This PRINCE2 Agile glossary forms a comprehensive set of definitions for PRINCE2 Agile.
A B C D E F G I K L M P R S T V W
- agile behaviours
- These behaviours epitomise the Agile way of working, such as collaboration, self-organisation, customer-focus, empowerment, and a culture of trust over blame.
- agile plans
- Agile plans often present features (or sets of features) in a sequenced order along with their dependencies and are typically formulated collaboratively by the team set to carry out the work. At the delivery-team level, Agile plans are often informal or low-tech, potentially consisting of simple to-do lists or backlogs, but are nonetheless effective. Product-based planning can be applied across all project levels, including product delivery.
- Agilometer
- The Agilometer tool helps a project team assess the level of risk associated with using agile on a project using PRINCE2. This allows the tailoring of PRINCE2 in ways that best mitigate the level of risk.
- Backlog
- A catalogue of new features to be added to a product. This list might consist of user stories, each articulating the need for a feature and the reason for it. ‘Backlog’ can also be a broad term describing releases, sprints, and products.
- backlog item
- An entry in a backlog, which may take the form of a user story or task and can be stored in various formats such as spreadsheets or on a whiteboard.
- baseline
- The reference points against which an entity is monitored and managed.
- brainstorming
- A technique that aids a team in idea generation. During the brainstorming session, ideas aren’t reviewed but are examined at a later stage. This method is often utilised by problem management to identify potential causes.
- burn chart
- A technique showing progress (such as within a timebox), where completed work and remaining work are depicted with one or more lines that are updated regularly, perhaps even daily.
- burn-down chart
- This chart visualises the amount of outstanding work.
- burn-up chart
- This chart shows the amount of work completed.
- business ambassador
- A role from DSDM that is the main role providing the business view of a project. This role is sometimes known as requirements engineer or business analyst.
- centre of excellence
- A centralised function within an organisation responsible for providing standardisation, method consistency, process management, knowledge management, assurance and training across portfolios, programmes and projects.
- class of service
- A broadly defined category for different types of work, influencing selection decisions as different classes of service often have qualitatively different risk profiles, especially regarding schedule risk and the cost of delay. Four generic classes of service are widely recognised: ‘standard’, ‘fixed date’, ‘expedite’, and ‘intangible’.
- customer subject matter expert
- A role assigned to the delivery team to act as a representative for all customer stakeholders, ensuring that the project product (and its components) is understood and is accurate at a detailed level. Also known as customer SME.
- definition of ‘done’
- A collection of criteria established to verify whether a task or a group of tasks is concluded. It categorizes tasks as either ‘done’ or ‘not done’.
- definition of ‘ready’
- Criteria employed to evaluate if a task is prepared to be initiated.
- demo
- Short for ‘demonstration’, this is an occasion where a product or an interim product, regardless of its readiness, is presented to an individual or a group (like a customer) to solicit feedback and illustrate progress. The product showcased could be static (such as a paper design) or dynamic (like a working prototype).
- discovery (phase)
- Refer to sprint zero.
- disruptive
- Generally, this term signifies situations laden with considerable uncertainty (like product innovation) and where the product under development is anticipated to significantly disrupt (whether intentionally or unintentionally) the existing environment or marketplace (like 3D printing).
- Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
- This is an agile project delivery framework designed and owned by the DSDM consortium.
- early adopter
- This term refers to a customer who is among the first to purchase or use a product. They often have a penchant for innovative products and hence, may be ready to pay a premium for them, despite these products potentially not achieving the quality that subsequent customers will receive. Such customers are immensely useful for obtaining early feedback on the product.
- emergent
- In the context of agile, this refers to the process of formulating solutions and making decisions in a manner that gradually culminates in a precise solution without extensive preparatory work. The antithesis would be to expend time and attempt to predict future events. An example would be ’emergent architecture’ where the approach could either be to plan how the product will be built in advance or begin work on the product and let the optimal architecture evolve as the product progresses.
- empirical/empiricism
- Decision-making based on observable evidence as opposed to reasoning or intuition.
- epic
- An overarching description of a requirement that hasn’t been adequately refined or comprehended yet. Eventually, an epic will be delineated and broken down into multiple user stories or requirements.
