3: Agile Methodologies and Delivery Approaches
- Page ID
- 135017
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Agile is not one single method. It is a family of approaches built around similar values: delivering value early, collaborating with customers, responding to change, and improving continuously. When people say, “We are doing Agile,” they may mean Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP, Disciplined Agile, SAFe, or a hybrid approach that combines practices from multiple methods.
This chapter gives you a practical guide to the major Agile methodologies. The goal is not to memorize every detail of every framework. The goal is to understand why different methods exist, when each one is useful, and how to choose an approach that fits the work instead of forcing the work to fit a method.
For PMI-ACP, this chapter is important because the exam is not only about Scrum. Scrum is common, but PMI-ACP expects you to understand Agile more broadly. You should be comfortable recognizing iteration-based methods, flow-based methods, Lean thinking, technical practices, governance-oriented approaches, and scaling approaches.
Key Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain why Agile has many methodologies instead of one universal method.
Distinguish between iteration-based, flow-based, Lean, governance-oriented, hybrid, and scaling approaches.
Describe Scrum, XP, Crystal, FDD, Lean, Kanban, Scrumban, DSDM, Disciplined Agile, SAFe, LeSS, Nexus, and Scrum of Scrums at a high level.
Choose an Agile approach based on context, team size, uncertainty, governance needs, delivery rhythm, and organizational constraints.
Recognize common methodology selection mistakes in PMI-ACP-style questions.
- 3.1: Mapping to Exam Content Outline
- This page discusses key themes for the PMI-ACP exam, emphasizing value delivery, adaptability, and collaboration in Agile methodologies. It highlights principles of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement, while exploring methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, and XP. The page also addresses adaptive planning strategies and stresses the importance of choosing methodologies based on situational needs rather than their popularity.
- 3.2: Guide to Various Methodologies
- This page outlines Agile as a collective of methodologies suited for various project requirements, highlighting Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and XP. It emphasizes the importance of selecting frameworks based on work characteristics and team dynamics, advocating for "fit-for-purpose agility" to ensure optimal value delivery rather than adhering to conventional methods.
- 3.3: Chapter Summary
- This page explores the varied methodologies within the Agile framework, highlighting that Agile encompasses multiple methods such as Scrum, XP, and Kanban, tailored to specific challenges. It underscores the significance of governance-oriented methods and scaling frameworks like SAFe for larger teams. The essential message is to choose methodologies that align with team context and objectives, focusing on value delivery and flexibility.
- 3.4: PMI-ACP Style Sample Questions
- This page explores the application of diverse Agile approaches tailored to the specific contexts of teams and organizations. It stresses the need for suitable methodologies based on work nature, encompassing unpredictable tasks, compliance, inefficiencies, and rapid experimentation. Key concepts include fit-for-purpose agility, scaling thinking, and the importance of continual improvement in methods like Kanban and XP practices.