I just started listening to "Agile and Lean Program Management: Scaling Collaboration Across the Organization" during my commute. According to the author:
* Scaling process just adds bloat; you need to scale collaboration
* Scaled agile is really just program management
I'm sure there's more to it - I've just started the book. But, what do you think? Saving Changes...
Scaling agile is definitely more than just program management. While integrating the activities, cadence and outputs of multiple teams is important, so is defining the surrounding support structures, governance, and constraints required to move beyond "small" agile.
For example, scaled agile comes in to play the moment you have multiple delivery partners OR more than a couple of agile teams working on the same product or release. Neither of these would mandate a program structure...
Kiron Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
One of the pains felt by organizations, and teams, is that while Scrum addresses the team level, the rest of the organization is still living in a Waterfall driven world. Scaled Agile addresses that by empowering scrum principles at all levels. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
If you are talking about IT and software programs the answer is yes.But you have to understand the model and then you have to evaluate impacts into your organization because between other things is tied to Scrum Saving Changes...
So far, I'm seeing parallels to Nexus. Once I'm done, I'll do a more thorough review, if there are enough comparisons to merit further discussion.
In theory, if you require 9 agile teams to deliver features over an extended period of time, I can see making it a program. If there is no problem using agile approaches as part of delivering product in a program, I can see scaled agile becoming the program, if it is big enough.
My commute is not that long, so it may take a week or more to come to any conclusions. Saving Changes...
Scaled agile is not just about size of project/product. It is also about the context in which that project/product is being produced. The same project/product in a small startup could use Scrum "by the book" whereas in a large enterprise, a scaled approach might be required given the greater number of stakeholders, gatekeepers, standards and policies...
Kiron
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1 reply by Aaron Porter
Feb 23, 2018 11:28 AM
Aaron Porter
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I plan on keeping an open mind until I finish the book and have a chance to absorb what it is saying.
Why do you feel that that a large enough scaled agile project cannot be treated as a program?
Scaled agile is not just about size of project/product. It is also about the context in which that project/product is being produced. The same project/product in a small startup could use Scrum "by the book" whereas in a large enterprise, a scaled approach might be required given the greater number of stakeholders, gatekeepers, standards and policies...
Kiron
I plan on keeping an open mind until I finish the book and have a chance to absorb what it is saying.
Why do you feel that that a large enough scaled agile project cannot be treated as a program?
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1 reply by Kiron Bondale
Feb 23, 2018 12:55 PM
Kiron Bondale
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The overhead of program management needs to be justified by the complexity of the integration needs of the component projects. You could have a fairly large project from a resource perspective which should be managed as a single project, but would still necessitate scaled agile practices as it would take more than a couple of agile teams.
I plan on keeping an open mind until I finish the book and have a chance to absorb what it is saying.
Why do you feel that that a large enough scaled agile project cannot be treated as a program?
The overhead of program management needs to be justified by the complexity of the integration needs of the component projects. You could have a fairly large project from a resource perspective which should be managed as a single project, but would still necessitate scaled agile practices as it would take more than a couple of agile teams.
Kiron
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1 reply by Aaron Porter
Feb 23, 2018 5:07 PM
Aaron Porter
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That makes it sound like a scaled agile initiative COULD become a program, but just because something is scaled agile, it should not automatically be considered a program.
The overhead of program management needs to be justified by the complexity of the integration needs of the component projects. You could have a fairly large project from a resource perspective which should be managed as a single project, but would still necessitate scaled agile practices as it would take more than a couple of agile teams.
Kiron
That makes it sound like a scaled agile initiative COULD become a program, but just because something is scaled agile, it should not automatically be considered a program.
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