Concepts
Continuous data utilization for resource capacity, project size, and velocity metrics is a crucial aspect of agile project management philosophy. Agile practitioners, particularly those preparing for the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) exam, should understand the importance of tracking changes, analyzing data, and assessing completion estimates. These factors altogether facilitate efficient decision-making and project completion.
Understanding Resource Capacity
The resourcing capacity refers to the amount of work that can be handled by the team members based on their availability and skills. It is a key metric for understanding the work that can be accomplished within a given period. Analysts might measure this in person-hours per week or the number of full-time equivalent employees working on a project.
For instance, suppose a project requires 1,600 hours of work and the project team is comprised of four members, each available for 40 hours a week. If the project is expected to be completed in one month (4 weeks), the necessary resource capacity is equivalent to the total man-hours divided by the number of weeks: 1,600 man-hours / 4 weeks = 400 person-hours per week.
Regularly tracking changes in resource capacity helps manage the project schedule more affordably. Using the example above, if one of the team members can only contribute 30 hours in any given week, the consequent shift in resource capacity must be tracked and accommodated within the project timeline.
Tracking Project Size
Project size typically correlates with the complexity and resources required for the project. In agile, project size is often estimated in relation to the number of user stories within the project backlog. This size metric allows project managers to better assess the quantity of work to anticipate overtime.
An example could be a software development project comprising 100 user story points estimated at the initiation phase. If regularly tracked and analyzed, and after the completion of say,25 user story points, the remaining effort can be re-estimated to adjust the project size for a more realistic completion timeline.
Using Velocity Metrics
Velocity is an agile metric that depicts the average work the team can handle during a single iteration. It facilitates the estimation of how quickly a team can work through the backlog.
Suppose a team completes 30 story points in a two-week sprint. If the remaining backlog is 70 stories, you can estimate that the project will require approximately four more sprints to complete.
Evaluating Estimate to Complete
Another essential factor is the Estimate to Complete (ETC), which predicts the time and cost required to complete the project based on current performance.
For instance, if your original project estimate was for 10 weeks, but you’ve only completed 10% of the project after two weeks, your ETC might need to be revised upwards. This continual re-evaluation—enabled by detailed tracking of resource capacity, project size and velocity—ensures projects stay on track or are adjusted as necessary.
| ETC | |
|---|---|
| Original Estimate | 10 weeks |
| Percent Complete | 10% |
| Weeks Passed | 2 weeks |
| New ETC | Approx 20 weeks (10 weeks / 10% work done) |
In conclusion, continuous data utilization of resource capacity, project size, and velocity metrics provide a quantifiable and reality-based mechanism to evaluate estimates to complete. Agile professionals, especially a prospective PMI-ACP, must understand and wield these metrics accurately to foster a data-driven, adaptable, and efficient project management environment.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Resource capacity and project size are irrelevant factors when predicting the chance of a project being completed.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Resource capacity and project size are major factors impacting the probability of a project being completed. The larger the project size, the significant the required resources should be.
Velocity metrics should be calculated in:
- A. Quantity of work completed over time.
- B. Quantity of resources used over time.
- C. Quantity of errors made over time.
Answer: A. Quantity of work completed over time.
Explanation: Velocity metrics refers to the amount of work that can be accomplished in a particular duration. It does not measure resources or issues.
True or False: When changes take place in resource capacity, it affects estimate to complete the project.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Changes in resource capacity can either shorten or extend the time required to complete a project, affecting the final estimate.
Which of these tools are essential in estimating the time required to complete a project?
- A. Velocity metrics
- B. Resource capacity measurement
- C. Size of the project
Answer: All of the above (A, B and C)
Explanation: All these tools are used to measure the forecast in project management that helps in estimating the time for project completion.
True or False: Velocity metrics need to be constantly evaluated to see if a project is on schedule.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Velocity metrics provide a measure of the team’s productivity rate, which can disclose whether a project is on schedule or not.
Which of these is an example of resource capacity?
- A. Manpower
- B. Time
- C. Money
Answer: All of the above (A, B and C)
Explanation: All these are various types of resources that can affect the process and completion time of a project.
True or False: A change in resource capacity does not necessitate a new estimate of the project completion time.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A change in resource capacity, whether it increases or decreases, will most likely necessitate readjusting the estimate for project completion time.
True or False: A project’s velocity metrics can increase or decrease depending on the effectiveness of the resources applied.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The project’s velocity metrics define the efficiency of the team in completing a chunk of the project. If the resources used are effective, the velocity metrics can increase.
Which of the following factors does not affect the estimate to complete a project?
- A. Velocity Metrics
- B. Resource Capacity
- C. The brand of the equipment used in the project
Answer: C. The brand of the equipment used in the project
Explanation: While necessary equipment is important for resource capacity considerations, the brand of the equipment often doesn’t directly impact the timeline of the project.
True or False: Project size has no impact on the velocity metrics.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The size of the project can greatly impact the velocity metrics. Larger projects usually have more complex requirements that could affect the speed or ‘velocity’ of the team.
Great post! Continuously using metrics like resource capacity and project size has definitely improved our team’s accuracy.
I found this blog post very insightful. We’ve been able to spot scope creep more quickly by monitoring changes in velocity metrics.
Can someone explain how exactly you integrate resource capacity changes into the estimate to complete?
Using project size changes dynamically has helped our agile team stay responsive to client needs.
I appreciate the detailed explanation on evaluating ETC. It’s often overlooked but so critical for project success.
How do you factor in non-linear velocity changes, such as those induced by holidays or team member rotations?
The integration of various metrics ensures a more comprehensive approach to predicting project completion.
What tools do you use to keep track of these metrics? Are there any you’d recommend?