Can PRINCE2 and SCRUM work together?

What is the goal of trying to merge the two?

Are you working to produce high quality products for customers using empiricism or are you just executing on tasks on-time, on-budget, in-scope with the next two years etched in stone?

We're trying to let the project managers (prince2 skilled) collaborate with the Scrum team to create a high quality product.

My job is to ensure that the Scrum process is being followed and I have to understand how I can make the most of both (PM and Scrum).

What actions can I take to follow Scrum's best practices while collaborating with PMs?

Hello Angelo,

I don't use PRINCE2 or PRINCE2 Agile, but APMG AgilePM (DSDM framework).

It's easy to make the connection between PRINCE2 Agile and AgilePM, and the DSDM Product Development cycle can be easily replaced by Scrum.
If you want, I can send you a 20 page introduction doc of AgilePM to you.
I'm not going to type, copy & paste it all in this comment box.

My email address is my first name without the accent follew by a "." (point), than my last name, than the at-symbol and we finish with "gmail.com".

Hope that it will help you.

With kind regards,
René

We're trying to let the project managers (prince2 skilled) collaborate with the Scrum team to create a high quality product.

Do you have reason to believe that if project managers are not involved, the product delivered by the Scrum Team will be of low quality?

I recently asked a Program Manager why Project Managers were being assigned as stakeholders to every Product. The Program Manager's answer was that without a Project Manager to hold the reins, the Scrum Team would delve into chaos.

Aside from dogmatism, I do understand from speaking to executives that they just don't want to give autonomy to self-organizing Scrum Teams. This is why in organizations where Scrum or other Agile frameworks are followed, there is still a Portfolio Governance/Program Management office steering the ship.

Do they want to reduce waste (and bureaucracy...) or do they want just to keep their "power" ?

Hi Angelo,

of course you can make Scrum and Prince2 work somehow together, but if you combine them you will have a big risk the organization sees Scrum as only software delivery framework.

In that case the scrum team will f.e not be able to do a proper product development or the Scrum Master gets no support for removing impediments outside of the team.

That's something I learned.

Nils

Thanks all for the answers!

I know that the best practice is to not introduce other roles outside the Scrum scope.
Many of you answer as if this were the only possible choice.
In companies where the figure of the project manager exists, they certainly cannot be fired.

The goal is therefore to make the best from the combination of PM and Scrum Team (keeping in mind all the impediments).

So the PM will help us "to reduce waste (and bureaucracy...)" and I'd like to know if someone collaborated with PM who used Prince2.

Thanks a lot!

A.

Hi Angelo,

Have you explored the official AXELOS 356-pages guide book for PRINCE2 Agile?

In companies where the figure of the project manager exists, they certainly cannot be fired.

I think this is the wrong approach.

Certainly, we shouldn't default to letting people go without trying to find a better option, but any transformation is inherently disruptive.
There will be many skilled people within an organization whose existing role becomes obsolete, or even destructive to the new approach; but that doesn't mean we need to keep them working in the same way.
I've worked with Project Managers who have the necessary skills and mindset to become good Product Owners and Scrum Masters. Some might even have other expertise, such that they could join the Development Team as a Business Analyst, UX designer, or engineer.
Some might move to other parts of the organization, such that they are no longer involved with the product.

But if the organization does its best to bring people along, and they are unable or unwilling to keep the organization moving forward, why shouldn't their job security be up for debate?

Failure to deal with such issues is a lack of leadership and could sink an organization.

As unwillingness and an inability to adapt are rewarded, you risk the loss of your most motivated and competent staff.