Methodologies for PM in IJ

Project managers in investigative journalism can draw on a variety of methodologies to keep complex, cross-border investigations organised, secure and impactful. Unlike in software development, these aren’t rigid frameworks; they’re adaptable toolkits that help manage chaos while preserving journalistic integrity.

Here’s an overview of the most effective methodologies and why they matter:

1. Agile

What It Is:

Originally from software development, Agile emphasizes flexibility, iteration, and team collaboration. The original way of working demands specific roles and processes. However, as with many methods, not everything may be applicable, but some aspects could be very useful. In fact, the founders wrote a manifesto about Agile, stating that it is a philosophy rather than a method.

The Agile approach starts with a minimum viable product, such as an idea or dataset. The team then works on this idea or data in iterations of two or three weeks, with a clear goal. At the end of the ‘sprint’, as it is called, evaluation and insights determine the next one. Agile focuses on interaction, evaluation, and agility within a set framework.

Why It Works:

• Investigative projects often evolve as new leads emerge.
• Agile allows for frequent reassessment and course correction.
• Encourages short sprints with clear goals, making progress trackable.

Limitations:

• Working without deadline (the agility and itirations determine the duration of the investigation)
• No clear end result, which makes ending the project very difficult (itirations never end)

Tools:

Kanban boards [Paid: Asana, Click-up, Monday, and free: Trello]

2. Waterfall

What It Is:

It is a linear, step-by-step approach, in which each phase (planning, research, writing and publishing) must be completed before the next one begins. Although it sounds rigid, it provides a clear overview of what comes next. In projects, the process usually goes something like this: first you have an idea, then you do preliminary research, pitch it, do more research, create the story, add the visuals, publish it and evaluate it.

Waterfall project management provides a solid foundation for creative work within boundaries such as time and budget. It creates a roadmap that every team member can follow, with clear transitions to the next stage of the project and specific moments to decide whether to proceed or not (GO/NO GO moments).

Why It Works:

• Useful for well-defined investigations with fixed deadlines.
• Helps with budgeting and resource allocation when scope is clear.
• Supports large teams by using the GO / NO GO moments to agree on going forward.

Limitations:

• Less flexible if new findings disrupt the timeline.

Tools:

Spreadsheet, Gantt-chart [Paid: Asana, Click-up, Monday, and free: use a template in Google docs or Excel]

3. Story-Based Inquiry (SBI)

What It Is:

This is a methodology tailored for investigative journalism, focusing on developing a hypothesis for a story and testing it using evidence. It is particularly suited to solo investigations, but can also be used for collaborations. This method is arguably the most widely used way of conducting investigative research.

Why It Works:

• Keeps the investigation focused and hypothesis-driven.
• Encourages structured planning, source mapping, and timeline creation.

Limitations:

SBI is written for a single user, but with some adaptations very useful for teams

Tools:

Use the free Notion SBI template, available here

4. Human-Centered Design

What It Is:

A methodology that puts the needs of the team and audience at the center of planning. Human-centred design is an approach to the development of interactive systems that aims to make systems usable and useful by focusing on users and their needs and requirements, and by applying knowledge and techniques from the fields of human factors, ergonomics and usability. This approach enhances effectiveness and efficiency, improves human well-being and satisfaction, and increases accessibility and sustainability, while counteracting any adverse effects on human health, safety, and performance.

A key element of human-centred design is applied ethnography, a research method adopted from cultural anthropology which requires researchers to fully immerse themselves in their observations in order to record implicit details.

In investigative journalism, the ‘user’ is replaced by the audience. Applying human-centred design (HCD) to investigative journalism can radically improve collaboration, empathy and impact.

Why It Works:

• Encourages empathy and inclusive collaboration.
• Helps tailor tools and workflows to the team’s strengths.
• Helps tailor output to the audience expectations.

Limitations:

HCD takes a lot of time, investing in researching the teams and audience expectations and wishes. Not applicable for longterm investigations, as it is not very agile.

Tools:

Journey mapping, empathy mapping, customer arena, etc

Hybrid Methodologies

For investigative projects you may want to blend elements from multiple approaches:

• Agile for flexibility
• SBI for editorial clarity
• Waterfall for budgeting and publishing
• HCD for impact and better audience output

These hybrid models are especially useful in cross-border collaborations, where cultural, and logistical differences require nuanced management.

For example: in most of my projects doing investigative cross-border journalism, I combine waterfall (phases) and agile (within the phases), using hypotheses from SBI and their way of archiving findings with HCD to create more impact.

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Happy collaborating!!