Agile Project Management

User Guide
11/07/16

Version 2.3

Based on The APM Group Ltd’s APMG-International Agile Project Management™ material.
Reproduced under licence from the APM Group Limited. All rights reserved.

DSDM®, AgilePM® are a registered trademark of Dynamic Systems Development Method Ltd. All rights reserved.
PRINCE2® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
Printed and Published by:

ILX Group
George House
Princes Court
Beam Heath Way
Nantwich
Cheshire
CW5 6GD

The Company has endeavoured to ensure that the information contained within this User Guide is correct at the time of its
release.

The information given here must not be taken as forming part of or establishing any contractual or other commitment by
ILX Group plc and no warranty or representation concerning the information is given.

All rights reserved. This publication, in part or whole, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means - electronic, electrostatic, magnetic disc or tape, optical disc, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without the express written permission of the publishers, ILX Group.

© ILX Group plc 2015

 Contents

Foreword 6
Hardware/Software Pre-requisites 8

Session 1 Course Introduction – what is Agile? 9

Session 2 Roles and Responsibilities 14

Session 3 Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products 17

Session 4 Planning and Control 22

Session 5 Daily Stand-ups and other DSDM Practices 26

Session 6 MoSCoW Prioritisation and Timeboxes 29

Session 7 Exam Technique 32

Session 8 Exam Simulator 34

Foreword
ILX Group is a leading developer and distributor of e-learning training products specialising in the area of project and
programme management.

This training course uses the very latest educational techniques to provide a learning environment which is stimulating,
easy-to-use and stress-free.

We hope you enjoy the course and that you find it a useful starting point in your project management training programme.

6
© ILX Group.
 7
© ILX Group.
Hardware/Software Pre-requisites
For the best experience using this multimedia course on a computer, we recommend the following specification:

Operating System: MAC OSX, Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, 7, 8

CPU: 1GHz or equivalent
RAM: 128MB (2000/XP)
Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher
Peripherals: Sound Card and Speakers, Keyboard and Mouse

8
© ILX Group.
 Session 1 – Course Introduction – what is Agile?

Session 1 - Introduction to Agile We strongly recommend that you follow through the
sessions in the order that they are presented, although
S1P1: Introduction each session is free-standing and it is possible to go
anywhere within the course at any time. You will find
Welcome to this e-learning training course in the subject this feature useful for revision purposes once you have
of Agile project management or, as we often call it formally completed the course.
AgilePM. This e-learning course has been designed to
provide you with sufficient information to take the Like all areas of specialisation, Agile project
foundation examination in AgilePM. management has developed its own language and
conventions, and we shall explain these as we explore
The course is based on the Agile Project Management the sessions in more detail.
Handbook version 2 and whilst it may be possible to
take and pass the examination without reading this Since this course is very specific in its objectives of
book, we would recommend that you spend some time addressing the Agile examination, we will be following
reading the relevant parts of the publication as part of the language used in the Agile Project Management
your studies. Handbook.
The Agile Project Management Handbook Version 2 can S1P3: Course objectives
be obtained through ourselves or other recognised
outlets. This course has been designed to help you sit and pass
This session is designed to introduce you to this course, the AgilePM foundation examination. It is based on the
the basic concepts of DSDM Agile project management, Agile Project Management Handbook version 2. You
its history along with its eight under lying principles. This may like to keep a copy to hand to refer to throughout
session aligns with chapters 1 to 4 of the AgilePM the course.
handbook.
Once you have completed this course you will
Once you have completed this introductory session you understand:
will: • The underpinning philosophy and principles of
• Be familiar with the structure and content of this DSDM
course • The DSDM process model
• Be able to describe the background to AgilePM and • The products produced in the DSDM process and
understand the terminology used their purpose
You will also be able to: • The techniques used in DSDM, their benefits and
• Recall the eight principles of AgilePM, and finally limitations and finally

• Understand the format and style of the AgilePM • The roles and responsibilities within DSDM project
foundation examination
S1P4: The Foundation Examination
S1P2: Course structure You will be introduced to the format and style of the
Paul: Firstly I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Paul Agile foundation examination later in the course along
and I'm the course tutor and you'll be hearing my voice with some useful guidance on how to approach it. But
throughout the course. I have three students with me before we go any further let's briefly outline the exam
who'll be helping me in many of the sessions. Please can format.
you introduce yourselves?
The Agile foundation examination consists of 50 multiple
Steph: Hello, my name is Steph and I'll be contributing choice questions and candidates have 40 minutes to
to our group discussion and trying to answer some of complete the paper. To pass you must score 25 or more
Paul's questions. and the examination is closed book. The examination is
provided by Accredited Training Organisations like
Pete: Hi, I'm Pete and I'll be working with the team ourselves and administered via the APM Group Limited
asking questions and providing some of the answers as in High Wycombe.
well.
We have developed a range of multiple choice questions
Karen: And I'm Karen. Like Pete and Steph, I'll also be and included them with the APM Group sample
answering some of Paul's questions with you. I hope examination paper into our exam simulator session. The
you enjoy the course. exam simulator is designed to help with your revision
and exam preparation.
Paul: You will have seen from the main menu that this
course is broken down into a number of discrete training Additionally, we have incorporated many questions,
sessions like so. interactions and exercises throughout the sessions, so
that you can check your understanding as you go.

9
© ILX Group.
 Session 1 – Course Introduction – what is Agile?

Let's move on now and take a look at the background to On one hand we have lightweight approaches such as
AgilePM. Scrum, which provides for daily meetings of the team as
they work on small pieces of work.
Lean which is focussed on process efficiency or 'taking
S1P5: Background the fat out of the organisation' and programming
1994 saw the development of DSDM or Dynamic methods such as XP or Extreme Programming.
Systems Development Method which was designed to Sometimes the simplicity of these approaches can be
bring some structure to Rapid Application Development their downfall, as there is no concept of a project, where
or RAD in the IT development world. the delivery is managed through a beginning, middle
and end type of process.
It is an Agile approach, and is owned by a not for profit
organisation called 'The DSDM Consortium'. This is the strength of DSDM, as it is designed to deliver
projects in an Agile way.
AgilePM is based on DSDM and was launched in 2010
S1P8: What is Agile? - 2
and brings an Agile approach to project management. It
builds on the proven links between DSDM and DSDM considers the need to be able to react quickly
recognised project management methods such as throughout the development of the product, whilst
PRINCE2. incorporating the constraints often imposed by
corporate cultures and processes.
Version 2 of the AgilePM Handbook was launched in
2014. It provides a framework based on best practice and
incorporates the lessons learnt by the DSDM
At the heart of DSDM is the need to determine the level
Corporation.
of formality we must use.
Managing project using DSDM helps to resolve many of
Too much formality can slow things down whilst too
the problems we face when running projects in a more
little can lead to difficulties. Getting the balance right is
traditional manner.
very important.
For example, DSDM uses regular facilitated workshops
The right balance is known as the appropriate level of
and encourages the team to interact which helps to
rigour. Undertaking a risk assessment early in the
resolve the natural communications problems faced by
project’s life cycle will help us to determine the amount
many projects.
of rigour ad in a DSDM project the level of formality and
rigour help rather than hinder. Late delivery is usually avoided as DSDM focuses on
delivering on time, working on the basis that delivering
S1P6: Exercise 80% of the features working and on time is better than
Before we move into the detail of the course and trying to deliver everything late.
consider what DSDM is and its underlying principles, Customers are human. As their knowledge of the
take a few moments to try this short exercise. product increases throughout the development phase
On the left hand side of the screen is a list of seven they tend to change their mind. DSDM's approach to
items, above them are four category boxes. understanding customer requirements, is to involve the
customer in the solution, this helps to avoid these
Only five items in the list belong in the boxes. See if you problems stops unwanted features being built and
can figure out which? makes sure the business gets what it needs.
When you're satisfied with your choices click 'Submit' to DSDM also helps to prevent over engineering or gold
check your answers. plating the output. All of these positive impacts ensure
the customer gets a return on its investment as soon as
S1P7: What is Agile? - 1 possible.
As the name suggests an Agile approach provides
flexibility and the ability to deliver quickly. It contrasts S1P9: Basics
with a traditional approach of specifying exactly what is Let's move on now to consider the basic components
required, putting together a design solution and then that make up DSDM. We'll discuss each briefly and then
developing the output itself. the team will build on each aspect in more detail.
Often the traditional approach is difficult to achieve as Firstly, we have a philosophy which defines the 'way we
the customer generally doesn't know exactly what they do things' in using DSDM and this is based on eight
want. An Agile approach provides for this by creating the principles.
output in small steps, each building on the last. This
allows the product to develop quickly but retains the Briefly the principles are:
ability to include changes as the knowledge of the • Focus on the business need
output increases.
• Deliver on time
There are many different approaches to Agile
development. • Collaborate

10
© ILX Group.
 Session 1 – Course Introduction – what is Agile?

