What are hybrid methodologies?

As agile methodologies have become more popular and attractive to organizations due to their iterative and incremental approach to providing value, hybrid methodologies that merge waterfall and agile have begun to emerge. Hybrid methodologies are a blending of waterfall and agile approaches.

Hybrid Defined

Hybrid methodologies may incorporate the following aspects of waterfall approaches:

• The structure of a phased approach to a project.
• The discipline of phase controls and transitions from one phase to another.
• Documentation trails.
• Defined milestones and approval points.
• Predictable outcomes.

Hybrid methodologies may incorporate the following aspects of agile approaches:

• Shorter development and delivery cycles.
• Iterative and incremental product delivery.
• Agile practices of standup meetings and retrospectives.
• Response to change.
• Flexibility.
• Adaptability.

Reasons for Using Hybrid?

The primary reasons for using a hybrid methodology are:

• Fit-for-purpose: The nature of the project may lend itself to a hybrid approach. The goal of a fit-for-purpose reason to adopt a hybrid method is to deliver value to the customer in the best possible way.

For example, a project with high uncertainty can benefit from the incremental approach which allows the return on investment to be reevaluated after an early incremental delivery of value. A predictive approach to the same project would require a considerable investment prior to delivering value. Another fit-for-purpose example would be a project that can benefit from the structure of a waterfall approach but leverages the iterative and incremental approach of agile during a product development phase.

• As a transition to Agile: The goal of using a hybrid methodology may be to help the organization to transition to agile. The organization and the teams within the organization may not be culturally ready to transition completely to agile due to a significant change in management and team practices. This is especially true for teams that have been very successful using waterfall methods. Using a hybrid approach allows the organization to gradually transition to agile methods and allows for a longer learning curve.

Factors to Consider

The following factors should be considered when tailoring for a hybrid approach:

• Organizational culture. How invested is the organization in traditional waterfall methods? If the organization has had success with waterfall methods and has invested in processes, procedures, and governance, the organization might benefit from a lower risk hybrid approach that allows for a gradual transition to more intensive agile methods.
• The project team. Is the project team open-minded to agile methods? Does the team have the appropriate experience on both traditional and agile approaches? Does the team have access to the business or customers? The answers to these questions will determine if a team can tailor a project for a hybrid approach.
• The project. Is the project a candidate for a hybrid approach? Does the project provide opportunities to use a hybrid approach blending both agile and waterfall?? If the answer is yes, then the approach should be decided early on in the project life cycle.

Advantages?

The advantages of a hybrid methodology include:

• Adapts to the unique needs of a project.
• Allows for an easier transition to agile from waterfall.
• Leverages the best of both agile and waterfall.
• Encourages higher level of customer collaboration than waterfall alone.
• Can be used to reduce overall risk.

Disadvantages?

The disadvantages of a hybrid methodology include:

• May be more complex than a waterfall only or agile only approach.
• Requires more experience, knowledge, and expertise from the team members.
• May be difficult to replicate the methods for different projects.
• Planning may be more challenging.
• Acceptance from decision makers may be difficult.

Summary

With the popularity of Agile, organizations and project managers should assess whether a hybrid approach to their projects makes sense. Depending on the project, the team, and the organization, a hybrid approach might be the answer to take advantage of the benefits of agile without compromising the structured traditional waterfall approach. If done right, you get the best of both approaches.

Eddie Merla, PMI-ACP, PMP

Check out our future PMP prep training classes:

Training Schedule - Certifiably Project Minded (certify-pm.com)

#pmp #pmpprep #pmptraining #pmpbootcamp

?