Position Paper
Dear Vice President of Operations,
I am writing this position paper to present the PMO position and recommendation for the
General Dynamics UK organization's project management approach. Our previous information
paper and decision paper analyzed various project management approaches and recommended
adopting a nontraditional project management framework that could benefit our organization. In
this paper, I would like to provide a more in-depth analysis of nontraditional project management
frameworks, specifically adaptive project management (APM) approaches, that could be suitable
for our organization. APM approaches prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and incremental
progress over rigid, predictive planning, making them ideal for complex and ever-changing
projects.
General Dynamics UK has several characteristics that support an APM approach,
including a focus on innovation, a willingness to experiment and learn from failure, and a culture
that values collaboration and teamwork. These characteristics align Ill with APM's principles,
which prioritize customer satisfaction, teamwork, and iterative delivery.
There are several nontraditional project management frameworks available, including
Agile, Scrum, Lean, Kanban, and Hybrid methodologies. Each of these frameworks has its
unique set of capabilities and limitations.
Agile methodology emphasizes customer satisfaction through continuous delivery of
value, self-organizing teams, and frequent feedback. Its strengths lie in its ability to adapt to
changing project requirements and customer needs quickly. However, its limitations include a
lack of detailed planning and documentation, which could be challenging for more complex
projects.
Scrum methodology is a subset of Agile that emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and
iterative delivery through regular meetings, known as sprints. Its strengths lie in its ability to
manage complex projects and quickly adapt to changing requirements through continuous
feedback. However, its limitations include a heavy reliance on a strong product owner and a
relatively rigid framework that may not be suitable for all projects.
Lean methodology focuses on eliminating waste and optimizing value delivery to the
customer through continuous improvement. Its strengths lie in its ability to improve efficiency
and reduce project risk. However, its limitations include a lack of detailed planning and
documentation, which could be challenging for more complex projects.
After careful consideration, I would recommend adopting the Scrum methodology for our
project. Scrum's emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, and iterative delivery aligns Ill with our
organizational culture, and its ability to manage complex projects and quickly adapt to changing
requirements through continuous feedback makes it a suitable choice for our project. So, in
conclusion, I believe that General Dynamics UK can benefit significantly from adopting an APM
approach such as Scrum. I recommend that I embrace this methodology to improve our project
outcomes and enhance our organizational culture.
References
Highsmith, J. (2004). Agile project management: Creating innovative products. Pearson
Education.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: A guide to measuring
and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons.
