Digital and Agile: the foundations

In this part of the course, we’re going to explore Agile. First, we’ll focus on: 

• The origins of Agile 
• What it is 
• Why it emerged 

Agile emerged from the software development boom. New tech startups were looking at ways to develop better products in less time. So developers felt it was important to be able to adapt to changes in the landscape, to compete with others. 

In 2001, a group of leaders came together to address the challenges they faced. They believed the focus of businesses was on planning and documenting ideas. Not meeting the needs of users. From this, they created the Agile Manifesto. The key idea of this was to keep the process of development flexible and to focus on people. 

Here is the Agile Manifesto. It states: 

“We are uncovering better ways of doing things and helping others do it too. Through this work, we have come to value:” the items listed. 

The first value prioritises communication, over following processes or using tools to make things happen. Imagine a team working on a project. Instead of relying on a project management tool, they should have regular conversations. This ensures everyone is on the same page. The team can address any issues, making the process more flexible and responsive. 

Next, the idea that delivering something that works is more important than producing extensive documentation. For example, imagine a team developing an appointment booking system. They could spend months documenting what the system will do. Or they could develop a basic version, that people can use and provide feedback on. This way, they can iterate based on real user experience and needs. 

Thirdly, Agile emphasises working with users, rather than sticking to initial agreements. Imagine a team creating a new service for a local community. Instead of sticking to a predefined plan, they can get input from the community. They then use the feedback to adapt and improve the program. This ensures it remains relevant and beneficial to those it’s meant to serve. 

Finally, the ability to adapt to change is more valuable than sticking to a plan. For example, imagine the introduction of new policies, that affect a project. Instead of struggling to fit these into the plan, Agile encourages teams to revise their approach. This flexibility helps them stay relevant and effective, even as circumstances around them change. 

At the bottom, you’ll see the line “whilst there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more”. This doesn’t mean that Agile teams discard processes, documentation, contracts, or plans. They still do all these things. They focus on the items on the left more because this is what drives progress and improvement. 

From the values, a set of 12 principles emerged. 

In our "Agile fundamentals for Teams" course, we explore each of the principles in depth. In this course, we’re focusing on 4 of them. These are the ones that stand out as being valuable to understand first.  

We'll focus on: 

Delivering value to users early 

Agile teams aim to provide useful and functional products to users as soon as possible. This means prioritising the most important features and delivering them. As a result, the users benefit sooner rather than later. This approach helps teams gather feedback and make improvements in future iterations. 

Next, Embracing change 

Teams welcome changes, even late on. In the public sector, new policies, regulations, or user needs can arise anytime. Agile encourages flexibility, allowing teams to adapt to these. This ensure that the services provided remain relevant and effective. 

Next, Working in cross-functional teams 

Agile promotes collaboration among team members with various skills and expertise. Having team members with different capabilities, working together, bringing different perspectives. This leads to more comprehensive and effective solutions. 

Finally, Inspecting and adapting 

Teams review their work on a regular basis and make necessary adjustments. They do this by measuring the impact of the service and gathering feedback. This allows them to refine their approach. It ensures services remain aligned with the users needs and expectations. 

In summary, Agile represents a change in culture and mindset. A different way of doing things. It’s rooted in the 4 values and 12 principles. 

We go into more detail about different tools and techniques in our “Agile fundamentals for Teams” course. 

But for now, remember, if you’re embracing the values and principles, then you are Agile.