Agile is a methodology based on iterative development, where requirements, ideas, and solutions evolve through collaboration between cross-functional teams.
The goal of creating an Agile environment here in IS&T is to BUILD solutions better and faster, RESPOND quickly to change and opportunities, and ENABLE the DLCs and Admin units to accelerate innovation.
We will continue to update this page with more information, and will also send information about additional training opportunities over the next few weeks.
We’ll be continuously improving this page. Please send any ideas to scrumincfeedback@mit.edu. Also, this is a custom curated page specifically for IT@MIT’s Agile initiative. However, there is plenty of other content that may be of interest to you. You can find all topics here.
Agile is a mind set. Its goal is to increase innovation and lower the cost to make change.
Scrum is a framework of best practices. It dramatically increase productivity.
Agility is a mindset. There is no hard and fast definition. It is based on emergent principals and looks different depending on the context it is being used in. The term Agile was coined when a handful of thought leaders were trying to solve problems associated with software development. The Agile Manifesto’s four values were the result of everything that they could agree on. Later, a set of 12 principles were added to the values.
Most Agile development is based on a combination of Scrum and eXtreme Programming. Scrum is the way teams work. XP is a set of technical practices. Together they form the backbone of what it means to be Agile. However, there are numerous patterns and practices that have emerged from the Agile community that can solve known problems, augment the framework and help in specific contexts.
Please read the Agile Manifesto as well as the 12 principles that articulate the Agile mind-set. Please use this site as a reference for understanding more about the Agile methodology and the Scrum framework.
Below is short and digestible video that gives you a quick overview of how Scrum works.
Click for an interactive tour of the Scrum Framework
The best place to start is with The Basics of Scrum, an eight page primer on the core Scrum framework. The Scrum Guide is the official document of Scrum. It is endorsed by its founders and the Scrum Alliance, the official certifying body of Scrum. These resources, along with the info-graphic linked to the right, will give you the minimum knowledge necessary to have a successful understanding of the Scrum framework.
Below are a handful of key topics that include an hour-long online courses that discuss the basics.
Helpful Topics
Scrum Fundamentals
Solid Scrum fundamentals will increase your productivity and help management see how Scrum is working for them. How is your Velocity trending? What is your kaizen? What makes the top item in your Product Backlog so important? No matter how strong your Scrum …
Scrum Pitfalls Pt. I
The iterative nature of Scrum is a risk management mechanism that, even when poorly implemented, usually results in at least a 30% improvement in productivity. The rules of Scrum are simple and straightforward, and the underlying principles are intuitive. That is not to say, however, …
Scrum Pitfalls Pt. II
Scrum Pitfalls Part II continues the conversation from Part I and dives deeper into the missteps we see Agile organizations commonly make. This episode will examine the role of leadership in Scrum and the importance of removing the right Impediments. These …
Pattern Language: Finish Early, Accelerate Fast
Finish Early, Accelerate Faster (FEAF) is a Scrum pattern language composed of a number of Scrum Patterns used together. FEAF is an incredibly powerful pattern language because it will help new Teams establish good practices and take experienced Teams
Writing User Stories
User Stories are Product Backlog Items that are concise and clear descriptions of functionality in terms of its value to the end user. The User Story always takes the form: “As a ______ I want to ___________ so that I can ______.” Our experience has shown that when a …
Definition of Done
Each Scrum Team has its own Definition of Done. What matters is that each Team has a shared definition that every one understands. The Team’s Definition of Done is used to assess when work on a User Story has been completed.Here’s …
Definition of Ready
Having a Definition of Ready means that stories must be immediately actionable. The Team must be able to determine what needs to be done and the amount of work required to complete the User Story or
Points vs Hours
Estimation is a fundamental building block in Scrum. Without it Product Owners and Scrum Masters will struggle with securing a release date and showing velocity improvement. When adopting Scrum the tendency is to continue approximating in time. Unfortunately, reams …
Retrospectives Online Course
The Happiness Metric is a simple, fast, and effective way of surfacing the kaizen, or process improvement, during the Sprint Retrospective. Everyone knows instinctively that happy people do higher quality work, delight customers, and contribute to a better workplace. More and more, talented people simply …
Welcome to ScrumLab’s Online Course Library! You can also have access to all of Jeff Sutherland’s white papers.
All of our online courses earn both Project Management Institute PDUs and Scrum Alliance SEUs. For more on how to claim your PDUs and SEUs, visit our FAQ page.
Selected Scrum Papers
Teams that Finish Early Accelerate Faster: A Pattern Language for High Performing Scrum Teams
The First Scrum
Jeff Sutherland, Ph.D. PatientKeeper, Inc., 2004
First Scrum Scaling at IDX Systems 1996-2000: Scrum on Large Projects
Jeff Sutherland, Copyright 2000 – 2015
The Scrum Development Process
K. Schwaber, “Scrum Development Process,” in OOPSLA Business Object Design and Implementation Workshop, J. Sutherland, D. Patel, C. Casanave, J. Miller, and G. Hollowell, Eds. London: Springer, 1997
How a Traditional Project Manager Transforms to Scrum: PMBOK vs. Scrum
J. Sutherland and N. Ahmad, presented at Agile 2011, Salt Lake City.
Scrum- A Pattern Language for Software Development
M. Beedle, M. Devos, Y. Sharon, K. Schwaber, and J. Sutherland, vol. 4, N. Harrison, Ed. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1999, pp. 637-651.
Three Steps to an Effective Retrospective
Scrum Inc. December 2012
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