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work instructions/procedures, and enablers/templates. Policies identify the
organization's expectations for establishing and maintaining the process.
Processes or practices are often high-level process descriptions whereas
work instructions/procedures provide more detailed steps related to the
process. Enablers and templates can be any kind of process aid that helps
carry out the process and can include tool guides, or templates to help build
related documentation.
While the choice for a process asset structure is up to each organization, most
Agile organizations I have helped have found that two tiers is sufficient. This is
accomplished by consolidating a policy statement with the associated process
description that encapsulates “what must be done” in carrying out the process.
The second tier contains “how to” guidelines in carrying out the process and
tailoring it. This level can be viewed as aids for tailoring the process, and usu-
ally includes supporting templates. I have found that in most Agile
organizations, step-by-step procedures are replaced by tool guides and train-
ing/mentoring. It is worth noting here that a template, such as a Project
Management Plan template, can serve as a process with the required process
activities implied within the template.
10
This is a common technique I have
observed for developing effective Agile process descriptions. See Figure 4-1 for
a comparison of a traditional
11
and Agile organizational process asset structure.
Key Recommendation for Agile Organizations in Support of
Ta i l o r i n g
While decisions on process asset structure are up to each organization, there is
one key related recommendation I make to Agile organizations. This recom-
mendation was used successfully at BOND. I will state it in the form of a lesson:
LESSON 3
Keep your process “must dos” packaged separate from your process
“guidelines.”
The reason for this recommendation relates to a major concern that manage-
ment and independent appraisers often hold—the fear that an Agile approach
will lead to loss of project control. This ties to a popular myth:
10. Refer to the appendices for an example of a Project Management Plan (PMP) Template.
11. By “traditional,” I mean what I have commonly observed in many large high-tech organizations.
