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Adaptive Planning

Learn about flexible and adaptive planning

This covers the concept and practices of planning in an Agile context which includes concept like rolling wave planning, progressive elaboration, estimation and how to optimize project events and activities.
5 minutes 5 Questions

Adaptive Planning within Agile frameworks, as covered in the PMI-ACP certification, is a progressive approach to project planning that embraces change rather than resisting it. Unlike traditional predictive planning where detailed plans are created upfront, adaptive planning acknowledges that requi…

Concepts covered: Lean Principles, Kanban System, Progressive Elaboration, Customer Collaboration, Scrum Methodology, Value-based Prioritization, Empirical Control, Change as a Constant, Emergent Design, Rolling Wave Planning, Responding to Variability, Feedback Loops

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PMI-ACP - Adaptive Planning Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Adaptive Planning

Question 1

During a project, the team notices that the initial design is failing to meet the project's changing requirements. The team decides to evolve the design progressively, refining it based on received feedback. What design strategy is the team employing?

Correct Answer: Emergent Design

The strategy the team is employing is called Emergent design. In this design strategy, the design evolves over time, becoming more defined as more feedback and requirements are gathered. This approach is flexible and allows for changes as the project progresses. The other options like Predetermined Design, Rigid Design, and Trial and Error Design don't describe the iterative, feedback-driven design approach the team is using. Predetermined Design typically has a single, set design from the start, while Rigid Design is not flexible or adaptive to changes and new requirements. Trial and Error Design suggests that the design process lacks strategy or planning, which is not the case in the scenario described.

Question 2

You are the Scrum Master of a vibrant team that believes in discovering the design and architecture as they work on the software. They are more inclined to focus on how to support the system to be highly adaptable to change and continually evolve the design accordingly. What design strategy is being used here?

Correct Answer: Emergent Design

The strategy being used by the team is called 'Emergent Design.' Emergent Design is a method that emerges with time and is continuously adapted and improved as the team works on the software. It aligns perfectly with Agile principles, which emphasize adaptability, continuous learning, and improvement. Emergent Design does not attempt to anticipate and plan for every possible scenario from the start, but instead it reacts and evolves over time. 'Detail-First Design,' 'Sequential Design,' and 'Progressive Design' are not the correct answers because they do not fully align with the working style of the team described in the question. 'Detail-First Design' often involves detailed planning and does not leave much room for adaptability and evolution, which are key characteristics of the team's working style. Similarly, 'Sequential Design' implies a more linear and structured approach, which would not be as adaptable and flexible as required by this team. 'Progressive Design' could imply a gradation or evolution over time, but it doesn’t encapsulate the emergent nature of the actual result in the same way as 'Emergent Design' does.

Question 3

The customer for your Scrum team's project frequently changes requirements, causing confusion and delays in sprints. The team is now hesitant to start their work because of possible future changes. Referring to Lean principles, what is a suitable approach to handle this?

Correct Answer: Adopt the 'Decide as Late as Possible' principle to remain flexible in decision-making and be ready for changes.

The best approach, in accordance with Lean principles, is to 'Decide as Late as Possible' to keep flexibility in decision-making given the frequent requirement changes. By doing so, the Scrum team can accommodate changes without causing unnecessary confusion or delays. The other options are not as suitable because 'Delivering as Fast as Possible' can lead to rushed, imperfect outputs, without properly addressing changes; 'Eliminating Waste' by ignoring non-crucial changes may be misguided as it does not give consideration to the client's needs; and 'Amplifying Learning' by having the team learn new skills to manage changing requirements, although beneficial in the long-term, does not directly solve the issue at hand.

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