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Portfolios of Agile Projects: A Complex Adaptive Systems’ Agent Perspective
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Sweetman, Roger (Author)
- Conboy, Kieran (Author)
Title
Portfolios of Agile Projects: A Complex Adaptive Systems’ Agent Perspective
Abstract
While agile approaches can be extremely effective at a project level, they can impose significant complexity and a need for adaptiveness at the project portfolio level. While this has proven to be highly problematic, there is little research on how to manage a set of agile projects at the project portfolio level. What limited research that does exist often assumes that portfolio-level agility can be achieved by simply scaling project level agile approaches such as Scrum. This study uses a complex adaptive systems lens, focusing specifically on the properties of projects as agents in a complex adaptive portfolio to critically appraise current thinking on portfolio management in an agile context. We then draw on a set of 30 expert interviews to develop 16 complex adaptive systems (CAS)-based propositions as to how portfolios of agile projects can be managed effectively. We also outline an agenda for future research and discuss the differences between a CAS-based approach to portfolio management and traditional approaches.
Publication
Project Management Journal
Volume
49
Issue
4
Date
October 11, 2018
Extra
Citation
Sweetman, R., & Conboy, K. (2018). Portfolios of Agile Projects: A Complex Adaptive Systems’ Agent Perspective. Project Management Journal, 49(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818802712
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