• Never compromise quality The DSDM approach is to fix time, cost and quality at the
start and manage problems by varying the amount of
• Build incrementally from firm foundations features that are provided.
• Develop iteratively We achieve this by agreeing a prioritised set of
• Communicate continuously and clearly, and requirements with the stakeholders at the outset using
the MoSCoW rules. We'll discuss these later but briefly it
• Demonstrate Control stands for Must Have, Should Have, Could Have and
Won't Have for now.
The philosophy and principles are supported by the
process which describes the way we deliver over time, A DSDM project will always deliver a viable solution.
and the people who get involved.
As long as the rules for MoSCoW and Timeboxing are
The process has a number of products associated with it followed, which we will discuss later, a minimum subset
and the final pillar covers the practices or techniques we of features called the Minimum Usable Subset is
use, such as facilitated workshops, Timeboxing, and so guaranteed to be delivered on time and within budget.
forth.
In reality what this means is dropping features or
A Timebox is a period of time during which we create a requirements starting with the least important if
product or part of a product within a fixed timescale. problems occur. It also makes it easier to prevent scope
We'll consider the technique in more detail later in the creep, which is the addition of features to the project's
course. scope without proper control.
Steph and Pete will describe the philosophy in more Let's try a few multiple choice questions now before we
detail. move on to discuss the principles.
S1P10: Philosophy S1P12: Activity
Paul: DSDM’s philosophy states ”best business value S1P13: Activity
emerges when projects are aligned to clear business
goals, deliver frequently and involve the collaboration of S1P14: Activity
motivated and empowered people”.
S1P15: Activity
Steph: Of course this is a philosophy of most project
management methods and theory, but using DSDM we S1P16: Principles - 1
can see that this is achieved by involving stakeholders.
Pete, how do you think this helps: Paul: We're going to discuss the eight principles now
and I'd like you to take a few moments to make a few
Pete: Well, stakeholders would have to understand the notes about what you believe makes a project
business objectives for a start and they could help us to successful. In other words what are the main success
deliver the solution. factors? When you're ready click here to continue.
Steph: Yes I agree Pete, and to do that they will have to OK, Karen what are the first two that you've written
be empowered to an appropriate level, in other words down?
be able to make decisions at their level in the project
and most importantly they have to work with us or Karen: The last project I worked on had a very strong
collaborate as we develop the solution. business case and we kept it up to date and it formed
the basis of all of our decision making. We also had a
Pete: We'd have to focus on the timescale though and strong focus on the project timescale as we couldn't
make decisions based on our business priorities and afford to be late.
make sure we keep focussed on quality.
Paul: Excellent. That aligns to the first two principles
Steph: Yes, and of course as change is inevitable, the which are 'focus on the business need' and 'deliver on
stakeholders must be prepared to accept that and work time'.
with us to integrate these changes as we develop the
solution. How about you Pete?
Pete: Working together as a team and good
S1P11: What is negotiable? communication were significant in my project and I
Traditionally, we describe a project as having four key think these relate to the principles of 'collaborate' and
aspects which are time, cost, quality and features. Some 'communicate continuously and clearly'.
other methods refer to features as scope.
Steph: I think that's exactly right Pete. On my projects
It is usual in traditional projects to promise that all the we had a strong focus on quality and we had a
features and functionality will be delivered. When comprehensive plan which we updated as we went
problems occur the deadline often slips and costs along based on the progress made to date.
increase. Sometimes quality suffers as well with
Karen: That sounds like the principles 'never
important elements like testing and documentation
compromise quality' and 'demonstrate control'.
being skimped or missed altogether. The result is often
unsatisfactory.

11
© ILX Group.
 Session 1 – Course Introduction – what is Agile?

Paul: That's right Karen. Well done everyone. That's six S1P19: Principles - 4
of the eight principles covered. The other two are 'build
incrementally from firm foundations' and 'develop The final two principles are key in all projects and these
iteratively'. are 'communicate continuously and clearly' and
'demonstrate control'.
We'll move on now to discuss each of them in a little
more detail. It is essential that everyone knows what is happening on
the project and we must also be able to demonstrate we
S1P17: Principles - 2 are in control and communicate this to our stakeholders.
The first principle is called 'focus on the business need'. We must focus on monitoring and controlling progress
in line with the Foundations Phase products especially
It is important to remember that a project is a means to
the Business Case. We'll come back to Foundation phase
an end and that end should be justified by the benefits it
a little later.
produces. On screen now you can see the four key
aspects that DSDM teams will focus on. Take a few Take a few moments to study the key aspects of these
moments to study them before moving on. last two principles.
Our second principle is 'deliver on time'. S1P20: Activity
This is often the most important measure of success for On the left hand side of the screen we have listed a
the project as late delivery often compromises the number of statements that relate to the DSDM
business case. To fulfil this principle DSDM teams will: principles. Use your judgement to decide which
• Timebox the work statement belongs to which principle and drag the
statement onto the principle.
• Focus on business priorities, and
When you are satisfied with your selection click 'Submit'
• Always hit deadlines to check your answers.
Principles 3 and 4 are 'collaborate' and 'never
FEEDBACK
compromise quality'.
The correct answers are shown on screen now.
In other words the team must work together in a
supportive manner to share ownership, increased S1P21: Summary
understanding and greater productivity. This brings us to the end of this session. We have
Similarly, in DSDM we never compromise quality. reviewed the course structure and introduced you to
Whatever we build must work and we focus on our virtual students.
delivering the minimum usable subset. Then we discussed the foundation examination
Take a few moments to review the key aspects of these structure, namely of 50 questions in 40 minutes with a
two principles on screen now before moving on. pass mark of 25.

S1P18: Principles - 3 You will recall we discussed the development of DSDM.

Finally, we looked at each of the eight principles which
DSDM advocates understanding the business problem
are:
and the solution in enough detail to allow work to start.
This is called EDUF or Enough Design Up Front. This • Focus on the business need
technique can enable early delivery of aspects of the • Deliver on time
project into operational use, so that benefits can be • Collaborate
realised. • Never compromise quality
Compare this approach to the more traditional approach • Build incrementally from firm foundations
of BDUF or Big Design Up Front. This approach • Develop iteratively
frequently slows the work down as we often don't • Communicate continuously and clearly and
understand the requirements well enough to adopt this • Demonstrate control
approach. You should now:

We have just described principle 5 'build incrementally • Be familiar with the structure and content of this
from firm foundations' and this is closely linked with course
principle 6 'develop iteratively'. • Be able to describe the background to AgilePM and
understand the terminology used
This concept of iteration is embedded in the DSDM
And you should be able to:
process. Each iteration builds on the work completed in
the previous iteration or Timebox. This encourages the • Recall the eight principles of AgilePM and finally
team to embrace change and produce a better solution. • Understand the format and style of the AgilePM
foundation examination
Take a few moments to review the key points of both
these principles shown here before moving on.
This concludes session 1.

12
© ILX Group.
 Session 2 - Roles and Responsibilities

Session 2 - Roles and Responsibilities Only one person should take this role, it cannot be
shared and don't forget the Business Sponsor owns the
S2P1: Introduction solution once it has been delivered.
In this session we will be looking at the roles and Take a few moments to review the list of key
responsibilities that are recommended by DSDM which responsibilities shown on screen now before moving to
are covered in chapter 7 of the AgilePM Guide. We have the next page.
also included some additional detail from chapter 14,
“Digging Deeper” section of the guide which although it S2P3: Project level roles - Business Visionary
is not required for the Foundation examination, will & Project Manager
provide you with some useful background information.
The Business Visionary is another senior level role
Projects are run and undertaken by people; therefore similar to the Business Sponsor. Whoever takes this role
one of the most important aspects of any project is the will be more actively involved in the project.
way it is resourced.
This role is responsible for interpreting the needs of the
There must be clearly defined roles and responsibilities sponsor and communicating these to the teams.
to prevent misunderstandings, rework and failure.
A single person should act as the Business Visionary,
The roles we will consider include some that will already remain with the project throughout and ensure that the
be familiar to you such as the Business Sponsor, Project solution meets the needs of the business and that the
Manager and Team Leader. benefits will be realised,
In all projects we have a 'customer' and a 'supplier' The Project Manager or PM is responsible for all aspects
element and DSDM uses the same architecture. of the delivery of the solution. Whilst the PM will
develop a high level plan she or he will leave the
Shown here is the DSDM Team Model. This consists of detailed task planning to the teams.
project level personnel, solution development personnel
and a group of 'supporting' roles. The PM will communicate with the stakeholders and
coordinate and monitor and control all aspects of the
DSDM uses four colours to denote the different roles project delivery. Take a few moments to review the
the team members will perform. specific responsibilities of both roles before moving on.
In orange we have the business related roles, usually
filled by customer representatives.
S2P4: Project Level Roles - Technical
Coordinator
In blue we have the roles associated with the
management aspects of the project and in green we As we have seen the Business Visionary makes sure that
have the solution and technical development roles. the project meets the needs of the business. But it is
also necessary to make sure that the solution meets the
Finally we have the process interests shown in grey. technical standards required.
Where a role is shown with a mix of two colours this This role is called the Technical Coordinator and is the
means the role covers two separate areas of interest. last of the four project level roles.
During this session we will review each of the roles and This role provides the glue that holds the project
by the end of the session you will be able to: together whilst advising on technical decisions and
• Name all the roles innovation and ensuring there is consistency and
coherence across the Solution Delivery Teams.
• Describe the responsibilities for each role
On screen now you will see a list of specific Technical
S2P2: Project level roles - Business Sponsor Coordinator responsibilities. Again take a few moments
to study them before moving.
Let's make a start with the project level roles.
S2P5: Exercise
Firstly we have the Business Sponsor. This is the most
senior project level role and this person will be the We have prepared a small crossword to help you
Project Champion. remember the key responsibilities of the four project
team roles.
She or he is the owner of the Business Case throughout
the project and has the authority to make things View and print the PDF which lists the responsibilities
happen. For example if there is a need to open a closed and the associated crossword by clicking here and then
door to another resource area the Business Sponsor has spend a few moments studying the responsibilities
the key. before attempting the crossword.
Responsible for resolving issues and making financial If you are learning AgilePM with a friend or colleague
decisions the Business Sponsor must also make sure the then you could do this exercise together.
benefits of the project are realised.

