DSDM

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) is an Agile project delivery framework designed to provide timely, high-quality software through iterative and incremental development. It emphasizes active user involvement, frequent delivery of product increments, ongoing testing, and a fixed timeline. Key techniques include timeboxing and MoSCoW prioritization (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have this time) to govern scope and ensure business value is realized early.

DSDM originated in the United Kingdom during the mid-1990s as a rapid application development approach. It was developed by the DSDM Consortium as a vendor-agnostic framework for IT projects and became known as DSDM Atern after 2007, which refined governance, roles, and the lifecycle and aligned it with other governance models such as PRINCE2.

Lifecycle and process: The DSDM lifecycle typically includes phases such as Pre-project, Feasibility, Business Study, Functional Model Iteration, Design and Build Iteration, and Implementation. Projects proceed through iterative cycles, using timeboxed iterations to deliver usable systems and to incorporate feedback. A stable architecture baseline is established early and evolved over time.

Principles and governance: DSDM rests on a set of guiding principles, including focus on the business need, delivering on time, collaboration, never compromising quality, building incrementally, developing iteratively, communicating continuously, and maintaining simplicity. Roles such as business sponsor, user representatives, and solution developers collaborate within governance structures to make trade-offs, enforce priorities, and manage risk.

Adoption and use: DSDM is commonly applied to IT-enabled business change projects where timely delivery is essential and user involvement is feasible. It is compatible with other project-management methods and governance approaches. Critics note that success depends on experienced participants and strong stakeholder engagement, and that fixed timeboxes can constrain scope in certain contexts.