The best project management methodology to implement during the pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic affects all industries by changing the way we live, socialize, and work. In one way or another, the impact has been catastrophic, and we’ve all considered the devastating blow of businesses being shuttered from economic instability.

For project managers, lockdowns and border closures have caused a major disruption to the day-to-day management operations. We’ve asked our SMEs about the best project management methodology for completing a project during the pandemic. And here are some of the selected reviews

Ana Brown ?

International Management Consultant

For the past two decades, agile approaches have become part of the mainstream approaches to project management. Today’s project managers must master new technology-based systems, conquer challenges they and their project members face while working from home.

With the agile approach, the project responsibilities are distributed (across the team), and the inclusion of project stakeholders in the communications during the project execution will lead the project team and stakeholders to work closely together throughout the project.

This practice would positively impact stakeholder success over traditional approaches, by encouraging frequent interactions among the project's key stakeholders (team, sponsors, and clients). And with today's technologies, organizations using the right tools and practices can create a virtual environment without formidable obstacles.

Rajasekaran Kaliyaraj ?

Organisational Project Management | PMO

The unprecedented changes over the last 1.5 years mandates a question: which project methodology is best for completing projects during these challenging times.

Defining the project scope, time, and cost in the early phases in the Waterfall methodology gives well defined targets to align with through the project.

The 2020 showed its downside in risk management. Risk responses are planned based on both historical and hypothetical situations. But the magnitude of the on-going pandemic was not expected even in the dreams before. Without well-defined risk responses the realigning took a hit. Is Agile a complete alternative?

Agile's iterative nature gives the opportunity to complete one set of requirements at a time. There are industries like IT this methodology has proven more effective than the traditional waterfall method. Though it seems completely a suitable option to take forward the progressive elaboration involved in the Agile is not suitable for all industries.

Industries like pharmaceutical, automotive or construction industry need a hybrid model while IT and Electronics industries can be Agile.

While the long-term and large-scale scopes are accomplished by the traditional waterfall methodology, the various phases within the project must be achieved through Agile. The former gives the advantage of keeping the QCD with minimum deviation from the budget in completing the overall project and the latter gives the flexibility of faster response rates in completing the phases. Wherever applicable the best of each methodology should be brought together to achieve a synergetic effect and successful completion of projects

Willian Richard dos Santos ?

Agilist

I'm an Agilist and I believe that with Agility we have the best results for a good project management. There is no a magic method or framework that will work for every project. The best tip is: before anything we must know the Service Flow and only then we understand what will be the best method or framework. Not forgeting to mention that this must be accompined with:

Quick feedback cycles: We will understand what the project and/or customers need and adjust what needs to be adjusted. Focus on effectiveness.

Good and real safe spaces: We encourage people to give ideas, make mistakes and learning from them, encourage leadership on all levels, understanding purpose to people, encourage teamwork and we won't need micro management.

Metrics: We understand what is slowing down our service flow. Focus on be efficient.

"People and interaction more than methods and process."

After that you can choose between Kanban or Scrum, for example.

Gaurav Dhooper ?

Program Manager, Digital Strategy & Agile Practitioner at Genpact, India Hub President at PMOGA®

Since every project or program requires certain level of predictability and adaptability, hybrid project management methodology allows you to select various practices from multiple sequential, agile and lean approaches that fits in your project environment. As per my experience, hybrid approach provides you more flexibility and creates a balance between the predictive and adaptive world as a single methodology sometimes becomes prescriptive in nature. Whether it is about workplace culture, skills, operations or project management, hybrid approach brings more options to blend various techniques based on the nature, complexity, size and risk involved in the projects, and lets you manage your projects more pragmatically and effectively. The greatest value of adopting hybrid project management methodology in the current climate is sustainability which makes it more powerful by complementing the existing project management approaches.