13
© ILX Group.
 Session 2 - Roles and Responsibilities

S2P6: Solution Development Team Finally we have the Technical Advisor who supports the
team and provides specific and specialist input to the
Paul: Now that we've discussed the project level roles project often from the perspective of the operational
let's move on to consider the roles at the next level management team, including support and maintenance.
which is called solution development. I understand that
you've been studying these roles so I'd like each of you Paul: Thanks everyone. Again take a few minutes to
to take an area of the team each and describe it for us. review the detailed responsibilities of each role before
Karen, perhaps you could start us off. moving on.

Karen: No problem. We have two roles here which are S2P8: Solution Development Team - Other
the Team Leader and the Business Analyst. Roles
The Team Leader is ideally elected by his or her peers as The third level in the DSDM Team Model covers the
the best person to lead the team through a particular supporting roles of DSDM Coach and Workshop
stage in the project, so the Team Leader may change Facilitator. The Technical Advisor and Business Advisor
throughout the project. we discussed on the previous page are also supporting
The Team Leader reports to and takes direction from the roles.
Project Manager and is responsible for planning the Workshops are integral to AgilePM and it is often useful
tasks with the team. to have an independent person to facilitate the
I've also been looking at the Business Analyst which is workshop.
fully integrated with the Solution Development Team This person is responsible for the context of the
and focuses on the relationship between the business workshop not its content.
and technical roles. This ensures that the business needs
are properly analysed and correctly stated in the Where the team is new to DSDM and AgilePM it is often
guidance given to the teams as the solution is useful to have a qualified DSDM Coach available to
generated. advise and guide the team so that they get the most out
of the approach.
The Business Analyst provides accurate and decisive
direction to the team on a day-to-day basis. Here is a list of their main responsibilities. Spend a few
moments studying it before moving on to try a few
Paul: Thanks Karen. Take a few minutes to review the multiple choice questions.
detailed responsibilities of the Team Leader and the
Business Analyst before Pete takes us through the S2P9: Activity
business related roles.
S2P10: Activity
S2P7: Solution Development Team
S2P11: Activity
Pete: There are two business roles. The first is possibly
the most important and that is the Business S2P12: Activity
Ambassador.
S2P13: Summary
The person taking this role will come from the business
area using the solution and will provide business related During this session we have considered the different
information from the perspective of the users. roles suggested by DSDM which are divided into three
categories, Project, Solution Development Team and
He or she will be a true ambassador working closely with Supporting elements.
the Solution Development Team and be responsible for
communications between the project and the business. The business interests are represented by the Business
Sponsor and Business Visionary at Project level and the
The Business Ambassador also provides business Business Ambassador and Business Advisor within the
information and perspective on all decisions about how Solution Delivery Team.
the solution's fitness for purpose is defined or
implemented. The technical interests are represented by the Technical
Coordinator. Team Leader, Solution Developer and
The Business Advisor is often a peer of the Business Solution Tester and the management roles comprise the
Ambassador and provides specific and often specialist Project Manager, Team Leader and the process interests
input. This could be about the requirements or perhaps are covered by the Workshop Facilitator and the DSDM
in relation to legal or regulatory matters. coach.
Steph: That leaves me with three roles of Solution Remember that one person may take more than one
Developer, Solution Tester and Technical Advisor. role or one role can be taken by several people.
Ideally the Solution Developer is a full time role, but the It is desirable to keep the teams to around 5 to 9 people
role could also be undertaken on a part-time basis. This and the responsibilities should be clearly defined from
person will interpret the business needs and translate the start.
them into a viable solution which the solution Tester will
check and test in accordance with the technical strategy. You should now be able to:

14
© ILX Group.
 Session 2 - Roles and Responsibilities

• Name all the roles

• Describe the responsibilities' for each role
This concludes Session 2.

15
© ILX Group.
 Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products

Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, It’s also important that the stakeholders understand
that to deliver the right thing at the right time whilst
DSDM Process and Products handling change dynamically, may require the project to
S3P1: Introduction deliver less that the 100% solution.

In this session we will be looking at three key aspects of S3P3: Instrumental Success Factors - 2
DSDM. Firstly we’ll look at the Instrumental Success People are at the heart of a DSDM project and the
Factors or ISFs that help to position DSDM for a Solution Development Team is key to developing the
successful outcome. right solution.
Then we’ll move on to discuss the DSDM Process Model Building a successful team depends on:
which is used by each project to derive their lifecycle
and finally we’ll discuss the products that DSDM • Empowerment
describes. These products are produced as the project
• Stability
proceeds and describe the solution itself and anything
created to help with its evolution. • Skills
Some of the products also play a part in the governance • and Size.
process.
Each role in the team should be empowered to make
This session relates to chapters 5, 6 and 8of the Agile decisions based on their expertise and the whole team
PM guide. should be empowered to make decisions within the
By the end of the session you will be able to: boundaries specified in the Foundation phase.
The senior business and technical stakeholders appoint
• Explain the Instrumental Success Factors
people within the Solution Development Team who
• Describe the DSDM Process and finally have the desire, authority and knowledge required to
make the decisions on a day-to-day basis.
• Describe the key products used across the
DSDM Process. As well as being empowered the team should be stable.
This means that the people in the team should stay
S3P2: Instrumental Success Factors - 1 there for the duration of the project.
Instrumental Success Factors or ISFs help to ensure This helps to build team spirit and improves
DSDM projects have successful outcomes. Sometimes communication which is especially important in a DSDM
not all the factors are in place and this represents a project that relies on continuous informal, and ideally,
significant risk to the DSDM approach. face to face communications.
It is important to establish these risks in the early stages The team should, of course, have the right skills to build
of the project and mitigate them as necessary. the solution and be of the right size.
Having said that many projects successfully use DSDM DSDM suggests that the ideal team size is seven plus or
when some of these factors are not in place. minus two people. If more people are required then
There are six factors which are: they should be split into multiple Solution Development
Teams.
• Embracing the DSDM Approach
S3P4: Instrumental Success Factors - 3
• Effective Solution Development Team
If your DSDM project is going to be successful then the
• Business Engagement – Active and Ongoing commitment and engagement of the business is
essential, this relies on three elements:
• Iterative Development, Integrated Testing and
Incremental Delivery • commitment of business time throughout
• Transparency and finally, • day-to-day collaboration involving business
roles in the Iterative Development of the
• The Project Approach Questionnaire –
solution and
Assessing Options and Risks
We will consider each of these in turn starting with • A supportive relationship between the
“Embracing the DSDM Approach”. customer and supplier organisations.

This means that success is much more likely when all the In the early stages of the project business engagement
stakeholders understand and accept the DSDM project and business time is needed to get the project off to a
approach. good start.

This involves understanding the DSDM philosophy that In the later stages this ongoing commitment is needed
“best business value emerges when projects are aligned to help guide the detail of the solution development.
to clear business goals, deliver frequently and involve the
collaboration of motivated and empowered people.”

