'A' is for Agile : Scaled Agile Framework Applied by Mark Richards

"“Now how do I make it work in my special situation?”  Like any good framework, it is designed on a set of principles.   Implementation requires leveraging your understanding of the principles to tailor the detail to your situation.

In this series of posts, Mark will endeavour to illustrate with working examples the fashion in which it has been applied in the group he has been guiding for the past 9 months. "   It is  not yet describing a full enterprise-level SAFe implementation.   It is being actively explored.

Portfolio Management With SAFe

“Program Portfolio Management represents the authority for oversight of strategy and investment funding, program management, and governance for a specific portfolio of programs in the enterprise. SAFe prescribes a number of transformational patterns which empower teams and programs, decentralizes decision making and speeds time to market, thereby helping deliver the business benefits of an always improving, Lean|Agile software enterprise.” In this Roojoom you may find a review over the various elements of SAFe portfolio including lectures and tools implementation.

The Roles of Scrum Master and Project Manager Debate

The roles of Scrum Master and Project Manager continue to be the center of a debate and confusion as the majority of organizations undergo some degree of Agile transformation. The Scrum Master does not play the part of the traditional project manager. In fact, the Scrum Master is an entirely new role. The Scrum Master and project manager roles are completely different. They both hold characters that clearly distinguish between the two roles and therefore are not suited to be combined.

The Agile PMO Skills

"They are not just managers – they are Leaders. The best project managers aren't just organizers – they combine business vision, communication skills, soft management skills, people skills, and technical savvy with the ability to plan, coordinate, execute, and adjust as needed. While this has always been the case, agile project management places a higher premium on the leadership skills than ever before."

Agile Release planning -The Kano model

This model provides a simple ranking scheme that distinguishes between essential and differentiating attributes. The model is a powerful way of visualizing product characteristics and stimulating debate within the design team. It is also a good technique for agile release planning.

The Agile PMO