The standard for project management

Figure 3-9. A Largely Agile Approach with a Predictive Component

Predictive

Predictive

Predictive

tive

Predic

tive

tive

Predic

Predic

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Agile

Predictive Predictive Predictive

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3.1.10 HYBRID LIFE CYCLES AS FIT-FOR-PURPOSE

Project teams may design a hybrid life cycle based on project risks. For 

example, a campus construction project may have multiple buildings to 

improve and build. An incremental approach would focus resources on 

completing some buildings earlier than others, accelerating the return 

on investment. Each individual delivery may be sufficiently well known to 

benefit from a predictive life cycle for that building alone.

The goal of project management is to produce business value in the 

best possible way given the current environment. It does not matter if 

that way is agile or predictive. The question to ask is: “How can we be 

most successful?”

Is feedback needed as the team produces value? If so, increments will 

help. Is it necessary to manage risk as ideas are explored? If so, iterations 

or agile will help.

When the organization cannot deliver intermediate value, agile 

approaches may not be useful. That is okay—agile for the sake of agile is 

not the goal. The point is to select a life cycle or a combination of life cycles 

that work for the project, the risks, and the culture.

Agile is about customer-based delivery on a frequent basis. That delivery 

creates feedback for the team. The team uses that feedback to plan and 

replan the next chunk of work.

A government department had 

a credit insurance application 

development project. The multi-

year project was to replace its aging 

underwriting system with a new, 

more responsive user interface and 

system integrations. The bulk of 

the project was undertaken using 

an agile approach with continual 

business input.

The premium rate calculations 

were handed down from the 

Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) 

as a 200-page specification. The 

steps were very clearly explained 

with little opportunity for confusion 

(or interim result confirmation by 

the business) and were coded up 

by a separate team working its way 

through the calculation steps. The 

two teams collaborated on the input 

variables required for the calculation 

and how to consume and display the 

output values, but beyond that, the 

calculation team worked in a largely 

predictive manner.

When the calculation team’s 

portion was complete, the outputs 

from the premium rate calculations 

were displayed on the screens and in 

the reports. Then the business users 

provided feedback on the appearance 

and use of the information. The two 

teams ran concurrently, but had little 

need for interaction. Having them 

physically close to each other made 

it easier to check in on development 

progress, but largely they were 

separate subprojects.

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Section 3

3.1.11 HYBRID LIFE CYCLES AS TRANSITION STRATEGY

Many teams are not able to make the switch to agile ways of working overnight. Agile techniques look and feel 

very different to those who are accustomed to and have been successful in a predictive environment. The larger the 

organization and the more moving parts, the longer it will take to transition. For that reason, it makes sense to plan a 

gradual transition.

A gradual transition involves adding more iterative techniques to improve learning and alignment among teams and 

stakeholders. Later, consider adding more incremental techniques to accelerate value and return on investment to 

sponsors. This combination of various approaches is considered a hybrid approach.

Try these new techniques on a less risky project with a medium- to low-degree of uncertainty. Then, when the 

organization is successful with a hybrid approach, try more complex projects that require more of those techniques to 

be added. This is a way to tailor the progressive hybrid transition to the organization’s situation and specific risks and 

the team’s readiness to adapt and embrace the changes.

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