Implementing Agile Development Practices

A 4-Part Training Program for Higher Visibility and Increased Velocity in Software Development

The movement to lighter weight, more Agile software practices is taking off. In their recent report, Adopting Agile Development Process, Forrester Research states that two-thirds of the large organizations they work with are adopting Agile processes for their application development efforts. But how do you get started? What are the roadblocks to avoid? How can your teams efficiently gain the knowledge they need to succeed with Agile?

As a leader in providing software organizations the knowledge, coaching and tooling for succeeding with Agile development, Rally Software Development Corp. delivers a proven approach to adopting Agile practices that can be learned and implemented in less than 60 days. This comprehensive, four part training and mentoring program applies Agile techniques in your company’s specific software environment to promote success and ensure a fit to your project and culture.

Program Description

A 4-Part Training Program for Higher Visibility and Increased Velocity in Software
Development

Program Objectives:

Upon completion of this program, the software team will understand how to:

• Respond faster to changing customer requirements
• Build your product in short, rapid, fully tested iterations
• Effectively plan and execute two, two-week iterations for your critical path project
• Continually adapt Agile principles and practices to your unique environment
• Scale iterative development practices to larger or distributed organizations

Duration:

6 person days over 60 days.
Portions delivered on-site, via phone and Web conference

Price:

$15,000 plus travel and expenses.

Part I: Preparing for Agile Development:

This on-site workshop provides your entire team with an overview of the benefits of Agile by exploring the underlying principles of Agile and the fundamental practices of iterative and incremental development. At the end of the workshop your team will have a shared context for applying Agile practices within your environment and a roadmap of where to get started with Agile development.

Part II: Iteration Planning:

This facilitated session provides a structured approach to help your team determine its velocity, prioritize its work and define and estimate the tasks for the upcoming iteration. Additionally your team will conduct a review of its resources against priorities, document issues and risks for the iteration, and ultimately create a team commitment to the iteration. Iteration Planning is executed for up to three iterations.

Part III: Demo, Review and Retrospective:

This facilitated session is the venue for your team to demo their latest current iteration stories and provides a structured approach for collecting feedback, reviewing metrics and assessing new priorities. Upon completion of this retrospective your team will have a complete view of the success of the iteration, a list of new priorities for the next iteration, and an updated set of team practices. The Demo Review and Retrospective phase is repeated for up to two iterations.

Part IV: Release Planning:

This facilitated session is designed to help your team determine their overall capacity and plan for the upcoming release. Once overall capacity is determined the team will review their prioritized backlog, estimate story cards, plan the overall release in a schedule of all its iterations and capture a list of all issues and risks. Upon completion of this session, your team will have a complete view and schedule for the upcoming release.

Program Details

Part I: Preparing for Agile Development:

Part tutorial, part hands-on learning experience, this on-site workshop introduces the basic practices of popular Agile methods and iterative and incremental development. Agile methods are reviewed for common elements and differences so your team can extract the most useful principles for your current project environment.

Workshop Outline:

• The Benefits of Agile
• Introduction to Agile principles
• Overview of Agile practices
• Iterative and Incremental Development
• Getting Started With the First Agile Project

Audience: This workshop is designed for all software team roles: Project Managers, Product Managers, Developers and Testers.

Part II: Iteration Planning:

Rally Agile experts will coach your project team through its first two iterations on your current project. Rally’s experience is that fixed, two week iterations are the most efficient. Learning is fast. Risk is low. After mastering this process, your team will experience a dramatic improvement in their ability to respond to fast-changing customer requirements.

Interation Planning Includes:

• Determining Team Velocity and Work Priority
• Defining and Estimating Tasks
• Review of Resources and Priorities
• Document Issues/Risks
• Committing to an Iteration

Audience: Software Project Team.

Part III: Demo, Review and Retrospective:

The team will showcase their current iteration functionality and collect feedback from key stakeholders. This is the venue for assessing the success of the iteration and determining new priorities. After the demo and retrospective your team will have an updated plan to quickly move forward with the next iteration along with an updated set of team practices.

Demo Review and Retrospective Includes:

• Demonstrating Finished Stories
• Collecting Feedback
• Reviewing Iteration Metrics
• Assessing New Priorities

Audience: Software Project Team.

Part IV: Release Planning:

In planning for the upcoming release, Rally’s coaches will work with your team to determine their capacity for the release and then from the prioritized backlog and story card estimates, plan the overall release within the context of the iteration schedule. Your team emerges from this session with a complete view and schedule for the upcoming release.

Release Planning Includes:

• Determining High-Level Team Capacity
• Reviewing Prioritized Backlog
• Estimating Story Cards
• Planning Release
• Scheduling Iterations
• Documenting Issues/Risks
• Committing to the Release

Audience: Software Project Team.