- experiment
- This is an investigation into a concept that is executed in a series of specific steps (which may involve research) to prove or disprove a theory or idea. This can be utilized to validate an idea or to attempt to enhance something such as the functioning of a team.
- feature
- A general term often used to delineate something a product can do or how it does something. The level of detail in a feature can vary extensively (e.g., it is waterproof, it emits a sound when switched off) and can be linked to a specific requirement, user story, or epic. Another synonymous term is ‘function’.
- flow-based
- This methodology steers clear of dividing work into timeboxes and instead manages work using a queue. Work is consistently pulled into the system (which might be a high-level timebox in itself) and progresses through various states until its completion.
- gap analysis
- This is a process that compares two data sets and identifies the differences. Gap analysis is frequently used to compare a set of requirements with actual delivery.
- Glad! Sad! Mad!
- This is a feedback method that can be utilized by a team during a retrospective. Each team member writes on one or more sticky notes and places them in the appropriate column. This allows others to understand what made them ‘glad’, ‘sad’, or even ‘mad’ during the last timebox.
- information radiator
- A general term describing the use of walls or boards containing information that can be readily accessed by those working on the project. It can contain any information, although it typically shows work to do and how work is progressing.
- Kaizen
- A Japanese philosophy that translates to ‘good change’ but is widely interpreted as continual improvement. It involves everyone contributing regularly to make many small beneficial changes that build up over time to improve the efficiency of a team or organization’s operations.
- Kanban
- A method to enhance flow and trigger system improvement through visualization and control of work in progress. In kanji (Chinese characters), it translates to ‘sign’ or ‘large visual board’. In hiragana (Japanese characters), it translates to ‘signal cards’. In technical presentations of the mechanics of Kanban systems, it usually means the latter. Informally, it refers to the use of Kanban systems (visual or otherwise) and the Kanban method.
- Kanban board
- A tool used in Kanban to visually depict work in the system (or timebox). It typically consists of a series of columns and possibly rows where work items move from left to right as they move through various states to completion.
- Kanban method
- An evolutionary approach to change described by David J. Anderson via Six Core Practices and Four Foundational Principles.
- Kanban system
- A ‘pull system’ implemented by limiting the number of Kanban (cards) in circulation.
- Kano
- A model, developed by Professor Noriaki Kano, used to help understand customer preferences. The Kano model classifies product or service attributes into areas such as basic factors, excitement factors, and performance factors.
- lead time/cycle time
- While these terms sometimes generate different interpretations within the Kanban community, they essentially refer to the duration a work item spends moving through the system or timebox. Hence, although their specific interpretations can vary, they fundamentally represent the same concept.
- Lean
- An approach that emphasizes process improvement by maximizing value and eliminating waste, such as unproductive time and effort.
- Lean Startup
- Initially a strategy for creating and managing startup companies, it’s now applied to all types of businesses to help quickly deliver products to customers.
- level of quality
- The comprehensive quality level of a product, as defined by the project product description (customer’s quality expectations and acceptance criteria).
- minimum viable product (MVP)
- Within a PRINCE2 Agile context, the term MVP generally aligns with the Lean Startup perspective that it is a ‘form of the final product that enables maximum validated learning with minimal effort’. This shouldn’t be confused with the project’s overall viability. Typically, an MVP would be delivered as soon as possible during the project. An MVP is about learning and may not be operationally used; it could take the form of a simple experiment or prototype.
- MoSCoW
- A technique used to classify items such as requirements or tasks into one of the four following categories based on how they relate to a deadline:
– Must have
– Should have
– Could have
– Won’t have for now. - Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
- A four-stage cycle for process management, attributed to W. Edwards Deming. Plan-Do-Check-Act, also known as the Deming Cycle, involves the following stages: Plan (design or revise processes that support the IT services); Do (implement the plan and manage the processes); Check (measure the processes and IT services, compare with objectives, and produce reports); Act (plan and implement changes to improve the processes).
- product owner
- This role involves the management of the product backlog. The person in this role ensures maximum value is extracted from the backlog by ordering and prioritizing it.
