What is Agile? Agile Methodology, Principles, and Frameworks





PRINCE2Popular frameworks	Scrum, a process describes which project management team role is responsible for taking decisions and when. Processes are where the principles and , Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP)practices of PRINCE2
Stakeholders are applied. The 7 processes in PRINCE2 are:	Customers, product owners, cross-functional teams, Scrum MastersStarting up a project

Summary of the Agile Manifesto and Its valuesDirecting a project

The Initiating a projectAgile ManifestoControlling a stage, published in 2001 by 17 software development experts, established the foundation for Managing product deliveryAgile methodologiesManaging a stage boundary. It promotes four core values and twelve underlying principles to guide teams toward continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.Closing a project

Agile Manifesto: Four values

Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsDownload the PRINCE2 processes ebook
Working software over comprehensive documentation




Customer involvementproject manager	High, continuous feedback must review any lessons from previous projects which can usefully be applied on this project.	Typically only during requirements and acceptance stagesOne part of the project brief is the
Deliveryproject product description	Frequent, partial releases which describes the project’s major products or outcomes. Another part is the	Full product delivered at project endproject approach
Risk which describes the options for delivering the solution e.g. whether the work will be outsourced or done in-house. It also contains the	Problems discovered earlyoutline business case	Issues often found late containing the business justification.

Agile frameworks and practicesEnhance your skills with our expert-led courses

Scrum framework

Scrum is a widely adopted Agile framework structured around short, timeboxed periods called sprintsInstructor-led. Teams maintain a PRINCE2 Practitioner (with Foundation) courseproduct backlog of features and tasks, delivering increments of working software at the end of each sprint. Roles in Scrum include Product Owner, £1,899 +vatScrum Master , and Development Team. Daily stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives reinforce team collaboration and transparency.See all dates

Kanban

Kanban emphasises visualising work, limiting work in progress, and optimising flow. Teams use Kanban boards to track tasks and identify bottlenecks, often integrating continuous improvement practices.

User stories and Product Backlog

Features are typically described as Self-paceduser storiesPRINCE2 Practitioner (with Foundation) self-paced online in a product backlog. This backlog is prioritised by the Product Owner and guides the work to be pulled into each sprint or iteration.

Agile project management£1,399 +vat

Agile project management focuses on iterative planning, adaptive resource allocation, and continuous stakeholder engagement. Leaders support self-organising, cross-functional teams, encourage regular customer feedback, and facilitate incremental value delivery.

Key concepts: Iterative and incremental delivery

Agile projects proceed in small iterations, each resulting in an incrementally improved product. This iterative approach enables rapid adaptation, regular feedback, and incremental value to stakeholders.Instructor-led

Team collaboration and cross-functional teamsPRINCE2 Foundation course

Agile emphasises collaboration between customers, stakeholders, and team members from diverse disciplines. Cross-functional teams are empowered to make decisions and deliver complete solutions within each iteration.

Continuous improvement practices£1,299 +vat

Agile teams conduct regular retrospectives to identify areas for improvement and adjust their processes. This culture of continuous improvement leads to increased quality, productivity, and team morale over time.

Further ResourcesSee all dates

FAQsTo enable the project board to make key decisions and exercise overall control while delegating day-to-day management of the project to the project manager. In this way, the project board becomes accountable for the project’s success.

What is Agile methodology?Objectives

Appropriate management direction and control are provided during the project.What are the 12 principles of Agile?

The The project remains viable.12 Agile principlesThe business layer has a connection to the project. include prioritising customer satisfaction through early and continual delivery, welcoming changing requirements, delivering working software frequently, fostering daily collaboration, supporting motivated teams, preferring face-to-face communication, using working software as the main progress measure, maintaining a sustainable pace, focusing on technical excellence, maximising simplicity, enabling self-organising teams, and reflecting regularly for process improvement.Plans for realizing the post-project benefits are managed and reviewed.

What is the difference between Agile and waterfall?Trigger

Agile is iterative, adaptable, and focuses on incremental delivery with frequent stakeholder feedback. This process starts after the Waterfallstarting up a project is linear, sequential, and requires upfront planning, often only allowing changes late in the project cycle. process has completed and is triggered by a

What are Scrum and Kanban frameworks?request to initiate the proje

Scrumct is an Agile framework that organises work into fixed-length sprints and uses roles like Product Owner and .Scrum MasterWhat happens?. Kanban is a visual method for managing workflow, limiting work in progress, and focusing on incremental improvements.The process is performed by the project board who

How does Agile improve team collaboration?manage by exception

Agile improves collaboration through daily communication, cross-functional team structures, and regular stakeholder engagement, ensuring all members align towards shared goals. – it monitors via reports and controls through a small number of decision points. There is no need for regular ‘progress meetings’ with the project manager.

Subscribe to our exclusive offers and promotionsThe project board acts as a communication interface from the project to the business layer and provides unified direction and guidance to the

project managerSubscribe now. It takes all the ‘big decisions’ about the project to ensure it always remains aligned with the business layer’s strategy.

