Jesse Fewell posts a repeat piece about “Methodology Doesn't Matter.” I've participated in the “method wars” in the past, with no progress. What I've come to understand through the school of hard knocks is that it's the outcomes we're interested in not necessary the path taken to reach those outcomes.

This removes all the theological issues around a method. But there is another important issue solved by this change in perspective.

When we focus on outcomes in place of focusing on the methods, we have made the connection to the business value. In some methods this connection has been made. The agile methods for example. For others, like Earned Value Management, the connection is juts now being discovered.

So what are the outcomes that are needed to make the connection to business value or mission success? here's my standard list.

1. Can we determine with some degree of confidence what the project will cost when it's done? How does this information match the expectations of the customer and their available funds?
2. The same answer for the duration? Can we determine the probability of completing “or or before” the need date for the project?
3. Can we discover, through some method or process, what the customer or funding agency considers “done.” That is what are the capabilities that result from the project that allow the customer or funding agency to perform “their” job?
4. Along the way can we discover what impediments will impact our ability to answer the first three questions?
5. Can we determine with some degree of confidence that we are actually able to answer the previous 4 questions?

So if you can answer these 5 questions – with the proper degree of confidence – then “How” you answer them – that is what method you is to answer them – is not as important.

The inverse is also true. When ever there is a proposal to change a method, improve the process through a new method, augment the existing paradigm – one that may or may not be working, or conjecture any “new idea” – ask the following:

Does this thing that is being suggested provide improved information to these 5 questions? If yes, this is a desirable approach. If no, you're wasting your time.

Go here to see the original: Herding Cats