- product roadmap
- This document or visual aid displays the proposed development pathway for a product. Typically, it’s a long-term plan spanning several months or even years. While it exists outside the project context, it may trigger project work.
- project kick-off
- Typically, a singular event where visioning activities occur, and the team comes together for the first time. Preparation is crucial to use time as effectively as possible during this event, which may include one or more workshops.
- prototype
- A prototype is a preliminary model of something, created to test or validate an idea, or to better understand a situation (like the customer’s needs). It could either evolve into an actual product or be discarded after use.
- pull system
- A method of operation where work is initiated or ‘pulled’ from upstream as and when capacity is available. In Kanban systems, which are pull systems, the availability of capacity and the ability to pull work is indicated by the gap between current work in progress and the corresponding limit.
- push system
- The practice of assigning work to a system or activity without considering its available capacity.
- release
- A set of products included in a handover, managed, tested, and deployed as a single entity.
- requirement
- A description of what a product will do and/or how it will do it. A requirement can also be expressed as a user story.
- retrospective
- A routine event that reviews and improves the process of work execution. It promotes continuous improvement in alignment with agile principles.
- SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
- A comprehensive framework facilitating the use of agile methodologies across an entire organization.
- safe-to-fail
- An experiment designed with such safeguards that even in the event of failure, the impact on the overall system or plan remains minimal.
- Scrum
- An iterative approach to product delivery that provides a framework to address complex, adaptive problems while creatively and efficiently delivering products of maximum value.
- Scrum master
- A role in Scrum responsible for ensuring that the Scrum principles, practices, and rules are understood and followed by the team.
- Scrumban
- The application of Kanban principles and practices within a Scrum context.
- spike (or spiking)
- A short-term work initiative aimed at gaining more insight about a specific situation, often used to reduce uncertainty from a technical or customer viewpoint.
- sprint
- A pre-set period (usually 2-4 weeks) designated for creating selected features from the product backlog.
- sprint zero
- An initial sprint designed to handle many upfront activities such as forming a team, defining the vision, outlining the architecture, etc.
- stand-up meeting
- A brief meeting to assess progress, often lasting 15 minutes or less, where work done, work to be done, and any challenges encountered are discussed.
- supplier subject matter expert
- A role within the delivery team that provides technical skills to create and initially quality-check the project product. Also known as the supplier SME.
- team dynamics
- The interaction between team members, relating to their attitudes and the team’s culture. These dynamics require careful management as they can either drive the team forward when healthy or cause breakdowns when negative.
- test-driven
- The approach of writing tests or quality checks before creating the product or its parts, instead of after.
- timebox
- A finite time period dedicated to achieving a specific goal or objective. The deadline is fixed, with work within it being prioritized. Lower-level timeboxes are days or weeks long (like sprints), while higher-level ones contain multiple lower-level timeboxes (like stages).
- trading (or swapping)
- The act of managing change by replacing one or more requirements with others of similar size in terms of effort.
- transparency
- A key agile behavior that involves making as much information visible as possible to facilitate effective work. It encompasses progress display, frequent product delivery, and attributes like openness and honesty.
- validated learning
- The process of learning through carefully designed, scientific experiments that validate whether the experiment was successful or not.
- value
- The benefits acquired in proportion to the resources used to achieve them.
- velocity
- The rate at which a team is progressing. For instance, if a team completes 20 user stories per week, this is their velocity. It can be used to forecast their future rate of progress, given that the conditions remain constant.
- vision
- The statement that describes a desired future state.
- visioning
- An activity or phase that aims to understand the overall goal of a project, answering questions like: Why is this work happening? Who is it for? What might it look like?
- waterfall method
- A development approach that is linear and sequential, with each phase having distinct goals. Once a phase is completed, the process moves to the next one without revisiting the previous stages.
- work in progress (WIP)
- Work that has begun but not yet delivered from the system or timebox. It can also indicate the status of incidents, problems, changes, etc.
- work-in-progress (WIP) limit
- A constraint on the amount of work in progress allowed in a specific part of the system at any one time. Typically represented as a number, it forms the concept of a pull system.
- workshop
- An event where participants come together to achieve a specific objective, such as creating a list of requirements or solving a problem. It emphasizes interaction and creativity for quick and accurate work.
