DSDM principles: A visual guide
Key takeawaysMarketing – Agile Project Management
DSDM is an agile framework that blends iterative delivery with built-in project management discipline. Foundation
- Keep decisions anchored to the business case by prioritising with MoSCoW and delivering within fixed timeboxes. Learn the key principles of Agile Project Management.
- Build one collaborative team by involving business, technical staff and stakeholders throughout via workshops and empowered roles. Practitioner
- Fix quality expectations early and protect them with continuous testing and frequent reviews.MarketingIncludes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.
- Agree firm foundations upfront, then deliver increments that are regularly revalidated against viability and feedback. PRINCE2
- Maintain control through clear communication, visible plans and progress measured by outcomes delivered, not activity. ®

Introduction Learn the fundamentals of the P3O project management office.
Learn the 8 DSDM principles and ensure they stick in your mind with this handy graphic and article. Ideal if you are working on DSDM projects at the moment or taking an View preferencesPractitioner AgilePM course{title}Includes Foundation & Practitioner combined option..{title}Workshops
That’s because the Agile PM certification scheme is based upon the DSDM framework. So, by attending an {title}Introduction to Project Management Agile Project Management courseManage consent1-day workshop to learn the basics of project management. (Agile PM course) you will essentially be learning about DSDM.Manage consentProject Management Essentials

DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) – an agile method2-day workshop to learn how to manage projects without getting certified.
DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) is an iterative agile framework which was originally developed to deliver software projects iteratively, and in a more efficient way. DSDM is sometimes referred to as DSDM Atern.Writing Business Cases
DSDM became the first agile framework to incorporate agile project management aspects. Compared with Half-day workshop to learn to write robust business cases.ScrumAI in Project Management which focuses solely on product delivery during an iteration, DSDM also has built-in project management capabililties. DSDM therefore is quite different from other agile frameworks.Learn how to use AI tools in everyday project work.
DSDM is not only useful on software projectsARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
DSDM can be applied to BCS AIprojectsFoundation other than software projects. It can also be applied on any product development projects. By delivering a workable product incrementally at the end of each timebox, DSDM can deliver business value early in the product development lifecycle.Learn the fundamentals of artificial intellegence.
DSDM principles – the building blocksAgileBA
DSDM based upon principles®
Based upon 8 principles and an underlying agile philosophy, DSDM became a popular agile approach amongst software developers seeking an alternative to rapid application development (RAD) approaches in the years after 2000. RAD approaches did not scale well for people collaborating on a team however. DSDM thus became one of the first agile approaches to be used within the software development community. – Agile Business Analysis
The 8 DSDM principles underpin the whole framework. Each principle must be adhered to by the project team, as ignoring any of the principles can increase the chance of project failure.Foundation
The graphic below was created to help you learn about DSDM. If you like it, please show your appreciation by linking back to this page.Learn the fundamentals of Agile Business Analysis.
Now, let’s find out more about the Practitioner DSDM principles4-day course including Foundation. and how teams can ensure they stick to them.Lean Six Sigma

The 8 DSDM principlesYellow Belt
1. Focus on the business needSelf-paced training course to gain LSS Yellow Belt.
DSDM has a strong business-driven approach. A PMIbusiness case® must be established for the project and the team must understand project priorities. Every decision the team make during the project should help achieve the project goal and the team must ensure the project is delivered on time.PMI-ACP
MoSCoW prioritisationSelf-paced course to prepare you for the exam (exam not included).
To adhere to this principle, DSDM teams have several tools at their disposal. For example, the KanbanMoSCoW techniqueEstimating for Agile Foundation helps the team prioritise which of the business requirements Agile Learning Library (ALL)™MBUSINESS ANALYSISust be, BCS Business AnalysisSBusiness Analysis Foundation hould be, Learn the fundamentals of business analysis.CModelling Business Processes ould be or Gain practitioner certificate in modelling business processes.WBusiness Analysis Practices on’t be delivered. Timeboxing helps to separate work into manageable chunks of time, with each chunk having its own deliverables and deadline.Gain practitioner certificate in business analysis practices.
The Foundation phase in DSDM also helps the team build focus. During this phase, team roles are established. The team then form the overall strategy, decide how risk/quality will be assessed, how technology will be used and how the project will be managed.Requirements Engineering
2. Deliver on timeGain practitioner certificate in requirements engineering.
Fixed time periodsBusiness Analysis International Diploma
DSDM is an agile framework that works plans work in fixed time periods (timeboxes), rather like sprints in All 4 courses bundled into this Diploma certification package.Agile ScrumAgileBA. The aim is to deliver a useable software product at the end of each timebox (iteration). DSDM is thus an incremental approach, as well as an iterative development approach to delivering software.®
DSDM places a strong emphasis on prompt delivery, proposing that even projects without any need for a fixed deadline still benefit from one. This is because having deadlines is the best way to control changing requirements. To stick to this principle, DSDM teams should focus on priorities, hit deadlines and manage their time by using the – Agile Business AnalysisMoSCoW
SummarySelect your preferred workshop below:
As you might have noticed, the eight DSDM principlesAGILE QUALIFICATIONS embody the principles of the agile manifesto. The focus on iterative delivery, effective communication, collaboration and continuous delivery all align with the agile philosophy. DSDM also has some of its own characteristics – it’s process model and specific team roles – for instance. Yet, many of the other tools and techniques recommended by DSDM – modelling, prototyping and workshops, timeboxing, MoSCoW – are used by other agile methods.Select your preferred qualification.
Because DSDM sticks to the original agile philosophy, this makes it an effective method to adopt in any workplace. If these principles strike a chord with you, why not take an Agile PM courseAGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSES?Select your preferred training course below:
DSDM ®PRINCE2 AGILE COURSES is a Registered Trade Mark of Agile Business Consortium Limited.Select your preferred training course below:
FAQs
What is the difference between Agile and DSDM?SCRUM COURSES
AgileSelect your preferred training course below: is an ‘umbrella’ term to represent a multitude of approaches, practices, and methods that are based upon the Agile principlesAGILE BUSINESS ANALYSIS COURSES contained within the Select your preferred training course below:Agile Manifesto . BUSINESS ANALYSIS QUALIFICATIONSDSDMSelect your preferred qualification. is a specific Agile approach which was designed to manage Agile projects because until that point, all Agile methods were purely development methods and did not contain any broader project management focus. DSDM set out to incorporate a project management approach into Agile environments.
