Agile Values and Principles

This is a slightly more generic and software-development-agnostic interpretation of the Agile Values and Principles described in the original Manifesto for Agile Software Development (February 11-13, 2001, The Lodge at Snowbird ski resort in the Wasatch mountains of Utah).

Manifesto for Agile Value Creation

We are uncovering better ways of creating and delivering value by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Value created 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.

Principles behind the Agile Manifesto

We follow these principles:

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of value.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in the value-creation process. Agile processes harness change for the customers’ competitive advantage.
3. Deliver value frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Businesspeople and people directly involved in creating value must work together continuously throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a team is face-to-face conversation.
7. ‘Value created’ is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable progress in value creation and delivery. The sponsors, people directly involved in creating value, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity - the art of maximizing the amount of work not done - is extremely essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly.