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5.4 Delivery Strategy
One of the PM's first "process" decisions is selecting the high-level delivery strategy. In 2026, this is not a religious choice between Scrum or Predictive—it is a logical choice based on Risk and Frequency of Value.
🧭 The Selection Matrix
Use these diagnostic markers to choose the right path for your project.
Predictive
Best for Stable environments with known solutions.
- High cost of change
- Single final release
- Detailed upfront planning
Adaptive (Agile)
Best for Volatile environments with emerging requirements.
- Low cost of change
- Frequent incremental releases
- Continuous planning (Sprints)
Hybrid
Best for Complex projects with mixed characteristics.
- Stable foundation / Agile features
- Predictive dates / Agile path
- Gated releases
🛠️ Tailoring Factors
When determining the strategy during initiation, consider the Tailoring Matrix:
- Complexity: How many moving parts? High complexity often benefits from Agile's empirical loops.
- Risk: Can you afford to fail fast? If yes, use Agile. If failure is catastrophic (Bridge Building), use Predictive.
- Frequency of Delivery: Does the customer need value every 2 weeks, or can they wait 1 year?
- Resource Availability: Do you have a dedicated cross-functional team (Agile) or shared resources (Predictive)?
💡 The 2026 Standard
Most modern enterprise projects are Hybrid. They use Predictive milestones for the "Business Case" and "Go-Live" while allowing teams to use Agile "Sprints" for execution and refinement.
📝 Exam Insight: If a project has high uncertainty but a non-negotiable legal deadline, the best strategy is Hybrid. Use Predictive guardrails for the date and Agile cycles for the content.