Review By: Cathy Bell
03/06/2012

It's easy to find someone who feels that the term "agile project management" is a misnomer. They may say that agile development is driven by speed and flexibility, while project management is driven by a project plan written in stone. Can these two seemingly opposing methods work together? Author Jim Highsmith proves in his book that agile project management is achievable without losing either the agility or management of our projects.

Jim draws us into this argument by sharing his own experiences and others who have worked on successful and unsuccessful projects. In the first chapter, Mr. Highsmith explains why agile project management is important today, especially with the customer driving the demand for continuous innovation and wanting development that adapts quickly as their business shifts. Jim advises us to consider that ultimate customer value is delivered at the point of sale, not at the inception of the plan. He says that agile project management (APM) is not a universal best practice and that it requires a shift in the culture of a company. Only those who are willing to embrace agile values and principles will benefit by deploying both agile development and project management. Jim guides the reader on how to incorporate these values into their organization and their project.

For example, we are aware of the triple constraint of project management: scope, schedule, and cost. Jim proposes it be replaced with the agile triangle: value (the value to the current customer), quality (deliver continuous value to the customer with a reliable, adaptable product), and constraints (the traditional scope, schedule, and cost). Jim delves into each point of the triangle in later chapters, gives advice for agile team leaders, and explains how embracing change as part of the development process can benefit the company and customers. Jim also introduces us to the agile project management framework, which is "organic, flexible, and easy to adapt." The steps in the framework are envision, speculate, explore, adapt, and close. No book on project management—even agile project management—would be complete without a chapter on measurement. A later chapter looks at how we can measure our projects to gain a true perspective of both client and organization satisfaction.

In closing, the author leaves us with some thought provoking ideas. The core of agile development is to create a better workplace, but agile does not mean that we are free from structure, responsibility, project leaders, and executives. Agile encourages self discipline, creativity, and adaptability, which the best organizations reward. Both are rewarded with customer satisfaction. Agile project management is not a misnomer, but rather a solid framework we can utilize to keep our organization ahead of the competition.

Jim's explanation of agile project management is structured so that novices can understand the process, and it also shares new ideas on various aspects that can even benefit a team currently working in an agile environment. I recommend this book and even see it as an excellent book for college-level project management courses introducing the concept of agile project management.