PM4R Agile: Agile Mindset in Development Projects

The changing and dynamic reality of development and social impact projects demands new, more flexible project management approaches that allow for adapting to changes or unforeseen events that may arise during project execution and, in addition, to achieve development in a sustainable, inclusive and respectful manner, applying the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability. For this reason, AcademiaBID, the IDB's learning platform, has developed the PM4R Agile methodology. With this hybrid methodology you will be able to progress more efficiently in the projects you are participating in, while increasing transparency, continuously engaging stakeholders and motivating the team. In this course you will learn the basic concepts of agile that promote the development of the agile mindset and why it is important for managing development and social impact projects. In addition, you will learn the roles that make up an agile team and what their responsibilities are during project execution. During these weeks, we will support you with practical activities to internalize the agile principles of PM4R Agile and the expected behaviors of each of these principles. Through a self-diagnosis, you will be able to analyze the degree of agility you have at the beginning, both at the individual level and at the level of your organization. In this way, you will be able to reinforce your knowledge and practice of the agile mindset principles before applying the 5 steps of the PM4R Agile methodology. Start today to apply agility in your project with a methodology adapted to your needs. We are waiting for you in the course.

• Start Here
• The course PM4R Agile: Agile Mindset in Development Projects, seeks to develop in students concrete skills for the management of development and social impact projects based on the principles of agility, thanks to a hybrid approach to project management: PM4R Agile. During this first course you will learn, through practical activities, to internalize the PM4R Agile principles and the expected behaviors of each of these principles. Through a self-diagnosis you will be able to study the degree of agility both individually and in the organizations where you work to know if you are ready to apply the PM4R methodology and its five steps.
• Module 1: Agility in PM4R Agile
• In this first module of the course you will approach the basic notions related to the concept of agility. We will tell you where this term came from and what are its main characteristics. You will then learn about the different approaches to project management today: traditional, agile and hybrid; a combination of the two. You will learn how to differentiate these approaches according to elements linked to project planning and management, flexibility in the face of change, value delivery, risk management, change implementation and team organization. Finally, you will learn what the PM4R Agile approach is, what its differentiating elements are and why it is an ideal approach to streamline the management of development and social impact projects.
• Module 2: The Agile Mindset in PM4R Agile
• We hope you are enjoying the course. In this second module you will discover the pillars of agility according to the agile manifesto and what is the heart of agility by Alistair Cockburn, one of the co-founders of agility. He will explain in this course what are the main elements of agility according to his vision. You will then learn what the principles of the PM4R Agile mindset are and what they consist of: commitment to the result, frequent delivery of value and adaptation to change. Thanks to the contents, simulations and practical activities, you will be able to recognize how a team that has internalized the principles of the agile mindset behaves. In this module you will understand why having an agile mindset is as important in agility as applying specific methodologies or processes for the success of development and social impact projects.
• Module 3: Why is the Agile Mindset Important in Development and Social Impact Projects?
• In this module you will better understand what development and social impact projects consist of and why agile is a good fit for managing these types of projects. The agile mindset will facilitate the delivery of value in much less time than the traditional methodology. Likewise, the process of involving stakeholders and the beneficiary population will facilitate the adaptation and ownership of the project. You will learn, through a practical example of a real project of the Inter-American Development Bank in El Salvador, how the 5 steps of PM4R Agile helped to develop an agile mindset that streamlined the execution of the project, facilitated the achievement of better results and improved the work dynamics and the sense of belonging to the project team. Finally, we have created a self-assessment tool that will help you measure where you stand in terms of agile mindset. It will also guide you in identifying how ready your organization is to start applying the PM4R Agile methodology.
• Module 4: The PM4R Methodology: Roles and Overview
• In this last module of the course we will introduce you to the PM4R Agile team. You will discover its main roles and the characteristics of each one of them. PM4R Agile, as a hybrid project management methodology, has roles based on the agile approach, with a more horizontal structure and where the agile mindset plays a very important role. You will also learn about the 5 steps of the PM4R methodology and its main tools, so that you can familiarize yourself with them before taking the next PM4R Agile course, which will be available in a few months. Before applying the methodology you must be sure that both you and your team have developed an agile mindset and are ready to take on new roles to generate a new management culture for your development and social impact projects.
• Final Steps