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Agile Project Management

Agile foundations

mindset
● generalist instead of specialist
● sprints: short iteration delivery of project
● self organisingteams
● collective decision making
● knowledge and management workers

traditional planning
1. plan
2. execute
3. test

Cone of uncertainty- time passes predictability of event increases and cost increases as
project progresses

agile manifesto

values(4)
1. individual and interaction over process and tools
2. working software over comprehensive documentation
3. customer collab vs contract negotiation
4. responding to change vs sticking to plan

principles(12)
1. welcoming changes
2. continuous delivery as a measure of progress
3. developers and customer work together
4. small motivated self organised teams of generalists
5. face to face interaction- user stories
6. prioritize high value work
7. meet to discuss improvement

● cost of multitasking

● context switching- the time by brain to switch from one task to another
● focus on high value work
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● Scrum framework- reduce multitasking

● avoid handoff- finish work handoff to another person- avoid using small batches
of production - reducing customer delivery time -penny game- individual
productivity decrease and team productivity increase
● agile promote sustainable development- predictability
● sprint- 2 weeks
● agile- short time frames
● waterfall- long term frames
● see the product every 2 weeks
● eliminate long term planning with uncertain outcomes
● functional area- silos-own manager and business development
● agile team- horizontal cross function- focus on work than role
● user story - define requirement and outcomes- clearly limit future conversation
● what customer want and how to deliver it
● user stories: challenges- value statements - simple
● start with highest value delivery to customer- 20 % cause produce 80% results
-pareto principle
● 7%>> 13%>> until project completed– features used most finished first

● task board- swimlane diagram

● user stories>>to do >>doing>> done

● software- product not a project

● show working softwares instead of ppt - best way to communicate progress
● adaptability-scrum: inspect and adapt, extreme programming- embrace changes
● no detail plan- deliver frequently within a small period of time
● time box- meeting will end in 45 min
● no overtime

waterfall - step by step model in engineering- process

plan>> analyse>> design>> manufacture>>test>> deploy
agile is a mindset

sprint planning meeting- 2 hours maximum

scrum review meeting everyday
scrum review at end
scrum retrospective
analyse develop and test at the same time
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● deliver incrementation and iteratively

● sprint>> rollerblade>> skates>> bicycle>> bike>> car -iterative delivery

Scrum

Scrum- framework processes help embrace agile mindset- empirical process control
framework- 3 roles>> 5 events>> few artifacts

extreme programming(XP)
scrum came from XP
planning
integration
refactoring
test driven development
user story>> continuous integration>>test driven development( before making
software)

KANBAN
scheduling in manufacturing
lean thinking- respect people, continuous improvement

kanban board
user story>> to do>> doing >> done
top is highest priority

scrum master
coach>> encourage>> self manage

product owner
work with team>> shared responsibility
● own product
● set direction and priority

product manager
● long term strategy
● create budget
● looks at competition
● brings in product owner
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product backlog- ranked list of features for the product

scrum master- coach>>administrative work>> bulldoze and shield>> conflict
negotiators

group think- avoid- agile should encourage everyone to think independently

avoid groupthink- playing poker
develop conscientious
major challenges: comfort with uncertainty, eliminating handoff(mixing teams),
working softwares as status reports
start transformation: organisational cultural>> control culture( who control
who)- avoid this

transitions from waterfall to agile

agile overview: product is intangible
manifesto of agile
agile paradigm shift- triple constraint- time, cost and scope(waterfall)- scope on
top- agile set tie and cost to increase scope(agile)
defined process control>> empirical process control
agile goals: improve delivery, improve quality, faster time to market- iterative
approach, iincrease innovation
culture is foundation for business strategy
cultural constraints remedies: management style(decentralised), accepting
change, trust, process focus
agile supporters– your agile team
individual contributor>> middle management>> Executives
resistance: why and how to change, lack of understanding, breadth of change,
corporate culture>>> training and coaching reqd
collaborative effort help all
preparing for resistance: select agile pilot(medium size)
purpose of pilot project: test agile fundamentals from start to finish and gather
feedback on areas where your org need to change current practices
right criteria: size(time of loop), priority and risk, depth and breadth, customer
engagement
pilot team: product owner, scrum master, team
setting the vision of agile: agenda of pilot project(what, when,how, who, where,
why)
scrum framework:
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○ events: sprint, sprint planning(priority),daily scrum(plan), review, sprint

