In my current company, they are using Waterfall methodology in defining the gateways for new project approval and developing detailed timeline with completion date (gantt chart).
For the development execution, we are using a hybrid software development process - DSDM / Scrum / Kanban - not defined exactly but using agile practices of each methodology.
How effective this model will work - one for Project Management and one for Software Development?
Combining an agile development approach with traditional waterfall can be highly problematic.
Effectively you have two approaches that are pulling in opposite directions. Waterfall is about planning and following plans whereas agile is about responding to change.
I have worked in organisations that attempt to combine the two approaches and some of the issues I witnessed included:
Fundamental purpose of Project Management is to deliver what your clients want at a specific time. Effectiveness you have mentioned depends on the requirement and tolerance of clients.
All clients want developing team finished within one month and everything. But they seldom do not know what feature is the most important. From my experience, we use Scrum to address which features must be presented and usable first. Mentioning first, then , final phase to clients is the way to make them know we propose agile development methodology and urge them prioritise the deliverables.
Before providing the value judgement or proposed methods to combine the methodologies from the management point of view, we have to figure out the budget, time constraint and possible market competition. OP has to mention more about.
As for quality of work and communication issues, it is difficult for us to judge because of the discrepancies among working cultures of team members.
