Chapter 4: Principles

Every decision taken during a project should be viewed in the light of the overriding project goal - to deliver what the business needs to be delivered, when it needs to be delivered.

It is important to remember that a project is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams will:

• Understand the true business priorities
• Establish a valid business case
• Ensure continuous business sponsorship and commitment
• Guarantee delivery of the Minimum Usable SubseT
• (this is explained in detail in the section on MoScoW prioritisation)

Delivering a solution on time is a very desirable outcome for a project and is quite often the single most important success factor. Late delivery can often undermine the very rationale for a project, especially where market opportunities or legal deadlines are involved.

Even for projects without a need for a fixed end date, on time delivery of intermediate or contributing products is still the best way to demonstrate control over evolution of the solution.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Timebox the work
• Focus on business priorities
• Always hit deadlines
• Build confidence through predictable delivery

Teams that work in a spirit of active cooperation and commitment will always outperform groups of individuals working only in loose association.

Collaboration encourages increased understanding, greater speed and shared ownership, which enable teams to perform at a level that exceeds the sum of their parts.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Involve the right stakeholders, at the right time, throughout the project
• Encourage pro-active involvement from the business representatives
• Ensure that all members of the team are empowered to take decisions on behalf of those they represent
• Build a one-team culture

In DSDM, the level of quality to be delivered should be agreed at the start. All work should be aimed at achieving that level of quality - no more and no less.

A solution has to be ‘good enough’. If the business agrees that the features in the Minimum Usable SubseT meet the agreed acceptance criteria, then the solution should be ‘good enough’ to use effectively.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Agree the level of quality from the outset, before development starts
• Ensure that quality does not become a variable
• Test early, test continuously and test to the appropriate level
• Build in quality by constant review
• Design and document appropriately

One of the key differentiators for DSDM within the Agile space is the concept of establishing firm foundations for the project before committing to significant development. DSDM advocates first understanding the scope of the business problem to be solved and the proposed solution, but not in such detail that the project becomes paralysed by overly detailed analysis of requirements.

Once firm foundations for development have been established, DSDM advocates incremental deliver y of the solution in order to deliver real business benefit as early as is practical. Incremental delivery encourages stakeholder confidence, offering a source of feedback for use in subsequent Timeboxes and may lead to the early realisation of business benefit.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Carry-out appropriate analysis and enough design up front (EDUF) to create strong foundations
• Formally re-assess priorities and informally re-assess ongoing project viability with each delivered Increment

DSDM uses a combination of Iterative Development, frequent demonstrations and comprehensive review to encourage timely feedback. Embracing change as par t of this evolutionary process allows the team to converge on an accurate business solution.

The concept of iteration is at the heart of everything developed as part of the DSDM approach. It is very rare that anything is created perfectly first time and it is important to recognise that projects operate within a changing world.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Build business feedback into each iteration
• Recognise that most detail should emerge later rather than sooner
• Embrace change – the right solution will not evolve without it
• Use iterative development to encourage creativity, experimentation and learning
• Change is inevitable; DSDM allows for change and harnesses its benefits.

Poor communication is often cited as the biggest single cause of project failure.

DSDM practices are specifically designed to improve communication effectiveness for both teams and individuals.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams need to:

• Encourage informal, face-to-face communication at all levels
• Run daily team stand-up sessions
• Use Workshops, with a facilitator where appropriate
• Use visual communication practices such as Modelling and Prototyping
• Demonstrate the Evolving Solution early and often
• Keep documentation lean and timely
• Manage the expectations of the stakeholder at all levels throughout the project
• Always aim for honesty and transparency in all communication

It is essential to be in control of a project at all times and to be able to demonstrate that this is the case. This can only be achieved by reference to a plan for the work being done, which is clearly aligned with agreed business objectives.

It is also vital to ensure transparency of all work being performed by the team.

In order to fulfil this principle, DSDM teams, especially the Project Manager and Team Leader, need to:

• Make plans and progress visible to all
• Measure progress through focus on delivery of products rather than completed activities
• Manage proactively
• Evaluate continuing project viability based on the business objectives
• Use an appropriate level of formality for tracking and reporting