Product Description

Are you being asked to manage a project with:

- unclear requirements?
- high levels of change?
- a team using Extreme Programming or other Agile Methods?

If you are a project manager or team leader who is interested in learning the secrets of successfully controlling and delivering agile projects, then you have come to the right place.

From learning how agile projects are different from traditional projects, to detailed guidance on a number of agile management techniques and how to introduce them onto your own projects, we have the insider secrets from some of the industry experts – the visionaries who developed the agile methodologies in the first place.

Other books on the topic present a single management method for agile projects; this one, however, presents management techniques that are common to all agile development methods. So, whether you are using Extreme Programming (XP), Scrum, Feature-Driven Development (FDD), one of the Crystal Methods, Lean Development, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), or any other agile method, this book is written for you.

Managing Agile Projects contains well over 400 pages packed full of insider tips on how to make these methods work for you. Chapters focus on topics critical to the success of projects facing changing requirements and seemingly impossible deadlines. Chapters cover topics such as engineering unstable requirements, active stakeholder participation, conducting agile meetings, extreme testing, agile documentation, and how to use agile methods under fixed price contracts. The book also provides information to help you plan your agile projects better to avoid some common pitfalls introduced by the fast pace and concurrent activities common to agile development methods. This book will show you the tricks to keeping agile projects under control.

You can apply some of the techniques in this book to your current project, right now. Why wait any longer?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #528279 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 420 pages

Review
Practical examples to which we ALL can relate...a reference for ANYONE within the Project Management Discipline. -- Lisa Jacobsen, Project Management Institute (PMI)

Recommendations for managing projects that use agile methods and practical advice on how to introduce agile to an organization. -- Glen B. Alleman

This practical guide will help executives, managers, and developers understand the true characteristics of agile development and agile project management. -- Mike Beedle, CEO, New Governance Inc.

About the Author
Edited by Kevin Aguanno who is a driven, results-oriented solution designer and project manager with over seventeen years of experience working with a wide range of industries. He specializes in managing complex application development and systems integration projects. He has been brought in as a trouble shooter to turn around many troubled projects, and is known in the industry for this expertise. He has spoken at conferences and has published articles on managing agile projects.

He is a member of both PMI and the Association for Project Management in the U.K., holding the PMP and MAPM designations respectively. Winner of several international awards, Mr. Aguanno is a proven manager and public speaker active in research and writing on the topic of project management. He has written several books (including 101 Ways to Reward your Team Members for $20 (or Less!), Stealth Methodology Adoption, and An Introduction to Agile), and his articles appear regularly in various professional journals.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic! This book has changed the way I do my work!
I first bought this with some concern that it was another book just espousing the need to adopt agile project management/agile software development methods; however, I was delighted to see that the book included so much more. The first couple of chapters do explain the history of the evolution of the agile method, but do so in a way that focuses on the benefits to the business stakeholders for allowing technical teams to adopt these methods, such as the several different ways that agile methods reduce risk. The next section of the book talks about how managing agile projects is different from traditional projects, and gives specific examples of the differences and how to change your project management behavior to match the new environment. The third section of the book was amazing -- it detailed a number of agile management techniques that I could adopt today into my project, without the need for necessarily adopting a whole new methodology. The last section of the book talks about some of the "gotchas" that we have to watch out for when using these agile methods. One special nugget was the last chapter which gives instructions on how to adopt these techniques and practices into an organization or onto an existing project without attracting the notice of the "process police" in an organization. I like this concept of changing the way I work while flying under the radar. I HIGHLY recommend this book to project managers, business managers, and senior technical leads of teams who are using (or would like to use) agile software development methods.

Great Introduction to Agile
Aguanno's book is an excellent overview of agile project management methodologies and practices. Aguanno assembles leading authorities in the field to contribute their experiences and knowledge directly from real experiences. The numerous management techniques discussed will help you use agile methods to increase the value and effectiveness of all your projects. Anyone wishing to learn more about agile, or project management in general, will benefit from this book.

Highly recommended
This is the book I use the most when I need agile techniques for my projects. It contains all the info you need from a managers perspective; when you need a technique, and how to apply. I am very happy with all the fundamental explanations on why certain techniques can help you out with a project problem. Stakeholder participation, requirements, testing, development strategies, it is all in there. And best of all, without hype.

My favorite chapter is "Stealth Methodology Adoption" which explains how to sell to higher level management that you are going agile.

With contributions from Scott Ambler, Alistair Cockburn, Larry Constantine and Ronald Jeffries you know that the advice presented is from real experts.