retrospectives
○ artifacts: product backlog(features priority),sprint backlog( committed in
current sprint), product increment(all that is completed in previous sprint)
○ sprint planning: meeting to achieve items in scrum(2 hrs): new items in
backlog, prioritize- next sprints stories decision
○ sprint execution and measurement- daily planning, collaboration, focus on
done and measurement- daily meeting
○ acceptance criteria, progress measurement by burndown by scrum master
○ review and retrospectives: share your sprint softwares, scrum
master(explains metrics), feedback from stakeholders, next sprint
○ retrospectives: examine themselves, what we did well, what to improve,
what to commit in the next sprint.
Agile teams
lightweight development(agile alliance)
XP- extreme programming
scrum
adaptive development
feature driven development
dynamic systems development
crystal clear development

values(4)
5. individual and interaction over process and tools
6. working software over comprehensive documentation
7. customer collab vs contract negotiation
8. responding to change vs sticking to plan

principles(12)
8. welcoming changes
9. continuous delivery as a measure of progress
10. developers and customer work together
11. small motivated self organised teams of generalists
12. face to face interaction- user stories
13. prioritize high value work
14. meet to discuss improvement

Why agile?

● list challenge
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● wrong status quo

● poor requirement
● unrealistic deadlines
● manager compensate end of project
● changing priority mid project
● lack of quality assurance
● multitasking project manager

management agreement
● executive sponsors and development managers
● agile methods: drives processes- agility processes
● framework- group of related agile methods:SCRUM, KANBAN,XP(scaled agile
programming(SAFE)
● missing gantt charts
● fewer interdependence with other project

agile team roles

● cross functional team
● product owner: communicate to customer, represent customer need,
prioritise,product backlog
● scrum master: apply scrum, remove obstacle>> manage agile framework>>
administer project>> create reports>> eliminate obstacles>> remove distraction
facilitating meeting not manage, don't communicate with authority, record
estimates and progress, remove obstacles, emotional leader
● developers: coders, tester, designers
● customer representative or product owner- prioritize tasks of user story>>
product sponsor connection- acceptance criteria decision
● agile team- self organised- responsible for delivery- make schedules and self
improvement
● project manager role- team level, portfolio level(all projects in agile portfolio)-
translating agile for traditionally minded executives, protecting team and agile
processes, advocating and champion agile mindset
● core team- convert to agile- keep them happy
● training goals- rules of agile, provide space
● shared workspace
● agile must- product owner sits with tam, dedicated space for team to meet
● workspace logistics and communications
● thinking as a agile team- Lightweight methods collaboration and communication
● working agile team- breakaway from superhero model and rely on entire team
effort
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● XP values– communication, simplicity, feedback, courage, respect

● delivering as a agile team- highest value first, pareto principles,
● Project management office(PMO)- management structure that standardises the
project related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources,
methodologies tools and techniques- success or failure of agile- agile donot use
milestones
● breaking traditional habits-developer responsibilities focus on delivery, interact
with customers, break down items,estimate work>>>>spider man rule” with
great power…”
● okay to have a failed sprint than a failed project
● scrum master not responsible for delivery- focus on training and development
● renaming over retooling- resisting change- avoid- same people different names of
roles- cannot implement agile like this.

do or don't there is no try

Driving productive AGILE meetings

● Scrum activities- well structured meetings
● osmotic communication- shared space communication
● agile ceremonies- meetings
stand up- daily 15 min- developer communicate with each other with
scrum master- developers talk >>>pm customers listen
planning- before each sprint
refining- backlog refining- prioritize backlogs
demoing- sprint review- demonstrate to stakeholders, PM customer talks
>>> developers listen
improving- self improving from feedback
● timeboxing- agile planning depends on this- no overtime
● planning the release schedule- product backlog, >>release backlog,>> sprint
backlog
● rov release date- rough order of value- value of features in backlog
● delivering without scope- scope, budget and schedule in traditional- iron
triangle>>> upside down in agile
●
● obstacles for SCRUM Masters
Setup of team- workspace, roles
Mentoring-Coaching- knowledge about scrum
Input-input is asked direction is given
Training- assess agile knowledge of team and train
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Hiring-hiring administrator
● sprint planning- taskboard, task- one day of work, avoid breakout
blizzard(backlog refining)
● courage to accept being wrong
● barrier in progress
lack of courage
difficulty estimating
● successful sprints- demoing- tour of final product to stakeholder- real working
product- product owner lead the meeting-
● breaking the sprint- failed sprint
1. bad estimates
2. unforeseen members
● multitasking- context switching- maximum 2 tasks together– from 3 switching
time> work time

