The Adaptive Project Framework

  Stakeholder Management   Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)   ProjectsAtWork  

The traditional linear models of project management belong to yesterday, according to project management trainer, consultant and best-selling author Robert Wysocki. Here is his introduction to an alternative approach he calls the Adaptive Project Framework, and why he believes it needs to replace the old ways of managing projects.

This chapter is an excerpt from Adaptive Project Framework: Managing Complexity In the Face of Uncertainty (Addison-Wesley Professional, Feb. 2010). 

The traditional world of project management belongs to yesterday. There will continue to be applications for which the traditional linear models we grew up with are appropriate, but as our profession matures we have discovered a whole new set of applications for which traditional project management (TPM) models are totally inappropriate. The majority of contemporary projects do not meet the conditions needed for using TPM models. The primary reason is the difficulty in specifying complete requirements at the beginning of the project. That difficulty arises from constant change, unclear business objectives, actions of competitors, and other factors.

Not having a complete and defined set of requirements precludes generating a complete work breakdown structure (WBS), required by all TPM models. Most observers would agree that except for the simplest of projects, it is not possible to …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.