umbrella term for a set of frameworks and practices based on developing working technology products through iterative development in close collaboration with users. The scope of agile projects is typically not fully defined up front and the methodology is best suited to complex IT projects where the specific solution is not yet known.
Waterfall development
breakdown of project activities into linear sequential phases with extensive planning and definition of the requirements at the beginning. Typically best suited to projects where the requirements and solution can be well defined at the start.
Scrum
a popular agile system development framework which organizes development teams into collaborative groups to iteratively develop digital products. The methodology defines specific roles within a team, such as scrum master and product owner.
Product owner
formal role in a scrum development team who develops a backlog of the features and capabilities which will be developed, and is accountable for maximizing the value of the product.
Scrum master
formal role in a scrum development team who guides the team members in theory and practice and is accountable for the team’s effectiveness.
Sprint
short, defined period of time where an agile team works to develop a working feature or product. Sprints typically last between 2-6 weeks and a project will contain many sequential sprints.
Backlog
also known as a product backlog, refers to a prioritized list of features and functionality to be designed and built into a system. The backlog is developed in coordination with the business users, and selected elements of the backlog are chosen to be developed in each sprint.
Minimum viable product (MVP)
agile terminology for an initial working version of an IT system which doesn’t contain all the features or functionality of the final product.
Kanban board
agile project management tool that visualizes work in progress at various stages of a process.
Benefits realization
project management methodology to track if a project or initiative is achieving its intended outcomes and delivering value.
