Rolling Wave Planning-Unclear Project Scope Can Also Be Plan

WAR FRONT AS A PLANNING ENGINEER.

If you have a project to plan, but some important information you need to complete the planning is not available yet – don’t worry: rolling wave planning can help you out. This technique involves crossing that bridge when you come to it. It will let you do your job, accumulating all the necessary details on your way to the goal. In other words, it allows you to plan while working.

Rolling wave planning is a type of project schedule that focuses on iterative work and frequent updates to the project plan. It’s a project planning technique for projects that don’t offer all the data needed to create a plan or schedule up front.

"Rolling wave planning is an iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while work further in the future is planned at a higher level"

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That doesn’t mean the project starts without a plan. It begins as most projects do, with a work breakdown structure (WBS) to the tasks, work packages and deliverables within the project scope. The difference with rolling wave planning is that the WBS is filled only to the project manager’s current knowledge.

The project plan then evolves as more details become clear. This project planning technique is like putting the track in front of the train as you move forward. By doing this, work always moves forward in short sprints throughout the project phases, while project planning occurs in the background to offer guidance once those short-term tasks are done.

Though most often applied to agile software development or new product development, it can be used for other projects that might not move as swiftly.

A good example of rolling wave planning could be a situation when you are expected to finish your project in one year but the planning can be done only for the first three months – because you do not have a visible final goal, or you’re unsure about the resources, or because you don’t have enough information.

At this point, you cannot say for sure what the daily work of the team members will look like after the first three months pass. However, using the rolling wave technique, you can plan these first three months, and then add more details as the project unfolds. This way, project managers can use rolling wave planning to estimate costs and risks, reducing uncertainties and allowing more flexibility.???

However, for this technique to be productive, project managers must provide a list of milestones and assumptions.

Which Industries Benefit From Using Rolling Wave Planning?

Rolling wave planning technique is suitable for projects where all the project planning data isn’t immediately available and when the project execution is risky. Generally, rolling wave planning is mostly used for software development.

But there are other projects and industries that are a good fit for rolling wave planning and its iterative type of project planning. For example, research and development (R&D) projects. These projects are not structured to finish with a knowable deliverable. They’re exploring and hoping to discover new products or services.

Similarly, high-tech projects lend themselves to rolling wave planning. Any project that is devoted to innovation is going to constantly pivot to take advantage of opportunities. They’re not on a linear path. They require the flexibility to respond as features change, but still provide the control needed to deliver any project successfully

Rolling wave planning can be very helpful for the following projects:

1. On agile projects since agile project management is based on an iterative approach to planning.
2. For projects without specific goals or timelines. Working by phases, you can naturally get to see the bigger picture, without forcing the events.??
3. When planning data is not available. This is why it will be appropriate for software development projects, as well as for research and development projects (since they are focused on exploring and discovering new products and services).
4. For innovative projects as they require the ability to look for hidden opportunities and respond to challenges

Consider the Rolling Wave, or Phased, approach. This method can both satisfy your sponsor and add a sense of integrity and credibility to your commitments. The Rolling Wave approach to project management suggests that the project planning effort “rolls out” detailed plans for the foreseeable future and, as the project evolves, periodically re-evaluates the completion dates and costs.

How to do rolling wave planning

Rolling wave planning is conducted in the following steps:

1. Identify project requirements. Build a work breakdown structure (WBS) – split the project into work items, identifying project priorities and requirements, as well as roles and responsibilities. It also involves discussing budgets and connections among tasks.
2. Divide the project into phases. Consider the milestones – completed tasks that demonstrate the progress. Estimate the length of each phase to determine the expected overall timeline.?
3. Plan the first iteration (also called a “wave”). Make a list of tasks team members are expected to do during this phase. Establish deadlines to let people know how much time they have. Allocate resources for the first phase.
4. Plan future phases. The team starts working on the first assignments, and managers must control their work, making sure all the requirements are met. To do so, they can hold meetings to discuss issues and offer suggestions, recording the progress and identifying the risks. While the team is still working on the first project phase, managers can plan future phases, determining the scope, budget, and timeline for future phases. As they get more information, managers should reduce uncertainties in the later project stages.
5. Continue the iteration process. Once the first iteration is completed, come back to step one to work on the second iteration – this way, the project is continued in circles. Complete the tasks by phase till you achieve the project goals.????
6. Honestly evaluate your strategy. Discuss the things that worked for you and things that didn’t. Ask team members to provide some feedback (which could be in the form of anonymous surveys). Compare your expectations with actual results. By analyzing the strategy, you can learn important lessons and avoid mistakes in the future, improving your product and the way you produce it.

Projects can be different, and there is no strategy that would work for every single one. To choose the strategy that would work best for you, think about all the materials, resources, and information you initially have at your disposal. If you already have all the details, feel free to use the traditional planning method. And if you lack some information, you can use the rolling wave principle, working by iterations. Choosing the right strategy, you increase your chances to successfully complete the project.