Governance Self Involved: Assessing Governance in Adaptive Projects
PMBOK v8 Definition
Governance in adaptive projects requires assessing whether the approach will lean toward self-governing teams and a total-quality approach. Determining whether and how a project management office should be involved, deciding if the team will establish a governance board, and identifying which committees or stakeholders should be involved are critical steps to tailor the governance approach to fit the specific needs and context of the project. Guided self-governance means that agile or adaptive teams have the autonomy to make decisions and manage their work without heavy bureaucracy and oversight.
Why It Matters for the Exam
This concept appears frequently in PMI exam questions about tailoring governance approaches for adaptive projects. Questions test your ability to distinguish between traditional governance structures and self-governance models, particularly regarding decision-making autonomy, PMO involvement, and stakeholder committee structures.
Key Points to Remember (for the exam)
- Core Assessment Question: Always assess whether governance in adaptive projects will lean toward self-governing teams and a total-quality approach
- PMO Decision: Determine whether and how a project management office should be involved
- Governance Board: Decide if the team will establish a governance board and identify which committees or stakeholders should be involved
- Guided Self-Governance: Adaptive projects are designed to be self-governing, giving teams autonomy to make decisions without heavy bureaucracy
- Key Challenge: Self-governance models risk fragmented decision-making, where decision-makers may act in conflicting ways, resulting in lack of direction or accountability
- Distributed Responsibility: Under self-governance, project management responsibilities are distributed among the team rather than assigned to a single formal project manager
- Life Cycle Adaptation: Governance must be tailored to be appropriate for predictive, adaptive, and hybrid life cycles
Typical PMI Exam Example
A project manager is leading an adaptive software development project. The organization has a traditional PMO that requires detailed status reports. The project team wants autonomy in daily decision-making. What should the project manager assess first?
Answer: Whether governance should lean toward self-governing teams and determine how the PMO should be involved, while identifying which committees or stakeholders need governance board representation.
PMI Exam Traps
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Trap: Confusing self-governance with no governance Reality: Self-governance means guided autonomy, not absence of governance—teams still have accountability and reporting requirements
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Trap: Assuming all adaptive projects use the same governance model Reality: Governance must be tailored to fit the specific needs and context of each project, including predictive, adaptive, and hybrid life cycles
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Trap: Thinking a PMO is always required for adaptive projects Reality: Under self-governance, there may be no PMO leader—instead, a group of individual project managers is collectively accountable for optimizing performance
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Trap: Believing self-governance eliminates decision-making fragmentation Reality: Fragmented decision-making is a key challenge where decision-makers may act in conflicting ways, resulting in lack of direction or accountability
Important PMI Connections
| Related Concept | Relationship Type | Exam Attention Point |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Governance | Input to tailoring | Identify control boards, committees, and stakeholders; define status reporting requirements |
| Project Team Size and Location | Tailoring consideration | Adaptive approaches often work better with smaller project teams for self-governance |
| Organizational Capability | Enabling condition | Policies, reporting structures, and attitudes must align to employ delivery methods successfully |
| Project Life Cycle Adaptations | Governance application | Governance must be appropriate for predictive, adaptive, and hybrid life cycles |
Quick Review Questions
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What is the first assessment a project manager should make regarding governance in adaptive projects?
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Under a self-governance model, how are project management responsibilities distributed compared to traditional models?
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What is a key challenge in self-governance models that can result in lack of direction or accountability?
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How should governance be adapted for different project life cycle types?
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What factors should be assessed to determine PMO involvement in adaptive projects?
PMBOK v8 Reference
Section 2 – Project Management Performance Domains (Governance considerations within adaptive projects)