Agile User Story

making agile predictability- establish deadlines, incremental small deliveries over

time
iteration - sprints- earlier results of essentials and flexibility
plan with estimates- cone of uncertainty- changes cheaper at early stage of
project-
user roles and 3Cs-
creating user stories- clear language 3 c- card conversation and confirmation(AC)
writing effective stories- INVEST
independently valued,
negotiable user story
value of feature
estimable
small
testable
● epic- grouping of work with common objectives
● FEEDBACK EPIC
FLOW- INFLUENCED
EFFORT BY DEVELOPER
ENTRY OF DATA
DATA OPERATION
BUSINESS RULES
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ALTERNATIVES
COMPLEXITY
KNOWLEDGE
● GROUPING WITH THEMES AND EPICS
● agile charter= agreement and not a plan= vision mission , success criteria
● charter success is not functional success
● relative estimation- time estimates- relative sizing- comparing tasks of similar
difficulty- remove false precision- estimate is not commitment
● poker game example
● calculating velocity- complete a work in a time frame- average of sprints
● ideal agile project characteristics
rigorous but consistent pace
predictable and practical workday
data driven pacing
● planning sprints- backlog>> taskboard>> 1 day 1 sticky note
● story volume-on velocity and intuition of team
● release plan-epic>>ROV
● acceptable documentation- working progress
○ continuous
○ collaborative
○ driven by project continuation

Agile Retrospectives
● retrospective- review at end of each sprints
○ formal 2 hr meeting
○ structured agenda
○ record all ideas

retrospective phases
○ start- structure and safety
○ data gathering- extract information- starfish, pancake
Goals
■ specific
■ measurable
■ achievable
■ realistic
■ time boxed
○ insights- generating ideas how to improve
○ decisions- choosing clear action items
○ closing-gathering feedback
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ideal meeting place

○ Comfortable environment
○ enough space
○ colourful stationery
issues and improvement in the project
○ ritual gathering- learn from each other
○ heartbeat retrospectives- increase efficiency
○ positive actions– what went well
communication with all stakeholders
coordination
trust building
role of a retro facilitator
○ not the scrum master
○ retrospective facilitator finds problems-SCRUM Master improves them
○ to find how to stop problem repetition
self organised team- responsible for retrospective
business should be personal
no naming no blaming
accept prime directive- objective
prime directive as a guide
group discussion- dunning kruger effect- confidence vs knowledge(google it up)
starfish diagram
○ keep doing>>less of>> more of>>stop doing>> start doing
○ categorise activity acc to above items
○ one member one post
pancake retrospective
○ puzzle- activity
○ appreciations- activity
○ news- information
○ challenges- other agenda
○ aspirations-hopes and wishes
○ knowledge- create shared knowledge
○ endorsements-shared understanding
goals
○ specific
○ measurable
○ achievable
○ realistic
○ time boxed
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question circle game- helps all participation

○ futurespective product question
○ reflection too prediction in retrospective using futurespective
asking good questions
5 why technique retrospective

Reporting with agile charts

● transparent information
○ speed
○ deadline
○ remaining work
● burndown chart
● taskboard
● product backlog

communicating progress
● agile reporting techniques
○ avoid duplication
○ create report for improvement(KAIZEN)- change for better
○ communicate forward movement
● prioritizing jobs- product backlog
○ backlog refinement
■ detailed
■ estimated
■ emergent- change
■ prioritize
○ project growth
○ team productivity
● taskboard
○ user stories
○ to do
○ doing
○ done
○ lightweight
○ setup prior
○ physical board start
● reading a taskboard
● TO DO - CROWDED- problems are there
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● team member updates the board

● sizing the taskboard
○ only sprint
● burndown chart
○ % of work completed
○ sprint burndown
○ release burndown
○ time v s work done(story points) - dashed line velocity- line is actual
progress
● velocity*time= no of story points
● trouble spots in burndown charts
○ pessimistic
○ epics
○ adding too much work
○ cooking books
○ hang gliding
● release burndown chart
○ using sprints instead of time
○ non expanding chart when overloaded
● retrofitting
○ avoid retrofitting old doc… make new