The DSDM Consortium has set itself the ambitious aim of covering all types of project management with its revamped development framework launched last week. The framework has been rebranded under the name DSDM Atern and replaces the existing DSDM version 4.2 - although the Consortium describes the change as an evolutionary upgrade. Current DSDM 4.2 users will be provided with appropriate migration guidelines.

DSDM - from Dynamic Systems Development Method - originated in the rapid application development (RAD) community in the early 1990s when it became apparent that existing project management methods were unsuited to RAD techniques. The framework evolved into its current form as a result of a sustained effort by consortium work groups.

Among the changes included in DSDM Atern, the Consortium points to a clearer definition of the framework and a greater emphasis on communications through a project life cycle. Names of project phases have been changed to reflect the use of the framework in non-IT projects.

Roles and responsibilities have also been altered and the additional role of business analysts has been introduced. Project level role definitions in DSDM Atern have been re-aligned to match with those used in Prince2 definitions.

The Consortium says that enhanced tool support - often cited as a limitation of earlier DSDM frameworks - will become increasingly available as a result of closer ties between Atern and the Eclipse open source toolset developments. ®