What Role Does the Project Plan Play in Agile Development?

What Role Does the Project Plan Play in Agile Development?

One common misconception about Agile project management is that it involves little to no planning. Agile projects still require a plan, but it’s seen as a living document that evolves and matures as the project progresses. 

In many ways, the Agile project plan’s role is similar to its role in any traditional project methodology. An Agile project starts with a pre-planning step where the vision and requirements are defined and documented. You will assign team members and make high-level estimates of time, budget, and scope. 

In this step, the team will determine the number and length of iterations or sprints and the expected deliverable from each one. The big difference in an Agile project plan is that only the initial sprint is drafted in detail. When this sprint is completed, you’ll plot out the next one. This process enables the team to adapt the plan for each sprint based on the outcomes of the previous phase(s).