Progressive Elaboration in Project Management

 

 

Progressive Elaboration is a term used in Project Management in planning process when there is no certainty of happening of the event.

 The plan is constantly changed as per finding of the management team. The progressive elaboration, as per dictionary meaning is an important action/step in project planning for upgrading the plan to expectable extent.

 

Progressive- gradually advancing in stage.

Elaboration- addition of extra detail and data.

 

 General

Progressive elaboration involves continuously improving and detailing a plan as more detailed and specific information and more accurate estimates become available. Progressive elaboration allows a project management team to define work and manage it to a greater level of detail as the project evolves. (PMBOK Guide Sixth  Edition)

 

It is notable that there are numerous knowns and unknowns in the administration of activities. As such some assumptions are taken into consideration for planning purpose in the finalization of management plans. As the task advances, the arrangement is altered after thinking about essential changes in the assumptions done earlier

 

 

Below are the suggested (well in use) eleven steps which are taken in reference to organizational vision, from concept to completion of the project. These steps are for concept development and project construction management. And are used in case of uncertainty of events. In case of certainty of project steps seven to eleven are sufficient.

 

 

Two forms of Progressive Elaboration

The PMBOK® Guide, 6th Edition mentions two forms of Progressive Elaboration

- Rolling Wave Planning

- Prototypes

 

Rolling Wave Planning

 

Rolling-wave planning is the process of project planning in waves as the project proceeds and later details become clearer; like the techniques used in agile software development approaches like Scrum

Work to be done in the near term is based on high-level assumptions; also, high-level milestones are set. As the project progresses, the risks, assumptions, and milestones originally identified become more defined and reliable. One would use rolling-wave planning in an instance where there is an extremely tight schedule or timeline to adhere to, as more thorough planning would place the schedule into an unacceptable negative schedule variance….Wikiprdia

 

 

The rolling wave technique is a method that allows the project manager to plan a project in stages while it is taking place. In short, this technique requires iterative planning in each stage and in creating stages of the project

 

 

The high-level planning is first done at the project level in which project spread is assessed based on some past experiences and historical records. Since the events of the projects are not fully known, a lot of assumptions are made in planning the spread of the project.

The spread of the project is not planned, instead the project is partitioned in stages and each stage is passed through the processes of initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control, and closure. The activities in each process are modified, repeated and scheduled. The experiences are carried forward within the stage work and for works in other stages.

 

The stages are taken up in start to finish perspective wit a better information / management on project completion time.

 

 

 

Rolling Wave Planning is a process of project planning in which the details of activities done later are not clear and work is planned based on some assumptions. As the project continues the requirements becomes clear and project team get / gather information about the assumption made and modify the project plan accordingly to the execution requirements. May or may not be repetitions.

Prototypes (Models)

Prototype means-a first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which other forms are developed. Model investigation through working model and is a stage from formalization to assessment of an idea.

It is more a Project Scope Management information region matter. 

In the project scope management process the requirements are assessed and to get early feedback on their structural functioning, of the planned structure a prototype of the structure is prepared, either physically or electronically to assess the performance of structure/device and the feedback so obtained is used for the evaluation of generated idea.  

The  Prototype Process

Model aides in dynamic environment, to begin a project or not, after evaluating the model yield.

It helps in finalization of practicable specifications in place of theoretical specifications for the device/product.

The quality appraisal of model depends on exactness, usefulness, and improvisation

Deming’s PDCA cycle

 

In case of uncertainty of outcomes, the project is planned in stages. PDCA cycle helps in project stage refinement

 

PDCA (plan–do–check–act or plan–do–check–adjust findings) is an iterative (repeated) four-step management method used in business for the control and continual improvement of processes and products. The concept of this cycle (originated by the efforts of Deming) may be used when the outcome of project activities is not certain.

Once the concept is approved for planning, some assumptions are made as there is uncertainty about the event. Considering the assumption, the whole project is taken up in stages. (In case of certainty the project processes are planned for initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control, and closure of the project).

Each project stage has processes as initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control, and closure of the project. During rolling of the project in stage, PDCA cycle is applied, if required further roll up in project event is taken up and this process is repeated til hurdles are removes and there is satisfactory project stage completion. The next stage is planned to take in account the experiences of fist stage. This rolling process application increases the confidence level to take up the other predefined or modified stages for project completion.