POSTER 05
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — Fit the Approach to the Context
Tailoring
Tailoring is the deliberate adaptation of approach, governance and processes to suit the unique context of the work. The aim is to maximise value and minimise waste — never to cut corners. It is iterative: you tailor at the start and keep adjusting as you learn.
Visual Map — The Tailoring Funnel
Predictive — plan-driven, fixed scope, single delivery
Hybrid — predictive shell, adaptive core
Adaptive — iterative, evolving scope, frequent delivery
1 · Select
initial development approach ▸ 2 · Tailor for the Organisation
governance, methodology, policy, culture ▸ 3 · Tailor for the Project
product, team & the specific context ▸ 4 · Implement & Improve
inspect, adapt, refine continuously ↺
initial development approach ▸ 2 · Tailor for the Organisation
governance, methodology, policy, culture ▸ 3 · Tailor for the Project
product, team & the specific context ▸ 4 · Implement & Improve
inspect, adapt, refine continuously ↺
The funnel narrows from a broad starting point to a precise fit, then loops — step 4 feeds learning back into steps 1–3 throughout delivery. You tailor the life cycle, processes, engagement (people), tools, methods & artifacts — but the 12 principles always apply.
What Drives the Decision? — Read the Context
| Dimension | Pushes toward Predictive ▸ | ◂ Pushes toward Adaptive |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | Stable, clear, well understood | Emerging, uncertain, fast-changing |
| Risk & regulation | Safety-critical, heavily regulated | Low regulatory burden |
| Cost of change | Expensive to change late | Cheap & easy to change |
| Delivery cadence | One large, integrated delivery | Frequent small increments |
| Customer involvement | Limited / milestone-based | Continuous & collaborative |
| Size & duration | Large, long, many interfaces | Small-to-medium, shorter |
| Team & culture | Distributed, low agile maturity | Co-located/empowered, agile-fluent |
What You Can Tailor
- Life cycle & development approach — phases, gates, cadence.
- Processes — add, remove, blend or align to fit value.
- Engagement — how people & stakeholders interact.
- Tools — methods of delivery, software, infrastructure.
- Methods & artifacts — which models, methods & documents you actually use (Poster 6).
Relationships
- Tailoring is Principle #7 and a theme across all 8 domains.
- Organisational governance / the PMO sets the guardrails you tailor within.
- Feeds Development Approach & Life Cycle domain directly.
Exam Concepts
- Goal = maximise value, minimise waste — not reduce rigour.
- Tailoring is iterative & ongoing, not a one-time setup.
- Over-tailoring (too much process) and under-tailoring (too little) are both risks.
- You tailor methods, never the principles.
- Tailoring decisions should be justified & documented.
Executive View
- Right-sized governance = speed without losing control.
- Avoid one-size-fits-all mandates that burden small work.
- A documented tailoring framework signals organisational maturity.
- Frees senior attention for high-risk, high-value projects.
Industry Example — Defence vs Start-up
Defence
- Shipbuilding: fixed config baselines, stage gates, safety regs → strongly predictive, minimal agile tailoring.
- Internal tooling team: backlog, 2-week sprints, continuous release → adaptive.
- Regulated SaaS: agile build inside a predictive compliance & assurance wrapper.
Memory Hooks
- "Tailor the suit to the person" — fit the method to the work, never the reverse.
- A·O·P·I = Approach → Organisation → Project → Improve (the 4 funnel steps).
- More tailoring ≠ less rigour — it means appropriate rigour.
- Stable + regulated → predictive; uncertain + fast → adaptive; both → hybrid.
60-sec Review
Draw the 4-step funnel + loop
Predictive vs Adaptive drivers
Name the 5 things you tailor
Over- vs under-tailoring
Why principles never tailor
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 05 · PMBOK 7 Tailoring · original instructional design · A3 landscape