RE: [AM] Problems ever occur in Agile?

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
**** Bounces like rubber! Shatters like ceramic! ****
Discover Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty in grown up=20
handfuls. It's the creativity unleashing, mood enhancing=20
desk toy!
http://click.topica.com/=
caab5n2bUrKDAbWnbtka/ Crazy Aaron Enterprises
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

I know I personally can work around the phase talk if I need to.  For years=
 I have been ignoring phases and doing what works effectively, long before =
I heard of "agility" or XP.

Nevertheless, propagating the fiction of phases (even just for communicatio=
n purposes) makes it harder for the uninitiated to see the light.  XP is no=
t just doing all the waterfall phases for a small number of requirements in=
 a short period of time.  The compression of time provides the freedom to d=
o what makes sense for each task, even if it means sometimes doing the stan=
dard phases out of order or piecemeal, or skipping some entirely.  The time=
 compression facilitates communication by cooperative learning instead of b=
y writing documents, modeling to work things out together instead of produc=
ing a model to communicate your design to whoever has to code it, maintain =
it, or integrate with it.=20

The fiction of phases not only makes it hard to gain this holistic view, bu=
t it creates an artificial need for people to specialize in a single phase =
and throw their deliverables over the wall to the next set of specialists. =
 These aritificial walls are difficult barriers to break down after they ha=
ve been constructed in our minds.

I cannot think of anything that makes it harder for my students to understa=
nd agility than the subconscious brainwashing they have been given with res=
pect to phases throughout their education.  I think the same may be true of=
 IT managers.=20=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Lutowski [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 6:20 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [AM] Problems ever occur in Agile?


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Are you looking for savings on products you use everyday?=20
Visit Quality Health today and see the coupons, free=20
samples and special offers our members enjoy each and=20
everyday.
http://click.topica.com/caab3ozbUrKDAbWlcrsa/ Ivo Interactive
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Steven Gordon wrote:
>=20
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> **** Bounces like rubber! Shatters like ceramic! ****
> Discover Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty in grown up
> handfuls. It's the creativity unleashing, mood enhancing
> desk toy!
> http://click.topica.com/caab5n2bUrKDAb7APIWa/ Crazy Aaron Enterprises
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>=20
> Agile software development is a holistic approach that does not have thes=
e discrete phases.  So, I guess my answer is I do not have any problems wit=
h these phases as more.


Phases are an integral part of formal methodologies because=20
of the problem these methodologies address.  Recall that
the earliest methodologies were from the gov't sector,
notably DoD.  I was a DoD (Navy) civil servant for 10 years
much of it in the software development area.  The following
are based on my recollections:

Management of DoD software projects has always presented=20
special difficulties because of the nature of the contracting=20
rules set by Congress.  The problem in a nutshell is that=20
gov't contracting agency employees are prohibited by law=20
from "managing" the employees of a contractor.  A gov't=20
contracting agency worker cannot tell or suggest (give the=20
appearance of telling) a contractor employee what to do.=20=20
That is the job of contractor management. Severe disciplinary=20
action can be taken against gov't employees who break this=20
rule.  (They also cannot buy one another gifts, and a lot
of similar restrictions.)

Of course, the gov't contracting agency must have some means
of directing and monitoring the action of the contractor.
As we all know, this need is especially acute in the case
of software development.  Given the constraints imposed
by Congress in their infinite wisdom (civil servants use a
number of such euphemisms to make their life more tolerable).
what is the gov't agency to do?

This is the _management_ problem that the infamous waterfall=20
and other formal methodologies are intended to help solve.

Which brings us to phases.

Phases are time periods during which certain tasks take
place.  In DoD and other gov't methodologies, they end
with a formal review in which documents are presented to,
and reviewed by, the contracting agency.  Usually there
are also meetings and presentations in which the employees=20
of both sides are able to get in some face-to-face without
undue fear of being hauled on the carpet for breaking
contracting laws.  The contracting agency can approve or
disapprove the work up to that point by approving or
disapproving the documents.  The documents thus serve as
a kind of "intermediary" that allow the contracting=20
agency to direct the work of the contractor without
violating, or appearing to violate, the contracting laws.

So waterfall and other formal, document-driven methodologies
are not inherently bad.  Instead, they are "best we can
do" solutions to an inherently bad situation imposed from=20
above.  In actual practice, contracting agencies typically
do whatever they have to do to get the job done, and the
methodologies serve more of a "check the box" function,
which hopefully keeps contracting layers off everbody's
back.  Other than that, the are often ignored by the
contractor working level, so their impact on the actual
development is not as severe as might be imagined.  This
is why some software developed for the gov't actually=20
works.

What is bad is when managers in industry or other=20
organizations not subject to gov't contracting laws
(Federal, state, or local) pick up these methodologies
and use them in place of more efficient management
mechanisms that are NOT prohibited to them as they are=20
to gov't agencies.  You can quess as well as I all the
reasons why private sector managers might do this.

So the first message here is that the holistic agile
approach will not work on gov't projects. If you tried
it, somebody would likely wind up getting fired, or=20
worse, for breaking the contracting laws.

The second message is to cut formal methodologies a
little slack, at least in the gov't sectors.  If it
really bothers you, write your elected officials a=20
letter and tell them how harmful their contracting
laws are.  (But don't expect anything to happen
because they have heard it all before. Congress fancies
itself guided by higher ideals such as "fairness".)

One more thing about phases.

In addition to providing a convenient point of control
for gov't contracting agencies, they can also serve as
convenient descriptive mechanisms for ANY software
development methodology.  When used in this way, the
business about ending them with formal reviews of
documents is usually dispensed with.  Freedom uses=20
phases for such descriptive purposes.  When methodologies
such as Freedom talk about phases, it should not be=20
taken to imply that a waterfall must be followed, or
formal reviews must be held, or that the phases cannot
overlap in time, i.e., requirements, design and coding
cannot proceed in parallel.  In these methodologies,
phases provide a convenient modularization function
for descriptive purposes.  If someone were to fully=20
automate the methodology at some point, the phases then
might become objects or classes or packages.  Nothing
would necessarily precludes them from executing in=20
parallel (unless maybe it was for a gov't project.)

So the third message is that, for methodologies like
Freedom that use phases for descriptive rather than=20
management control purposes, phases and agile's
holistic approach are _not_ mutually exclusive.

--=20
Rick Lutowski
Principal, JReality
[email protected]
http://www.jreality.com

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Menthol Smokers Only! Click on the link below and=20
register to receive up to $50 in savings from one of=20
America's leading menthol brands.=20
http://click.topica.com/caab4S3bUrKDAbWlcrsf/ Lorillard
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

For more information about AM, visit the Agile Modeling Home Page at www.ag=
ilemodeling.com

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Are you looking for savings on products you use everyday?=20
Visit Quality Health today and see the coupons, free=20
samples and special offers our members enjoy each and=20
everyday.
http://click.topica.com/=
caab3ozbUrKDAbWnbtkf/ Ivo Interactive
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

For more information about AM, visit the Agile Modeling Home Page at www.ag=
ilemodeling.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: =
[email protected]

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrKDA.=
bWnbtk.=
Z2NtYS1h
Or send an email to: [email protected]

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=3DTEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------