© 2019 UCT/ GetSmarter
All Rights Reserved
MODULE 1 UNIT 1
The Agile Manifesto: Values
and principles (transcript)
Learning outcome:
LO1: Recall the history of Agile Project Management.
The Agile Manifesto: Values and principles
What is Agile?
Agile is an umbrella term that incorporates and unifies a range of pre-existing methods and
techniques: Crystal, XP, Kanban, FDD, Scrum, PP, Lean, DSDM.
The four values
The Agile Manifesto consisted of a set of 4 value statements and 12 guiding principles that
would act as the scaffolding for the approach. Having identified that the traditional software
development approach was no longer a good model for the types of projects that they were
encountering, the founders of the Agile Manifesto drafted the following four value
statements:
1
2
3
4
Individuals and interactions
Working software
Customer collaboration
Responding to change
Over
Over
Over
Over
Processes and tools
Comprehensive documentation
Contract negotiation
Following a plan
Although the founders of the Agile Manifesto still believed that the elements in the right-hand
column (e.g. processes and tools) were important, they believed the elements in the left-hand
column (e.g. individuals and interactions) to be more valuable and appropriate for their
context.
The twelve principles
Having established the values that were most important to them, the group went on to draft
12 principles to guide the development process:
1. Satisfy the customer: Our highest value is to satisfy the customer through early and
continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome change: Welcoming changing requirements, even late in development.
Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
3. Frequent delivery: 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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All Rights Reserved
Tel: +27 21 447 7565 | Fax: +27 21 447 8344
Website: www.getsmarter.com | Email: info@getsmarter.com
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4. Collaboration: Business people and developers must work together daily throughout
the project.
5. Motivated individuals: Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the
environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done.
6. Communicate in person: The most efficient and effective method of conveying
information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
7. Working software: Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Sustainable pace: Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors,
developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
9. Technical excellence: Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
enhances agility.
10. Simplicity: Simplicity – the art of maximising the amount of work not done – is
essential.
11. Autonomous teams: The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from
self-organised teams.
12. Reflect and adjust: At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more
effective, then adjusts its behaviour accordingly.
© 2019 UCT / GetSmarter
All Rights Reserved
Tel: +27 21 447 7565 | Fax: +27 21 447 8344
Website: www.getsmarter.com | Email: info@getsmarter.com
Page 3 of 3