Agile project management: everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

Allstate Northern Ireland recently hosted the APM Northern Ireland branch for an event on Agile Project Management with Adrian Pyne.

 
With over 50 in attendance from a range of industries, it was a great opportunity for the Project Management community to learn more about the Agile practice and hear how Allstate Northern Ireland are implementing Agile Project Management across their sites.

The session kicked off with a welcome from Allstate NI Managing Director John Healy and APM’s Northern Ireland Chair Gerry Coghlan. 

The main talk of the night was delivered by Agile Consultant, Adrian Pyne. Adrian was able to draw on his own experiences working with companies like Sainsbury’s, BBC and Gatwick Airport and a personal interest in Julius Ceaser, in order to explore Agile in depth.

Adrian discussed his Agile principles:

• Clarity of Goal and Outcomes 
• Satisfy the customer, produce outcomes that result in benefits
• Regularly produce outputs
• Embrace changing requirements
• Provide an environment for success that is sustainable
• Delegated decision making
• Collaborative behaviors based on Trust
• Keep it simple
• At regular intervals – reflect, learn and adjust.

Adrian’s talk also covered the pace of change and the value of being Agile, being Agile at two levels organizational agility and project agility as well as how to  avoid the pitfalls.

Following Adrian, Allstate PMO Senior Manager Maura Kelly and Agile Program Manger Leanne Wilson shared how Allstate are embracing Agile globally.
 
Maura and Leanne discussed why and how Allstate are transforming, what this means day to day, as well as the cultural transformation. 

Thanks to all who attended the event and to Adrian for giving his talk, it was a great opportunity for the local community and to learn more about Project Management.

Adrian's presentation can be seen on the APM Resources page and for ease a copy has been placed below.