Evaluating agility performance in innovative project management

Abstract

Studies on agile project management have been unable to demonstrate a direct correlation between agile practices and project performance. The assumption has been that the proper combination of practices and organization factors can result in greater agility and thus better project performance. In a preliminary empirical investigation of this hypothesis, this paper assesses the “agility performance” of two project teams in the same organization that are self-declared users of distinct project management approaches: traditional and agile. The results show that iterative planning, the use of visual artifacts to manage the project and active client involvement are positively correlated with agility performance indicators. In addition, evidence shows that some “Agility Critical Factors” such as client availability and team co-location may contribute to greater agility performance and maximize the results of agile management practices.

Keywords
Agile project management; Innovative project management; Agility assessment