Chapter 1:


An Introduction to Agile
Stevbros Training & Consultancy
Global PMI R.E.P., ScrumAlliance R.E.P.

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 Outline
1. Introduction
2. Definable Work vs. High-Uncertainty Work
3. The Agile Manifesto and Mindset
4. Lean and the Kanban Method
5. Uncertainty, Risk, and Life Cycle
Selection

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 1. Introduction
• The Agile Practice Guide is project-focused
and addresses project life cycle selection,
implementing agile, and organizational
considerations for agile projects.
• Additional items that are in scope and out
of scope for this practice guide are listed in
next slide.

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 1. Introduction
In Scope Out of Scope
Implementing agile approaches at a project or Implementing agile throughout the organization or
team level creating agile programs
Coverage of most popular agile approaches, as Coverage of niche approaches, company-specific
listed in industry surveys methods, or incomplete life cycle techniques
Suitability factors to consider when choosing Recommending or endorsing a particular approach/
an agile approach and/or practice practice
Mapping agile to PMBOK® Guide processes Change or modification of PMBOK® Guide
and Knowledge Areas processes and/or Knowledge Areas
Discussion on the use of agile beyond software Removal of software industry influence on agile
development approaches. (Note that software is included in this
practice guide even though the use of agile is
growing in many other industries beyond software.)
Guidance, techniques, and approaches to Prescriptive step-by-step instructions on how to
consider when implementing agile in projects implement agile in projects or organizations
or organizations
Definitions of generally accepted terms New terms and/or definitions
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 2. Definable Work vs. 

High-Uncertainty Work
• Definable work projects:
– are characterized by clear procedures that have
proved successful on similar projects in the
past. The production of a car, electrical
appliance, or home after the design is complete
are examples of definable work.
– The production domain and processes involved
are usually well understood and there are
typically low levels of execution uncertainty and
risk.

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 2. Definable Work vs. 

High-Uncertainty Work
• High-uncertainty work projects
– New design, problem solving, and not-done-before work
is exploratory. It requires subject matter experts to
collaborate and solve problems to create a solution.
Examples of people encountering high-uncertainty work
include software systems engineers, product designers,
doctors, teachers, lawyers, and many problem-solving
engineers.
– As more definable work is automated, project teams are
undertaking more high-uncertainty work projects that
require the techniques described in this practice guide.

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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The 4 Values of the Agile Manifesto
1. Individuals and interactions over
processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive
documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract
negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a
plan
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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto (1/4)
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer
through early and continuous delivery of valuable
software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in
development. Agile processes harness change for
the customer’s competitive advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple
of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference
to the shorter timescale.

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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto
(2/4)
4. Business people and developers must work
together daily throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support they
need, and trust them to get the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of
conveying information to and within a
development team is face-to-face conversation.

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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto
(3/4)
7. Working software is the primary measure of
progress.
8. A g i l e p r o c e s s e s p r o m o t e s u s t a i n a b l e
development. The sponsors, developers, and
users should be able to maintain a constant
pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence
and good design enhances agility.

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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto
(4/4)
10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of
work not done—is essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and
designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to
become more effective, then tunes and adjusts
its behavior accordingly.

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 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• The various agile approaches in use today
share common roots with the agile mindset,
value, and principles. This relationship is
shown in next slide.
• Agile is a mindset defined by values,
guided by principles, and manifested
through many different practices. Agile
practitioners select practices based on their
needs.
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 The Relationship Between 

the Agile Manifesto Values, 

Principles, and Common Practices

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Chapter 1: An Introduction to Agile 13
 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• Agile approaches and agile methods are umbrella terms
that cover a variety of frameworks and methods. Figure
below places agile in context and visualizes it as a
blanket term.

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Chapter 1: An Introduction to Agile 14
 3. The Agile Manifesto 

and Mindset
• In general, there are two strategies to fulfill agile values and principles:
– The first strategy is to adopt a formal agile approach, intentionally
designed and proven to achieve desired results. Then take time to
learn and understand the agile approaches before changing or tailoring
them. Premature and haphazard tailoring can minimize the effects of
the approach and thus limit benefits.
– The second strategy is to implement changes to project practices in a
manner that fits the project context to achieve progress on a core value
or principle. Use time-boxes to create features, or specific techniques
to iteratively refine features. Consider dividing up one large project into
several releases, if that works for the specific project context.
Implement changes that will help the project succeed—the changes do
not need to be part of the organization’s formal practices. The end goal
is not to be agile for its own sake, but rather to deliver a continuous
flow of value to customers and achieve better business outcomes.
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 4. Lean and 

the Kanban Method
• One way to think about the relationship between
lean, agile, and the Kanban Method is to consider
agile and the Kanban Method as descendants of
lean thinking. In other words, lean thinking is a
superset, sharing attributes with agile and Kanban.
• This shared heritage is very similar and focuses on
delivering value, respect for people, minimizing
waste, being transparent, adapting to change, and
continuously improving.

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 5. Uncertainty, Risk, 

and Life Cycle Selection
• Some projects have considerable uncertainty
around project requirements. These uncertainties
can contribute to high rates of change and project
complexity. These characteristics are illustrated in
next slide.
• As project uncertainty increases, so too does the
risk of rework and the need to use a different
approach. To mitigate the impact of these risks,
teams select life cycles that allow them to tackle
projects with high amounts of uncertainty via small
increments of work.
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 Uncertainty and Complexity Model 

Inspired by the Stacey Complexity Model

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 5. Uncertainty, Risk, 

and Life Cycle Selection
• Some teams have evolved project life cycles to use
iterative and incremental approaches. These
iterative and incremental approaches reduce waste
and rework because the teams gain feedback.
These approaches use:
✓ Very short feedback loops,
✓ Frequent adaptation of process,
✓ Reprioritization,
✓ Regularly updated plans, and
✓ Frequent delivery.
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 5. Uncertainty, Risk, 

and Life Cycle Selection
• These iterative, incremental, and agile approaches
work well for projects that involve new or novel
tools, techniques, materials, or application
domains. They also work well for projects that:
✓ Require research and development;
✓ Have high rates of change;
✓ Have unclear or unknown requirements,
uncertainty, or risk; or
✓ Have a final goal that is hard to describe.

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 5. Uncertainty, Risk, 

and Life Cycle Selection
• However, iterative and incremental approaches
have their limits of applicability:
– When both technology uncertainty and
requirements uncertainty are very high (the
top right of the figure in slide 18), the project
moves beyond complex to chaotic.
– In order for the project to become reliably
possible, it needs one of the variables
(uncertainty or disagreement) to be contained.

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 Thank you
• You did the good job in this chapter. Please
move to the next chapter.

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