16
© ILX Group.
 Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products

This means that the business roles should be frequently S3P10: Activity
involved with the team to help guide the evolution of
the solution. S3P11: The DSDM Process - 1
Finally it is very important that the sponsoring business OK, let’s move on and take a look at the DSDM process.
and the supplier organisation both support collaborative
DSDM integrates project management and product
working. This improves the efficiency of the
development into a single process and for many
development of the Evolving Solution without any
organisations DSDM is all that is required although they
onerous overhead associated with change at the
may integrate DSDM with other project management
detailed level.
methods.
S3P5: Instrumental Success Factors - 4 There are six phases in the DSDM process and this
The next success factor to consider is “Iterative model is used by projects to derive their lifecycle.
Development, Integrated Testing and Incremental We’ll begin by summarising them and then look at each
Delivery”. in a little more detail.
Every Timebox should ideally deliver a complete and The first phase is pre-project where we formalise the
potentially deployable increment of the solution, and proposals and place the project in context and make
this should include integrated testing. sure only the right projects are started
This testing ensures that the development is acceptable This is followed by two phases that run sequentially
before moving on, any errors can be found early in the which are Feasibility followed by Foundations. They set
cycle of development and corrected. This helps to the ground rules for the iterative and incremental
reduce the costs associated with rework which would be development that follows. As most Agile projects are
excessive if these tests were left until later in the creating solutions that are required quickly these two
development cycle. phases shouldn’t take more than a few weeks.
Finally, if the organisation is happy to deploy increments The details of the solution are considered and
of the solution into live use it will benefit from an early developed in the Evolutionary Development phase.
return of investment.
Once a solution is available it is passed to the
S3P6: Instrumental Success Factors - 5 Deployment phase where it is made operational.
The final two ISFs are Transparency and the Project From here there are three possible outcomes, we’ll look
Approach Questionnaire – Assessing Options and Risks. at those now.
Transparency ensures that progress on ongoing work is S3P12: The DSDM Process - 2
clearly displayed to all. At the end of each Timebox
demonstrations provide physical, objective and So now we’ve passed the solution, either in total or in
unquestionable proof that the Evolving Solution is fit for part to the operational environment there are three
purpose. possible outcomes.

Additionally Team Boards and Daily Stand-ups provide Firstly, there could be a major change required in which
clear and up-to-date information about the work in case we’ll have to return to the Foundations phase.
progress. Or there are features planned for the next increment so
Finally, the Project Approach Questionnaire, or PAQ, we’ll return to the Evolutionary Development phase
provides a simple checklist to assess whether the factors Or everything is completed, all requirements are
we have just discussed are likely to be met or whether satisfied and we can proceed into the Post Project
action is needed to encourage them or mitigate the risks
phase.
of them being undermined.
After the project has delivered the solution the team is
The PAQ is established in the Feasibility phase to help disbanded and in the Post Project phase we ensure the
shape the work of the Foundations phase. solution is operating effectively and the benefits have
Towards the end of the Foundations phase it is used to been achieved.
finalise the approach to be taken for the development
Before we review each phase in a more detail let’s test
and delivery of the project and it also helps to drive
your understanding with a few multiple choice
active management of the project risks.
questions.
Move on to the next page and try a few multiple choice
questions.
S3P13: Activity

S3P7: Activity S3P14: Activity

S3P8: Activity S3P15: Activity

S3P9: Activity S3P16: Activity

17
© ILX Group.
 Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products

S3P17: Phases and Products - 1 It is reviewed at the end of each Project Increment to
decide whether further work is justified.
Paul: OK everyone, I understand that you’ve been
studying some of the detail of each phase and the The Prioritised Requirements List or PRL describes at a
products produced. I’d like you all to take a couple of high level the requirements. We start thinking about
phases and products and tell us a little more about requirements in Feasibility and continue to look at them
them. Steph, please start us off. in more depth in Foundations when the PRL will be
baselined and forms the scope of the project.
Steph: Thanks Paul. I thought I’d start with a short
introduction about products in general and then talk As the detail emerges during development the depth
about the pre-project phase. will change but any changes to the breadth such as
adding, removing of significantly changing the high-level
There are two type of product which are Milestone requirements must be done under formal change
products and Evolutionary products. control.
Milestone products are created in a phase and typically
S3P19: Phases and Products - 3
fulfil a particular purpose within the phase and they are
often associated with an aspect of governance. Steph: We’re still in the Feasibility phase and I’m going
to tell you about the Solution related products which are
As the name suggests evolutionary products develop
colour coded Green, before handing back to Pete who
over time, and usually over a number of phases. They
will tell us about the Management products which are
may be baselined more than once during their lifetime.
coloured in blue.
The Pre-Project phase should be short and sharp and its
In the green area we have two evolutionary products
main objective is to make sure only the right projects
which are the Solution Architecture Definition and the
are started.
Development Approach Definition.
The only product produced in this phase is the Terms of
The Solution Architecture Definition provides a high-
Reference, or TOR, which is a milestone product and
level framework for the solution. This means it gives us
also associated with governance.
enough information about the business and detail about
The main aim of the TOR is to scope and justify the the technical aspects of the solution to make the scope
Feasibility phase. It is often used to prioritise a project clear. But it doesn’t constrain evolutionary
within a portfolio which is why it is also a governance development of the solution.
product.
The Development Approach Definition is a high-level
Pete, can you take over? definition of the tools, techniques, customs, practices
and standards that we’ll use during the development of
S3P18: Phases and Products - 2 the solution. In particular it should include a strategy for
testing and review which describes how the quality of
Pete: Thanks Steph, yes no problem. The next phase is
Feasibility where we decide whether the project is viable the solution will be assured.
from both the technical and business perspective. This Pete, can you take us through the last three products
is something we will revisit throughout the project. please?
Like the Pre-Project phase it should be short and sharp Pete: Thanks Steph. The last three products are the
and concentrate on justifying the Foundations phase. Delivery Plan, Management Approach Definition, both of
During Feasibility we create six evolutionary products these are evolutionary products and the Feasibility
and one milestone product. Assessment which is a milestone product.

Two of the evolutionary products are business focussed Let’s discuss them in more detail.
and coloured orange and they are the Business Case and S3P20: Phases and Products - 4
the Prioritised Requirements List.
Pete: The Delivery Plan documents the schedule of
Karen, you’ve read about these haven’t you? Project Increments and for the first increment at least,
Karen: Yes, the Business Case provides a vision and the Timeboxes that make up that Increment. It rarely
justification for the project. The business vision tells us considers the task level detail of the Timebox unless
what the changed business will look like both there are tasks being done by people who are not part
incrementally as we release the solution and in its final of the Solution Delivery Team.
state. The Management Approach Definition tells us how the
The justification typically documents the investment project should be managed. This includes organisation
appraisal and tells us why the cost and effort is and planning, details of stakeholder engagement,
worthwhile. progress monitoring and control and reporting
standards for the project.
We baseline the Business Case at the end of Feasibility
and then it is updated at the end of each phase when The Management Approach Definition created in
new baselines are created. Feasibility will evolve in Foundations when it will be
baselined. It only evolves beyond that point if

18
© ILX Group.
 Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products

circumstances change or if a review indicates areas for S3P26: Phases and Products - 6
improvement.
Paul: We’ve covered Pre-project, Feasibility and
The final product of Feasibility is a milestone product Foundations and most of the products. I’d like each of
called the Feasibility Assessment. you to take one of the remaining three phases. Karen
As its name suggests it provides a snapshot of the can you start us off with Evolutionary Development
evolving products we’ve just discussed. It can either be please?
a baselined collection of these products or a summary Karen: Thanks Paul. This is a major phase in any project
covering the key aspects of each. and it’s here that we develop the solution.
In either case the products must be mature enough so This involves the Solution Development Team in
that a decision can be made whether to continue with applying practices such as Iterative Development,
the project into the Foundations phase. Timeboxing, and MoSCoW prioritisation along with
As it informs the decision making process the Feasibility Modelling and Facilitated Workshops, which we’re going
Assessment also plays a part in the governance process. to cover later in the course.

Paul: Thank you. That’s a great summary of the These practices are used to evolve the solution so that it
products so far. Let’s try a few questions and then we’ll meets the business need and is also built correctly from
finish off with a look at the remaining phases and a technical viewpoint.
products. Within each Timebox the Solution Development Team
create Solution Increments exploring the low level detail
S3P21: Activity of the requirements and making sure they test
S3P22: Activity iteratively as they make progress.
There are thee evolving products produced in the phase
S3P23: Activity which are the Evolving Solution, the Timebox Plan and
S3P24: Activity the Timebox Review Record.
Let’s move on and describe these products.
S3P25: Phases and Products - 5
The next phase we should consider is the Foundations S3P27: Phases and Products - 7
phase. This phase is intended to establish a Steph: Thanks Karen. The Evolving Solution is made up
fundamental understanding of the business rationale for of the components of the final solution together with
the project, the potential solution that will be created any intermediate deliverables that we need to explore
and how the development and delivery of the solution the details of the requirements.
will be managed.
At any particular time these components can be
The detail of the requirements and how they will be met complete, a baseline of the partial solution which is
is left until the Evolutionary Development phase. called a Solution Increment or a work in progress.
The main aim of this phase is to understand the scope of We often use models, prototypes, supporting materials
work and broadly how it will be carried out and and testing and review artefacts as part of the Evolving
It determines the project lifecycle by agreeing how the Solution.
DSDM process will be applied to our specific project. At the end of each Project Increment the Solution
In smaller projects the Feasibility and Foundations Increment is deployed into live use and becomes the
phases are often combined whereas in larger projects it Deployed Solution.
may be necessary to revisit Foundations after each Pete: Thanks Steph. Let me tell you about the Timebox
Deployment phase. Plan.
The only product created in Foundations is a milestone This product describes the work of the Solution
product called the Foundation Summary. Development Team and there is one plan for each
As its name suggests it provides a snapshot of the Timebox defined in the Delivery Plan.
evolving business, solution and management products It tells us what work has to be done, who will do it and
we discussed earlier. It can either be a baselined any other resources we need and most importantly
collection of these products or a summary covering the what the deliverables are.
key aspects of each.
It’s used as the basis for the Daily Stand-Ups where we
In either case the products must be mature enough so update the Timebox Plan.
that a decision can be made whether to continue with
the project. Normally we us the Team Board to display the plan
showing work to do, work in progress and work
As it informs the decision making process the completed.
Foundation Summary also plays a part in the governance
process. Karen: Thanks Pete. OK, the final product in this phase is
the Timebox Review Record.

