Agile Systems Development
MODULE CODE
CREDIT VALUE
DELIVERY
Module Aims
Aim 1
To apply a range of agile methods in a software or product development project; eliciting requirements, estimating, prioritising, timeboxing, prototyping and planning implementation
Aim 2
To demonstrate the need to involve all stakeholders, helping them to understand what technology can and cannot do for them
Aim 3
To reflect on emergent issues, identifying areas where agile principles are not adhered to and devising continuous improvement strategies
Module Content
1. Agility: human interactions, collaboration, minimal documentation, flexibility
2. Agile Business Change Framework: principles, culture & leadership, enablement & governance
3. Agile Project life cycle: prototypes, iterative incremental lifecycles, timebox plans, PRL
4. Business advantage: critical success factors, business roles, negotiating priorities
5. Metrics: financial and risk management.
6. Facilitating workshops, roles, stakeholder analysis, ground rules, warm-up
7. Collaboration: sharing decisions, team-work, empowerment
8. Common problems, establishing Framework principles, coping without some principles
9. Tailoring the process, task groups and white papers, continuing personal development.
10. Other agile methods: XP, Scrum, SAFe, etc.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, a student will be able to:
Teaching Methods
Although there are some formal lectures, you learn most from looking at a wide range of issues as they arise in workshops:
• Discussing situations that you or fellow students have encountered at work
• Watching facilitated workshops on video then analysing the script
• Playing similar roles yourself in workshops, with video feedback as appropriate
As well as participating in workshops, you will reflect on what happened, identifying what went well, what went badly, why and what to do next time. You will look at how people made decisions, how they should make decisions, how to fulfil the responsibilities of roles defined by the Agile Business Change Framework.
Some lectures cover Framework standards. Other lectures are more like a discussion where we all work through an example, identifying decisions that should be made, discussing issues and criteria that should be considered, and then making a decision.
The assignment on the practical modelling of requirements will involve the elicitation of requirements and their representation in appropriate formats. It will include an evaluation of the elicitation process.
The report will evaluate the management of risk in software or product development through the application of agile principles. This will include evaluation the role of different stakeholders in an agile development process.
Assessment Methods
This module is assessed through an examination and a written report of 2000 words.
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