Once you’ve decided you want to become a project manager, the next step is to figure out which project management methodologies are right for you and your team. The landscape of project management methodologies can seem a bit overwhelming. Whether you have a formal project management certification or you’re learning to become a project manager from experience, there’s an absolute smorgasbord of project methodologies to choose from. And they often come with their own rules, lists, principles, and endless acronyms.
We believe that finding the right project management methodology to manage your work shouldn’t be rocket science. So we’ve compiled this list of different project management methodologies to help you figure out which methods, principles, and approaches you can use for each team and project.
What is a project management methodology?
A project management methodology is a set of principles and practices that guide you in organizing your projects to ensure their optimum performance. Basically, it’s a framework that helps you to manage your project in the best way possible. Project management is so important to organizations and teams, but in order for it to be really effective, you need to make sure you’re correctly mapping your project management methodology to your team type, project, organization, and goals.
Why are there so many different types of project management methodologies?
No two projects are exactly the same (even when you’re using handy features like project templates to replicate your past successes). And when you factor in the different goals, KPIs, and production methods of not only different types of teams but also different types of industries, it makes sense that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing a project. What works best for one type of team could be an absolute nightmare for another.
For example, many software developers started to find that traditional project management methods were hindering — rather than helping — their workflows and negatively affecting their performance and results. As a result, software teams began to develop a new type of project management methodology, which was designed to address their particular concerns. Before long, other teams and industries started to adapt those new project management methods to fit their unique needs and concerns. And on and on, with different project management methodologies being repurposed and adapted for different industries and tweaked to fit specific use cases. What we’re left with is a ton of different project management methodologies to choose from. So how do you know which project management method (or methods, plural) is right for you and your team?
The project management process: How to choose the right project management methodology
There are lots of factors that will impact which project management methodology is right for your project, team, and organization. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the key considerations that can help you decide:
- Cost and Budget: On a scale of $ to $$$, what sort of budget are you working with? Is there room for that to change if necessary, or is it essential that it stays within these predetermined limits?
- Team Size: How many people are involved? How many stakeholders? Is your team relatively compact and self-organizing, or more sprawling, with a need for more rigorous delegation?
- Ability to Take Risks: Is this a huge project with a big impact that needs to be carefully managed in order to deliver Very Serious Results? Or is it a smaller-scale project with a bit more room to play around?
- Flexibility: Is there room for the scope of the project to change during the process? What about the finished product?
- Timeline: How much time is allotted to deliver on the brief? Do you need a quick turnaround, or is it more important that you have a beautifully finished result, no matter how long it takes?
- Client/Stakeholder Collaboration: How involved does the client/stakeholder need — or want — to be in the process? How involved do you need — or want — them to be?
17 project management methodology examples and frameworks
We’ve compiled a list of 17 effective project management methodologies to help you get to grips with the basics. Let’s dive right in.
1. Waterfall methodology
The Waterfall method is a traditional approach to project management. In it, tasks and phases are completed in a linear, sequential manner, and each stage of the project must be completed before the next begins. The stages of Waterfall project management generally follow this sequence:
- Requirements
- Analysis
- Design
- Construction
- Testing
- Deployment & Maintenance
Progress flows in one direction, like a real waterfall. Also like a real waterfall, though, this can quickly get dangerous. Since everything is mapped out at the beginning, there’s a lot of room for error if expectations don’t match up with reality. And there’s no going back to a previous stage once it’s completed.
Try this project management methodology if:
- The end goal of your project is clearly defined — and isn’t going to change.
- The stakeholders know exactly what they want (and it isn’t going to change).
- Your project is consistent and predictable (i.e. isn’t going to change).
- You’re working in a regulated industry that needs extensive project tracking or documentation.
- You might need to bring new people into the project midway through and get them up to speed quickly.
This project management methodology might not be for you if:
- Your project is liable to change.
- You don’t have a full picture of all the requirements before you start.
- You need to do continuous testing or adapt to feedback during the process.
2. Agile methodology
The agile project management methodology came from a growing dissatisfaction with the linear approach of traditional project management methodologies. Frustrated with the limitations of project management methods that couldn’t adapt with a project as it progressed, the focus began to shift to more iterative models that allowed teams to revise their project as needed during the process instead of having to wait until the end to review and amend. The concept of agile project management has gone on to spark several specific sub-frameworks and methodologies, such as scrum, kanban, and lean. But what do they all have in common? The key principles of agile project management methodologies are:
- It’s collaborative.
- It’s quick.
- It’s open to data-driven change.
As such, agile project management methodologies usually involve short phases of work with frequent testing, reassessment, and adaptation throughout. In many agile methods, all of the work to be done is added to a backlog that teams can work through in each phase or cycle, with project managers or product owners prioritizing the backlog so teams know what to focus on first.
Try this project management methodology if:
- Your project is liable to change.
- You’re not sure at the outset what the solution will look like.
- You need to work quickly, and it’s more important that you see speedy progress than perfect results.
- Your stakeholders or client needs (or wants) to be involved at every stage.
This project management methodology isn’t for you if:
- You need a lot of documentation (for example, if you’ll be bringing new people on-board during the project).
- You need a predictable deliverable, and you need to be crystal clear about what that looks like from the outset.
- Your project can’t afford to change during its course.
- You don’t have self-motivated people.
- You have strict deadlines or deliverables that you need to stay on top of.
3. Scrum methodology
Scrum is a form of agile project management. You can think of it more like a framework than as a project management methodology in itself. With Scrum, work is split into short cycles known as “sprints”, which usually last about 1-2 weeks. Work is taken from the backlog (see: Agile project management, above) for each sprint iteration. Small teams are led by a Scrum Master (who is not the same as the project manager) for the duration of the sprint, after which they review their performance in a “sprint retrospective” and make any necessary changes before starting the next sprint.
Try this project management methodology if:
- You’re striving for continuous improvement.
This project management methodology might not be for you if:
- You don’t have the full commitment from the team needed to make it work.
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