The project board should provide a single view, otherwise the project manager may act on wrong priorities which increases the risk of project failure. If a single viewpoint is unavailable, the project executive makes the final decision. This means the project board is not a democracy.

The project board is responsible for project assurance, but the project board members may appoint persons to perform project assurance on their behalf. The project board provides ongoing advice and guidance throughout the project to the project manager. Authorize initiation

Related articlesEnsures that the project investment is worthwhile and informs all stakeholders and the impacted sites that the project is being initiated. It does this by approving the

project brief , and initiation stage plan

. Authorize the project Approves the

project initiation documentation (PID)

if the firm foundations for the project are in place. Notifies the business and other interested parties that the project has been authorized.

Give ongoing direction Reviews highlight

changes .

Authorize a stage or exception plan

What is Lean Six Sigma? Definition, methodology, & benefitsstage plan

Knowledge Trainexception plan

22 Apr 2026) if the business justification still exists and commits the required resources. It also reviews and approves the

end stage reportLean Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology for process improvement that reduces waste and variation. Combining Lean and Six Sigma, it helps organisations maximise efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.. Decides whether to approve the plan or request revisions to the plan. May also instruct the project manager to initiate premature closure of the project. Communicates the status of the project to the business and keep other interested parties informed about project progress.

Authorize project closure

Reviews and approves the

end project report if it is satisfied that there is nothing more the project to do. Reviews and gains approval for the updated benefits management approach

ensuring that it addresses the expected post-project benefits and transfers responsibility for it to the business.

Thriving in the 21st century with Agile – with Barbara RobertsThe project board does not itself create any

Sevcan Yasa. Instead, it reviews and approves those created by the project manager.

23 Feb 2026Initiating a project

PurposeDiscover the keys to thriving in the 21st century with Agile methodologies in this insightful webinar. Learn more about Agile's role in future successes.This process is about laying down the firm foundations for the project to succeed. This is done by enabling the business to understand the work required to deliver the project product before committing to a significant expenditure or resources.

Objectives

To ensure there is a common understanding of: why the project is needed, the expected benefits and risks; the timescales and costs; the scope; the major products; quality requirements and standards; how issues and risks will be identified and managed; how progress will be monitored and controlled; who will make decisions and when; how baselines will be controlled; who needs information, the format, and timing; and how the project applies business policies, methods, and guidance.

All this information forms the project initiation documentation (

PID

What is the best Agile project management certification?Trigger

Simon Buehringauthorize initiation

19 Feb 2026.

What happens?Explore what makes a great Agile project management certification and how it can propel your career. Scroll down for the top choices.Compile the information needed for the project board to authorize the project. This is done in the form of the

project initiation documentation

The project initiation documentation contains:

Elements from the

What is Scrum certification? Guide to providers, costs, and benefits

change management Achieving a Scrum Certification can boost your career in Agile project management. Learn the steps, compare providers, and understand the benefits of becoming certified today., benefits management, commercial management, communication management, data management, issue management,

quality management

risk management , and sustainability

management.

Using Scrum with Agile – describing how and when the project’s objectives will be achieved. It shows the major products, activities, resources, and people required on the project; provides a baseline against which to monitor the project’s progress.

To ensure that:

Simon Buehringproject management team

19 Feb 2026 focuses on delivery within tolerances and progress is monitored to avoid uncontrolled change.

Risks and issues are controlled.Visualize the 4 Kanban principles and how they apply across various projects and workflows. Discover more by scrolling down.The

business case

is kept under review.

The agreed products for the stage meet the agreed quality expectations and are accepted. The project manager acts as a facilitator rather than a controller by giving freedom to team managers (when possible) using tolerances to minimize escalations. The project manager avoids unnecessary escalations and gains freedom to act and learn by discussing their tolerances with the project board.

Trigger

Agile methodologiesstage plan

Simon Buehringexception plan

23 Feb 2026, by receiving advice or instructions from the project board, by a new issue or risk, or by receiving a completed work package from a team manager.

What happens?Discover the variety of Agile methodologies and their unique implementations across sectors. Read more to see which fits your needs.The process covers the day-to-day management of a stage by the project manager whilst, at the same time, the project board manages by exception (hence no need for regular progress meetings).

The project manager authorizes work to teams via

work package descriptions

. A team executes a work package in the

managing product delivery

Agile certification: your guide to qualifications, comparisons, and career valueWhen authorizing a work package, the project manager should update the

Knowledge Train to reflect the content of the authorized work packages and the planned

23 Apr 2026quality management

activities.Discover how Agile certification can boost your career, enhance professional skills, and deliver greater value to organisations. Compare leading certifications and learn which is right for you. Once the work is under way, the team manager sends regular

checkpoint reports

to the project manager. The project manager collects and reviews progress information from these reports and assesses the estimated time and effort to complete any remaining work.

The project manager sends regular highlight reports to the project board. The project manager takes corrective action only for

risks

Scrum frameworkissues

Simon Buehringstage tolerances

19 Feb 2026. NOTE: This process is linked to the

progressExplore the 6 essential principles of the Scrum framework that guide successful projects. Scroll down for an in-depth look. theme, in which the concept of

tolerances

Contents