19
© ILX Group.
 Session 3 – Instrumental Success Factors, DSDM Process and Products

This tells us about the feedback from each review we’ve S3P29: Activity
completed during the Timebox, the achievements to
date and any feedback that may affect future plans. Using your knowledge of the DSDM Process lifecycle,
select the correct name for each phase from the drop
This document can be a formal auditable record in more down lists.
regulated environments for example and if this is the
case then it becomes an important governance product. When you are satisfied with your selection click
“submit” to check your answers.
S3P28: Phases and Products - 8
S3P30: Summary
Pete: The next phase is Deployment where we bring a
baseline of the Evolving Solution into operational use. This brings us to the end of this session.

This could be a subset of the final solution or the final We have considered the Instrumental Success Factors
solution itself. that help our DSDM project to be a success. Remember
that if some if these aren’t present then this will
There is only one product created in this phase which is generate some risks which should be understood and
the Project Review Report. This is a milestone product mitigated.
which is updated incrementally after each Project
Increment. Then we moved on to discuss the DSDM process and the
products created and evolved across each of the phases.
The Report has three main purposes. Firstly it captures
feedback from the review of the delivered solution and Before we finish don’t forget that DSDM recognises the
confirms what has, and hasn’t been delivered. real value of Agility. In this regard the DSDM process
can be configured to cater for a range of projects from
Secondly, we use it to capture lessons from the review small projects that require minimal governance to larger
or retrospective of the increment and finally we use it to projects where much stronger governance is needed.
describe the business benefits we expect through the
proper use of the solution. The organisation can be scaled easily with key roles
acting as directors and coordinators across a number of
After the final Project Increment a full review, or project teams.
retrospective, of the entire project is carried out and this
is informed in part by the Project Review Report. Similarly products such as the Solution Architecture
Definition, Development Approach Definition,
Steph: And so we come to the final phase called Post- Management Approach Definition, the Delivery Plan and
Project. the Timebox Review Records can be made more formal
The purpose of this phase is to discover whether the and contain much more detail for the larger projects.
expected business benefits have been delivered or not. Tailoring DSDM like this enables us to have the right
We will produce a milestone product called a Benefits configuration to meet the needs of the organisation’s
Assessment which describes which benefits have governance needs.
accrued following a period of live use. You should now be able to:
In larger projects we may undertake a number of benefit • Explain the Instrumental Success Factors
reviews and produce a number of assessments.
• Describe the DSDM Process and finally
We’ve got a short exercise for you now before we
summarise this session. • Describe the key products used across the
DSDM Process.
This concludes session 3.

20
© ILX Group.
 Session 4 – Planning and Control

Session 4 – Planning and Control Karen, over to you now to tell us about Planning to
sensible horizons at the right level of detail.
S4P1: Introduction
S4P3: Project Planning Concepts - 2
Welcome to this session where we will discuss the topic
of Planning and Control which relates to chapter 9 of the Karen: When we considered the DSDM process we
Handbook. identified two types of plan, the Delivery Plan and the
Timebox Plan.
In common with other Agile approaches DSDM values
responding to change over following a plan but unlike These plans cover two different planning horizons.
some it does emphasise the need to undertake planning The Delivery Plan covers the work to the end of the
especially high-level planning. Project Increment or the Project itself.
These plans shape and structure the project but do not Typically it describes a schedule of Timeboxes over a
get into the detail of who does what and when. period, typically ranging from six weeks to six months
Planning starts in DSDM by agreeing the strategy and and it is likely to include high level objectives and
considers: delivery dates for further Project Increments

• Incremental delivery of the solution via Project The Timebox Plan covers a much shorter period usually
Increments and Timeboxes and from two to four weeks and this plan will contain much
more detail probably describing who is doing what and
• Quality Assurance of the Solution, in other when and is usually informally displayed on a Team
words how review and testing will be Board and updated at each Daily Stand-up.
integrated into the development.
Now it’s over to you Steph to tell us about Planning and
During this session we will consider the three Agile re-planning
Project Planning Concepts, six Testing Concepts and four
Tracking and Control Concepts used to address S4P4: Project Planning Concepts - 3
incremental delivery and quality assurance. Steph: Thanks Karen.
And we’ll conclude with a review of planning and quality We have to plan and re-plan based on the best available
through the lifecycle. estimates. Essentially at the beginning of the project
By the end of this session you will be able to: when we don’t fully understand the project there is
likely to be considerable uncertainty in the estimates.
• Explain Project Planning, Testing and Tracking
and Control Concepts and As we progress through to the end of the Foundations
phase these early estimates must be firmed up as they
Describe the DSDM approach to planning and quality form the basis for the delivery dates and associated
throughout the lifecycle. costs which are agreed at this point.
S4P2: Project Planning Concepts - 1 As we make progress and we know more about the
requirements and the Evolving Solution the accuracy of
Paul: You’ve all been studying the varying concepts for
previous estimates is validated by actual development
Project Planning, Testing and Tracking and Control and
work.
I’d like you to tell us about the three Planning Concepts
first. Let’s start with you Pete. And it makes sense to update the plans with the
updated estimating data.
Pete: Thanks Paul. OK, the first concept relates to
Outcome-based Planning. This relates to the framework Finally it is important to remember that estimating
of empowerment that exists in a DSDM project. accuracy can be improved by following two aspects of
estimating best practice.
The Business Sponsor empowers the project-level roles
to manage the delivery of a viable business solution that These are:
will provide the expected return on investment.
• Use more than one technique and
In turn the project-level roles empower the Solution
Development Team who organise themselves to deliver • Estimate in groups.
the solution envisaged by the Business Visionary and the Now let’s try a short exercise before we move on to
Technical Coordinator. discuss Testing Concepts.
And for planning this means the Project Manager S4P5: Activity
produces a high-level plan for the project, in
collaboration with the team, for the incremental This is a “select type” exercise:
delivery of the solution which is the outcome required
On screen you will see a range of statements and a
by the Business Sponsor.
choice of true or false.
In turn the Solution Development Team plans the detail
For each statement select either true or false and when
of each Timebox with the team members agreeing who
you’re satisfied click Submit to check your answers.
will do what at the Kick-off meeting for the Timebox.

21
© ILX Group.
 Session 4 – Planning and Control

S4P6: Testing Concepts – 1 In these situations it is helpful to prioritise tests on the

basis of risk.
DSDM defines six Testing Concepts which are:
This means we must assess how likely are we to have
• Testing integrated throughout introduced a defect and the impact such a defect may
• Collaborative testing have.
This enables us to give tests which check the higher risk
• Repeatable testing
areas a higher priority that the others.
• Prioritised testing
MoSCoW rules could be applied to both the execution of
• Independent testing and tests and the rectification of any defects found.

