Resource types include: skill level, grade level. The RBS is useful for organizing and reporting project schedule data with resource utilization information.

• WBS Dictionary: Is a document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure.

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.

• Statement of work (SOW): Is the all-encompassing scope to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives.

Motivation & Leadership Theories

Achievement Theory (McClelland’s Theory of Needs)

• People are motivated by three main drivers:
• Achievement – desire to excel and complete challenging goals.
• Power – desire to influence or lead others.
• Affiliation – desire for friendly relationships and belonging. ➡️ Project managers match tasks to individual motivators (e.g., high achievers get stretch goals).

Expectancy Theory (Vroom)

• Motivation = Expectancy × Instrumentality × Valence
• Expectancy: Effort will lead to good performance.
• Instrumentality: Good performance will lead to a reward.
• Valence: The reward is personally valuable. ➡️ PMs ensure clear links between effort, performance, and meaningful rewards.

##Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ###Humans are motivated by five levels of needs:

• Physiological – food, water, rest.
• Safety – job stability, safe working conditions.
• Social – relationships, teamwork, belonging.
• Esteem – recognition, respect, achievement.
• Self-Actualization – personal growth, fulfillment. ➡️ PMs focus on meeting lower-level needs first to unlock higher motivation.

Contingency Theory (Fiedler)

There is no single best leadership style.

• Effectiveness depends on:
• Leader’s style,
• Team relationships,
• Task structure, and
• Position power. ➡️ PMs adapt leadership approach to fit the situation — directive for structured tasks, supportive for creative work.

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Motivation is driven by two types of factors:

• Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction but don’t motivate): salary, policies, work conditions.
• Motivators (create satisfaction and motivation): achievement, recognition, responsibility, growth. ➡️ PMs maintain good hygiene factors but emphasize motivators for real engagement.