Agile is an adaptable, iterative way to manage development projects.
The use of the word Agile in this context derives from the Agile Manifesto. A small group of people gathered in 2001 to share their findings that the traditional approach to managing software development projects was failing far too often and there had to be a better way. They wrote the Agile Manifesto, which describes 4 important values that are as relevant today as they were then. It says:
“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”
Agile is a proposed solution to the disadvantages of the waterfall methodology. Instead of a sequential design process, the Agile methodology follows an incremental approach, releasing pieces of the product early and often.
Typically, project teams start off with a simplistic product vision or concept and then begin to work on small, prioritized modules. The work on these modules is done in weekly or monthly iterations. At the end of each iteration (often called a “sprint”), project priorities are evaluated and tests are run. These iterations allow for discovery of bugs and incorporation of customer feedback into the design before the next sprint is run.
There are many different project development methodologies within Agile. EPA adheres to a core set of principles, as defined by 18F.
- Define a measurable goal
- Everyone owns the problem
- Small steps with visible impact
- Validate with your target audience
- Measure success
- Reflect, adjust, iterate