• Test-Driven Development. S4P8: Testing Concepts – 3

We’re going to discuss each of these starting with It is very important to have independent testing, in
“Testing integrated throughout”. other words tests should be done by someone other
than the person who undertook the work in the first
This concept is aimed at making sure there is a strategy
place.
in place for testing and that everyone knows what their
responsibilities are in relation to the quality of the We could classify this as “you can’t check your own
solution and the way it is assured through a rigorous work”.
regime of review and testing.
So it may be useful to have the Business Ambassador or
As a key element of the Iterative Development process Business Adviser to do some testing as they will always
any tests should be fully embedded with the be independent of the creation of the product under
development activity within the Timebox. test.
This idea of “test as you go” helps to find any defects Finally we come to the concept Test-Driven
early when they are easier and cheaper to fix! Development or TDD.
Ideally the solution will be fully tested and potentially Traditionally, there has been a tendency to design a test
deployable at the end of the Timebox although this to check whether the solution works. This can give rise
cannot be the case in all circumstances. to a solution that works but doesn’t satisfy the
requirement.
Collaborative Testing is the next concept and suggests
that all tests should involve the collaboration of all TDD gets around this problem by making sure tests are
stakeholders which increases productivity in the test-fix- written to check the solution meets the requirement
retest cycle. and then the solution is developed until it passes the
test.
This reinforces the DSDM principle of Collaboration and
should include business and technical, solution Research has shown that TDD significantly improves the
development and testing representatives. overall quality of the solution.
S4P7: Testing Concepts – 2 S4P9: Planning throughout the Lifecycle
The third concept is “Repeatable testing”. As its name Before we move on to discuss the Tracking and Control
suggests this encourages us to test not only the new Concepts let’s summarise the focus of planning
features developed in this Timebox but also to repeat throughout the lifecycle.
tests undertaken earlier.
Starting with the Pre-Project phase we focus our
This helps to make sure that the new feature hasn’t planning on positioning the project within the portfolio.
affect a previously tested and accepted facility.
This makes sure that the project forms an appropriate
This type of testing supports the DSDM principle Build part of the portfolio and is in line with the organisational
Incrementally from Firm Foundations and where objectives, strategy and mission.
appropriate we should make use of automated tools to
reduce the effort associated with repeat testing. During the Feasibility phase we explore the
requirements and an initial view pf the Delivery Plan is
The last three concepts are: established. This helps the Business Sponsor to decide
whether the project is valid and should progress into the
• Prioritised Testing
Foundations phase.
• Independent Testing and
During the Foundations phase we establish the
• Test-Driven Development. strategies for iterative development, integrated testing
and deployment. The Delivery Plan is refined and
Even if we ae able to automate some of the tests repeat commitment is made by the business to the timescale
testing is time consuming and there may be occasions and costs of the project.
where we don’t have enough time to fully test all
aspects of the solution as it evolves. When we get to the Evolutionary Development phase
we start to produce the Timebox Plans, refine the

22
© ILX Group.
 Session 4 – Planning and Control

Delivery Plan in light of progress made, or indeed the • What they have done since the last Stand-up
lack of progress.
• What they intend to do before the next Stand-
During this phase we also plan for the solution’s up and
deployment and the realisation of the benefits.
• What, if anything might be blocking their
Before we move on let’s try a few multiple choice progress.
questions.
Sharing information like this encourages collaboration
S4P10: Activity and proactive problem solving which characterises an
effective Agile team
S4P11: Activity
Pete will you explain Responding to Change? Then Paul
S4P12: Activity will take over to explain the final concept of
Management by Exception.
S4P13: Activity
S4P16: Tracking and Control Concepts - 3
S4P14: Tracking and Control Concepts - 1
Pete: In an Agile environment we expect and welcome
Paul: Now let’s turn our attention to the concepts change and see it as part of the natural development of
associated with Tracking and Control. an evolving solution.
Steph, please start us off with the first concept of However, it is also important to maintain a focus on the
Timeboxing and outcome-based measurement. business need, to deliver on time and to never
compromise quality.
Steph: Thanks Paul.
As we know Timeboxes provide a structure of nested And this means that some form of change control is
plans and at the end of each timebox there will be some required.
form of deliverable or outcome and in line with this This tends to be more formal at project level than at
Outcome-based measurement checks to see whether Solution Development Level.
the deliverable was produced as planned.
At Project level the Business Visionary is responsible for
If it was then all is well and if appropriate the outcome making sure the solution meets the business vision and
can be deployed into operational use. that the high-level requirements are correct.
If not then we need to consider what to do next. But, as the project proceeds if there is pressure to
The demonstration of the Solution Increment at the end change these requirements, then the change should be
of the Timebox and its formal acceptance by the formally approved by the Business Visionary. This is
Business Ambassador or possibly the Business Visionary often referred to as a change in breadth.
provides an objective basis for outcome-based At the Solution Development Team level most of the
measurement. changes relate to the depth and detail because of the
This process provides a clear and objective indicator of evolving understanding of the requirement and how it is
progress for the Project Increment and ultimately the satisfied.
Project. These changes do not represent a formal change of
Karen will you please explain Transparency of process scope and are included primarily at the discretion of the
and progress? Solution Development Team.
The Business Ambassadors and Advisors are empowered
S4P15: Tracking and Control Concepts - 2 to decide what is appropriate and acceptable.
Karen: Transparency of process and progress is vital if
we are to make sure all is going to plan and that we
S4P17: Tracking and Control Concepts - 4
don’t try to hide problems from each other and the Paul: Thank you for those great explanations everyone.
other stakeholders. The final concept associated with Tracking and Control is
This is encouraged by using the Team Board and Daily Management by Exception.
Stand-up that should take place near the Team Board. Within the tolerance provided by the MoSCoW
The plan is displayed on the Board and updated at each prioritisation the Solution Development Team is
Stand-up meeting. Therefore it is open for anyone that responsible for the day to day management of the work.
cares to look at it. This tolerance is built into the objectives of the Timebox
It clearly shows progress, problems, who is doing what but if it becomes apparent that the Solution Increment
and the associated estimates and whether the Solution will not deliver the ‘Musts’ and ‘Shoulds’ agreed or there
is a risk of compromising quality then this exception
Increment is likely to be achieved.
situation should be escalated to the project level roles
And as we mentioned elsewhere the Daily Stand-up for guidance.
gives each team member the opportunity to state:

23
© ILX Group.
 Session 4 – Planning and Control

Empowerment allows for rapid decision making at the S4P23: Summary

detailed level which in turn enables rapid progress.
During this session we have discussed the topic of
Management by exception bridges the boundary Planning and Control which relates to chapter 9 of the
between empowerment and ensuring that the project Handbook.
level roles are involved in decision making as and when
necessary. Remember that DSDM values responding to change over
following a plan but it does emphasise the need to
S4P18: Planning and Quality undertake planning especially high-level planning.
On screen we have displayed the DSDM process and These plans shape and structure the project but do not
labelled four of the processes with the numbers 1 to 6. get into the detail of who does what and when.
These numbers describe the way in which DSDM Planning starts in DSDM by agreeing the strategy and
considers quality through the process. considers:
Click on the number and take a few moments to study • Incremental delivery of the solution via Project
the text associated with each number. Increments and Timeboxes and
When you’re ready move to the next page to try a few • Quality Assurance of the Solution, in other
final questions before we bring this session to a close. words how review and testing will be
integrated into the development.
S4P19: Activity
During this session we considered the three Agile
S4P20: Activity Project Planning Concepts, six Testing Concepts and four
Tracking and Control Concepts used to address
S4P21: Activity incremental delivery and quality assurance.
S4P22: Activity And we concluded with a review of planning and quality
through the lifecycle.
You should now be able to:
• Explain Project Planning, Testing and Tracking
and Control Concepts and
• Describe the DSDM approach to planning and
quality throughout the lifecycle.
This concludes Session 4.

24
© ILX Group.
 Session 5 – Daily Stand-ups and other DSDM Practices

Session 5 – Daily Stand-ups and other given the DSDM culture of collaboration, “no blame”
attitude and the principle of communicate continuously
DSDM Practices and clearly.
S5P1: Objectives S5P3: Facilitated Workshops
For many years communications has been recognised as Workshops are a key technique for encouraging
a major cause of project failure. collaboration and effective communication.
In 1995 the Standish Group Chaos Report concluded They are used throughout the lifecycle for a variety of
that the number one reason for project failure was the uses, such as:
breakdown of communication.
• requirements capture and prioritisation
More recently in 2007, 28% of the respondents to a web
poll released by The Computing Technology Industry • project kick-off events
Association CompTIA cited poor communications as the
• planning,
number one cause of project failure.
• developing terms of reference for the project team
Agile encourages on-going and effective
members
communications by having integrated solution
development teams that include both technical • Timebox reviews and so forth.
specialists and business representatives.
Workshops are not a replacement for meetings, instead
The iterative and incremental approach to development they offer an alternative that enables set of people, or
facilitates feedback and high visibility of the solution as participants, to reach their predetermined objective in a
well as specifically recommending Daily Stand-up compressed timeframe.
meetings for information sharing and feedback, along
with three specific techniques of Workshops are run by an impartial facilitator who may
be assisted by an administrator to take notes. The
• Facilitated workshops facilitator’s role is to maintain focus on the objective
and to ensure that everyone has the chance to
• Modelling and
contribute.
• Iterative development.
Frequent summaries are also useful during a workshop
By the end of the session you will be able to: to keep the team focussed.
• Explain the way the Agile uses specific techniques to The project manager must make sure that the project
improve communications. has the budget to allow for appropriate venues for the
workshops and may need to support the team to get the
• This session relates to chapters 11 and 12 of the right people in attendance.
Handbook.
The key benefits of facilitated workshops are:
S5P2: Daily Stand-ups
• rapid, high quality decision making
Let’s start by considering the Daily Stand-up meeting.
As the name suggests these happen every day. • greater buy-in from all stakeholders

