Project management in a dynamic environment: Balancing stakeholders

In recent times a number of discussions have been started about the pro's and con's of the traditional develop methods (Waterfall, Stage Gate) and more contemporary and incremental methods (Agile, DevOps¹). These discussions are frequently related to themes of controlling risk and dealing with the dynamics of the environment of programs and projects. In this paper results from a literature study are presented in which the traditional approach and the DevOps approach are compared. The comparison is primarily related to such aspects as controlling and mitigation of uncertanties and risks. Especially attention is paid to the balance between the so called hard and soft controls. Working with such approaches as DevOps require a continuous link and communication between all the relevant stakeholders which does allow for improved detection of early warning signals when it relates to risks. DevOps also stimulates an environment where experimenting and learning are facilitated. The paper ends with the conclusion that the DevOps approach pays more attention on soft controls and that applying the DevOps approach correctly needs a fundamentally change in behavior and culture.