The key attendees are all members of the Solution • building team spirit
Development team including the Business Ambassadors, • building consensus and
the Business Advisors involved in the Timebox and any
Technical Advisors actively involved in the Timebox. • clarification of issues.
Other stakeholders may attend and listen but they S5P4: Iterative Development - 1
should not join in.
The second technique we are going to look at is Iterative
These short meetings provide an opportunity for Development.
everyone to understand the daily progress being made
in a Timebox. This is a process whereby the Evolving Solution, or part
of it, evolves into the final solution.
They should only last for quarter of an hour which
allows each team member a couple of minutes to tell Each cycle is a collaborative process and involves at
the group what they have been doing since the last least two members of the Solution Development Team.
stand-up, what they will work on before the next stand- Each cycle should be:
up and any problems, risks or issues they may be have
encounter that are slowing progress. • as short as possible, typically a day or two
with several cycles in the Timebox
These meetings should be informal, short and focussed,
ensuring everyone is fully informed. • only as formal as it needs to be. In most
cases limited to an informal cycle of:
Of course they do rely on each team member being
open and honest, but that should not be a problem o Thought, what needs to be done

25
© ILX Group.
 Session 5 – Daily Stand-ups and other DSDM Practices

o Action, complete the work • A defined set of actions to undertake and

considered and
• The expected outcome.
o Conversation, reviewing the
outcome to ensure it meets the Finally we must consider who to involve in testing,
needs and to understand what is The Technical Coordinator must ensure that the non-
left to do. functional requirements are reasonable before work
And finally the cycle should involve the appropriate commences and that they have been met when the
members of the Solution Development Team. Iterative work is completed.
Development has three main areas which are Planning The Technical Coordinator ensures that technical
Iterative Development where we plan the strategy for reviews are carried out and the Solution Tester carries
development, during the Foundation phase, Controlling out all types of testing except for:
Iterative Development and Quality in Iterative
Development which we’ll discuss on the next page. • Business acceptance testing which is the
responsibility of the Business Ambassadors
S5P5: Iterative Development - 2 and Advisors and
It is very important to control the Iterative Development • Unit testing which is the responsibility of the
process. Each iteration is designed to bring us a step Solution Developer.
closer to the completed solution, but there may be
As part of the collaborative team the Solution Tester
times when the latest version of solution is, for some
also supports the other roles to complete their tests.
reason, not right.
In these circumstances we must be able to go back to S5P7: Modelling
the previous agreed version. This is achieved using This brings us to the last technique we are considering in
configuration management. this session and it is called modelling.
If it is necessary to revert to a previous version we must Models are a very useful way of communicating to the
also understand what went wrong, learn from it and stakeholders and other team members our
correct the mistake in the next iteration. understanding of what we are doing.
This leads us to the consideration of Quality in Iterative This diagram illustrates different aspects that a model
Development. may represent.
One of DSDM’s principles is never compromise quality
• Why we are doing it and where
and therefore we must make sure that we check the
solution is fit for purpose as it evolves. • Who is involved and their responsibilities
This is known as Verification and can be either static, • What data is used and the relationships
which describes a review or dynamic which is a test. between the different areas
Reviews can be informal peer reviews or a more formal • When things should happen and how we are
matter involving a range of experts and, or, groups of going to do it.
people.
Models are often used to confirm the requirements and
The level of formality will depend on the product and whilst a model may cover many aspects some solutions
the corporate or regulatory approach to quality and are very complex and a number of models may be
testing. required.
Let’s move to the next page to discuss testing in more Examples of models you see in everyday life include
detail. maps, sketches used to give directions, and equipment
assembly instructions.
S5P6: Iterative Development – 3
Finally models may be temporary or in some cases they
There are three broad classifications of test which are: may be a full prototype that will evolve to become an
• Positive tests which check that a deliverable integral part of the final solution.
does what it is supposed to do Before we bring the session to a close let’s check your
• Negative tests that check a deliverable doesn’t understanding with a few multiple choice questions.
do what it isn’t supposed to do and
S5P8: Activity
• Unhappy path tests which check the behaviour
of the product if the unexpected happens and
S5P9: Activity
determines whether the result is OK, or not. S5P10: Activity
Based on these classes it is usual to develop a range of
tests in each class and each test typically contains:
S5P11: Activity

• A defined starting date

26
© ILX Group.
 Session 5 – Daily Stand-ups and other DSDM Practices

S5P12: Summary
This brings us to the end of session 5 Daily Stand-ups
and other DSDM Practices.
Having established that the lack of, or poor
communication is a significant cause of project failure
we considered four aspects of AgilePM that help to
improve communication at all levels.
We started with a description of the Daily Stand-up that
forms a part of the routine process within a Timebox,
with each team member telling us what they have done
and what is planned.
More formally we have facilitated workshops run by an
impartial facilitator and these are used for all aspects of
the project such as requirements capture, planning,
problem solving and risk management for example.
Our iterative approach to development includes
representatives from the business and the developers,
which improves communications. Finally we looked at
modelling as a means of informing the stakeholders
about what we intend to build.
You should now be able to:
• Explain the way that DSDM uses specific techniques
to improve communications.
This concludes session 5.

27
© ILX Group.
 Session 6 – MoSCoW Prioritisation and Timeboxes

Session 6 – MoSCoW Prioritisation and Won’t have are requirements which don’t need to be
met at this time and can be considered at some future
Timeboxes time.
S6P1: Introduction S6P3: MoSCoW and the business case
Welcome to this session which relates to chapters 10 Best practice suggests that if all the requirements are
and 11 of the Agile PM handbook focussing on met this would provide for the best business case.
prioritisation of requirements and Timeboxes
But this may not be realistic and it may be better for
You will remember from an earlier session that we organisations to base their business cases on the
stated that time, cost and quality were fixed in an Agile “expected case” which suggests that the ‘must’ and
project and in order to realise these objectives it may be ‘should’ will be met.
necessary to reduce or modify the features we provided.
It is also prudent to understand what happens to the
We do this by using the MoSCoW prioritisation business case if only the minimum usable subset of must
technique which we will look at first. have requirements are met.
Then we’ll move on to discuss the way we use It is important that the team understand the relative
Timeboxes, which is a key technique in DSDM. importance of must, should and could.
Timeboxes vary in duration but are usually relatively
short, put simply they start with a kick off meeting and The Project Manager or Business Analyst should feel
finish with a closeout meeting. free to challenge the priorities, but at this level the
Business Visionary and Ambassador will have the final
So, by the end of this session you will be able to: say.
• Explain the MoSCoW principle Remember the Business Sponsor will expect all the must
• And describe Timeboxes have requirements and most, if not all of the “should
have” requirements to be satisfied.
S6P2: MoSCoW
Click here to read more information about the MoSCoW
In a DSDM project time is fixed, so understanding the prioritisation technique.
project priorities is vital to making progress and meeting
deadlines. It’s all about priorities, be they requirements, S6P4: Exercise
products, tasks, acceptance criteria and so on. DSDM Let’s try a short exercise. Consider the situation of a
describes a technique to assist with setting priorities and small organisation requiring a new warehousing system.
this is known as MoSCoW.
The requirements have been gathered and the
The acronym stands for; warehouse manager has stated that unless the system
• Must have, allows at least 20 products to be documented on one
shipping note the system is unworkable.
• Should have,
The manager stated that there will always be two
• Could have and, printed copies of the shipping note but after discussions
agreed that as long as one is printed and one is retained
• Won’t have for now.
on the system this will be acceptable.
These project priorities should be agreed by the
The staff wanted the system to record who packed each
business representatives, for example the Business
box so they could use the data to support the bonus
Sponsor and Business Visionary.
arrangements but this has been placed out of scope for
Typically, the must have requirements will define the the time being.
Minimum Usable Subset which can also spell MUST The new system is required to document the full stock
when shown like this.
inventory.
These requirements could be defined as those that must
The warehouse manager has stated that ten categories
be met or the project will fail. They typically require 60%
of stock on the system is preferable but is prepared to
of the total effort to satisfy.
accept a system with only five categories.
Should have requirements are those that are important
We have summarised these requirements on screen. We
but not vital. Their absence could require expensive or
have also shown the MoSCoW boxes. Use your
difficult “workarounds”.
judgement to drag the requirement to the appropriate
Could have requirements are those that are desirable box.
and cause fewer problems if they are left out. Both If you want to refresh your memory of what the
should and could have requirements consume about
warehouse manager and staff said you can review the
20% of the total effort to satisfy.
conversation by clicking here.
When you are satisfied with your choices click “submit”
to check your answers.

28
© ILX Group.
 Session 6 – MoSCoW Prioritisation and Timeboxes

S6P5: Timeboxing - 1 At the end of the iteration the team share the results of
their investigations with the Business Ambassador, the
Timeboxing is a key technique within DSDM and a Technical Co-ordinator and possibly the Business
Structured Timebox enables delivery of work at the Visionary.
lowest level on time and by doing so assures the delivery
of the overall project on time. S6P7: Timeboxing - 3
A timebox has five elements starting with a Kick-off During Refinement the main development work is
meeting where we discuss the objectives with the completed and tested and at the review the team share
Solution Development Team or SDT. Typically the the results as we did at the end of Investigation and
meeting would last 1 – 3 hours. agree and prioritise the work remaining to complete the
Timebox.
The SDT moves into investigation where the detail of the
products being produced are investigated and agreed, In Consolidation the work is finalised and the
including quantitative measures that will prove success. deliverables are confirmed as fit for their intended
purpose.
During Refinement the bulk of the development work
takes places including testing in line with the agreed The feedback from each review is captured in a Timebox
priorities. Review Record. This can be formal or informal as the
need demands.
During consolidation we tie up any loose ends and make
sure all products have met their acceptance criteria after In the Close-out phase the deliverables are formally
which we move into Close-out where the Business accepted.
Visionary and Technical Co-ordinator accept the
If there is any unfinished work then these requirements
deliverables.
are scheduled for completion in another increment or
The three main stages of Investigation, Refinement and perhaps dropped altogether.
Consolidation are known as iterations and each stage
Lessons should also be identified and applied as
reflects a pass through the Iterative Development cycle
necessary to the next phase of the work.
of Conversation, Thought, Action and Conversation.
Take a few moments to review the suggested timescale S6P8: Exercise
for each phase shown on screen now before moving on Let’s try another exercise before we move on to discuss
to look at each stage in a little more detail. a free format Timebox.
S6P6: Timeboxing - 2 Shown here is a Timebox with a number of empty label
boxes.
The overall timescale of a Timebox is usually around 2 to
4 weeks but can extend to 6 weeks in certain Drag the appropriate label content to the appropriate
circumstances. box and when you’re happy with your choices click
submit to check your answers.
The Kick-off meeting is attended by the SDT members
working on the Timebox including the Business S6P9: Free Format Timeboxes
Ambassador, the Project Manager, the Technical
Coordinator and, if necessary the Business Visionary. The free format Timebox is used by other popular Agile
approaches such as a Scrum Sprint. It is often effective
During this short meeting the team plan the work, make when the formality and structure of a DSDM structured
sure the requirements are understood and make sure it Timebox is not possible or helpful.
is feasible to complete the work in the time expected
during the Foundation stage. It has a similar timescale of two to four weeks and starts
with a Kick-off meeting and finishes with a Close-out
The acceptance criteria for each product are defined, at meeting but there is only one aspect in between which
least at high level for confirmation during the is called Iterative development.
investigation step, and the availability of the team
agreed. During this period we develop and test the solution to
meet the individual requirements.
If there are any dependencies on other Timeboxes these
are identified and their implications understood. Finally It is often useful to adopt the concepts of Investigate,
the risks are identified and mitigated appropriately. Refine and Consolidate we discussed earlier but in a less
formal manner.
The team now move into the Investigation stage where
the aim is to build firm foundations for the rest of the And it is still important to schedule reviews to maintain
Timebox. business focus and stakeholder buy-in.

This involves reviewing the requirements, confirming Let’s try a few multiple choice questions before we bring
the acceptance criteria, and perhaps building a this session to a close.
prototype of the final product which can be further
refined in the next stage.

29
© ILX Group.
 Session 6 – MoSCoW Prioritisation and Timeboxes

S6P10: Activity
S6P11: Activity
S6P12: Activity
S6P13: Activity
S6P14: Summary
This brings us to the end of this session on prioritisation
of requirements and Timeboxes.
We started with a discussion of the MoSCoW
prioritisation technique which helps ensure we always
deliver on time whilst delivering a usable solution.
Then we discussed the use of Timeboxes which consist
of five stages, Kick-off, Investigation, Refinement,
Consolidation and Close-out and the way in which they
help to control a DSDM project.
Lastly, we considered the free format Timebox.
You should now be able to:
• Explain the MoSCoW principle
• And Describe Timeboxes
This concludes session 6.

30
© ILX Group.
 Session 7 – Exam technique

Session 7 – Exam Technique The Foundation questions can be categorised into three
types:
S7P1: Introduction
• Those that you find really easy and can answer
So far in this course, we have concentrated on without too much thought.
developing your knowledge of Agile project
• Those that you probably know the answer to but the
management - what it is, what it contains and how it
wording of the question needs some digesting.
works in practice.
There are some 'negative' type questions so do be
In this session we will provide you with some practical careful over these.
guidance on how best to approach the Agile Project
Those that, even though you understand the question,
Management Foundation examination.
you are not 100% sure of the answer.
S7P2: Examination Overview A good strategy is therefore to do the exam paper in
The purpose of the foundation level qualification is to three passes. This is something that you have not had
measure whether the candidate has sufficient the luxury of doing in the exam simulator.
knowledge and understanding of the Agile Project When you are first presented with the paper, work your
Management guidance to be able to recognise and way through, answering all the questions where the
distinguish between the key elements of the approach. right answer is immediately obvious to you. Avoid any
In simple terms this is a test that you know what is temptation to deliberate too long over any question. If
contained within the AgilePM Handbook. in doubt move on to the next one.

For candidates to be successful at the foundation level This first pass will ensure that - in the unlikely event that
they need to demonstrate an understanding of Agile you do run out of time - at least you will have answered
Project Management philosophy, principles, processes, all the easy questions. For anybody who has done the
people, products, techniques and guidance. right level of background study and preparation this
alone will probably be enough to secure a pass.
Specifically the candidate should understand the key
principles and terminology within the Agile Project S7P4: The questions - 2
Management guidance. Specifically you should
Now go back to the beginning of the paper and start
understand:
work on all the second category of questions.
• The underpinning philosophy and principles of Agile
Once you have worked out what a question means, if
• The lifecycle of an Agile project, including alternative you know the answer then answer the question,
configurations otherwise move on to the next unanswered question.

• The products produced during an Agile project and This time when you get to the end of the paper you
the purpose of these should have answered all the questions that you
understand and that you are confident of the answers,
• The techniques used and their benefits and hopefully by now you will have answered the majority of
limitations the 50 questions.
The roles and responsibilities within an Agile project. Now it's time for the third and final pass. Go back to the
You have already seen questions which are typical of start of the paper again and consider each of the
those asked in the exam throughout this course. The questions that you have not yet answered.
exam itself consists of 50 such multiple choice questions At this stage you may need to be careful over the timing,
and 40 minutes is allowed. In order to achieve a pass at what you don't want to do is run out of time and leave
least 25 questions must be answered correctly - in other any questions unanswered, even if you have to guess
words 50% or more of the questions asked. the answers. Marks don't get subtracted for wrong
The examination is 'closed book' - in other words you answers so if you have 4 or 5 questions that you just
cannot take notes or documentation of any kind into the don't know the answer to - make guesses - by random
exam room with you. chance you will get at least one of them right.
So, count up how many questions still remain
S7P3: The questions - 1
unanswered and allocate a maximum time for each one
Assuming that you have done all your preparation and so that you will just get them all answered. If you have
that you have all the required knowledge, the next step 10 unanswered questions and 10 minutes left - don't
is to focus on the examination itself. spend more than one minute on any one question.
Again - never submit a paper unless all the questions
As we have seen, you are allowed 40 minutes to answer
have been answered.
50 questions. The vast majority of people finish the
exam well within this time - so Tip 1 - Don't feel under One final tip, be very careful about changing any of your
time pressure. Remain cool and stick to your game plan. answers. Experience has shown that about two thirds of
You have plenty of time. changes that candidates make to their answers are in

31
© ILX Group.
 Session 7 – Exam technique

fact changing a correct answer to an incorrect one.

Often your first instincts are the right ones.

S7P5: Summary
This brings us to the end of the session on AgilePM
examination technique. We hope this has provided
some useful pointers.
Let's conclude this session with a few pertinent
reminders:
• Do your homework
• Read the AgilePM Handbook
• Practice in the Exam Simulator
• And be careful about changing your answers
Finally we hoped you enjoyed the course and we wish
you good luck in your studies.

32
© ILX Group.
 Session 8 – Exam simulator

S8P1: Introduction Once you are happy with your answers, you can submit
them for marking by clicking the submit button - shown
Welcome to the AgilePM Foundation Exam Simulator. here.
The exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions which
are randomly selected from our database. 25 or more At this point you will be given your score. Valuable
correct answers are required to achieve a pass. feedback on which of your answers were correct or
incorrect is also provided. Again you can review your
You have 40 minutes to complete the examination and answers by selecting them in the question reference
the time remaining is shown on the bottom of the page. matrix. Green question numbers indicate a correct
Once you begin the exam you will be presented with a answer and those in red were marked incorrect.
page that looks like this. You will notice that the top At the end of the quiz you will be given an assessment of
portion of the page contains a question reference your performance. If at any point you exit the quiz
matrix. You can choose to answer the questions in before completion, you will have to restart from the
numerical sequence by clicking the forward and back beginning.
buttons, or you can select a question by clicking its
number in the matrix. You can come back to any Good Luck.
question you’ve previously answered in the same way.

33
© ILX Group.