Process Goals and Tailoring
Process Goals and Tailoring are central concepts in Disciplined Agile that focus on customizing a team's way of working to best fit its specific context. Instead of prescribing a one-size-fits-all methodology, Disciplined Agile identifies key process goals that teams should strive to achieve throughout their work. These goals represent critical decision points such as 'Form Team', 'Explore Scope', 'Deliver Value', and 'Grow Team Members'. Each goal encompasses a range of process factors, options, and trade-offs that teams can consider. Tailoring involves teams making conscious choices about how they will achieve each process goal by selecting from various practices and strategies provided in the DA Toolkit. For example, under the goal 'Explore Scope', a team might choose options like user stories, use cases, or prototypes to understand stakeholder needs. The framework provides guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of each option, helping teams make informed decisions aligned with their project's requirements and constraints. This goal-driven approach ensures that teams are proactive in defining their processes rather than passively following a set methodology. It encourages critical thinking and continuous improvement, as teams regularly assess their practices and adapt them as necessary. Tailoring also promotes organizational alignment by allowing teams to meet broader governance and compliance requirements while still optimizing their own workflows. By focusing on process goals and tailoring, Disciplined Agile empowers teams to be agile in both their execution and their approach to processes. It acknowledges the complexity and variability of real-world projects and provides a structured yet flexible framework for teams to navigate that complexity. This leads to more effective teamwork, higher-quality outcomes, and greater satisfaction for both team members and stakeholders, as processes are honed to deliver maximum value efficiently.
Process Goals and Tailoring in Disciplined Agile
Introduction to Process Goals and Tailoring
Process goals and tailoring are foundational concepts in Disciplined Agile (DA) that enable organizations to customize their approach to software development and delivery based on their specific context. Understanding these concepts is crucial for successfully implementing DA and for passing certification exams.
What are Process Goals?
Process goals in Disciplined Agile represent the objectives that teams need to accomplish as part of their overall delivery lifecycle. Each process goal:
• Focuses on a specific aspect of the software delivery process
• Contains multiple potential strategies (called practice options) to achieve the goal
• Allows teams to select the most appropriate approach for their context
• Is described with a clear statement of intent and expected outcomes
DA defines over 20 process goals across various aspects of software delivery, including Inception, Construction, Transition, and ongoing governance.
Why Process Goals Matter
Process goals are important because they:
• Provide clarity on what needs to be accomplished rather than prescribing how it must be done
• Enable contextual decision making about the best approach
• Support a goal-driven rather than a prescriptive process
• Allow for evolution and improvement of practices over time
• Create a common language for discussing process improvement
Understanding Tailoring in Disciplined Agile
Tailoring is the practice of selecting and adapting process strategies to suit your specific context. In DA, tailoring means:
• Choosing appropriate strategies from the process goal options menu
• Adapting those strategies as needed for your situation
• Making informed decisions based on trade-offs
• Evolving your approach as you learn and as circumstances change
How Tailoring Works
The tailoring process in DA follows these steps:
1. Understand your context: Team size, geographic distribution, domain complexity, organizational culture, technical environment, etc.
2. Identify relevant process goals: Determine which process goals are applicable to your situation
3. Evaluate practice options: For each goal, review the available strategies
4. Select appropriate strategies: Choose strategies that best fit your context
5. Adapt as needed: Modify strategies to better match your specific needs
6. Implement and reflect: Apply the chosen approaches and regularly evaluate their effectiveness
7. Evolve your approach: As you learn more about what works, continue to refine your process
Key Principles of Effective Tailoring
• Context counts: What works in one situation may not work in another
• Choice is good: Having multiple options helps find the best fit
• Start simple: Begin with straightforward approaches and add complexity when needed
• Optimize flow: Focus on improving the overall delivery process, not just individual practices
• Guided continuous improvement: Use the DA framework to guide your evolution
Example of Process Goal and Tailoring
Consider the process goal "Explore Scope":
• Goal: Identify and prioritize features to be built
• Context: A team working on a customer-facing financial application
• Available strategies: User stories, use cases, lightweight requirements, formal requirements documents
• Tailoring decision: The team might choose user stories for most features but use more detailed use cases for regulatory compliance features
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Process Goals and Tailoring
1. Understand the context first: In scenario-based questions, analyze the described situation before selecting an answer.
2. Remember that DA is goal-driven: Questions often test whether you focus on goals rather than specific practices.
3. Look for contextual clues: The best answer will usually account for the specific situation described in the question.
4. Know the common process goals: Familiarize yourself with the major process goals in DA and their purpose.
5. Focus on flexibility over rigidity: Answers suggesting rigid application of practices are typically incorrect in DA exams.
6. Balance pragmatism and agility: The best answer often balances practical considerations with agile values.
7. Recognize tailoring indicators: Terms like "context-specific," "adapted approach," and "situational choices" often point to correct answers.
8. Be aware of trade-offs: Questions may ask you to identify the appropriate trade-offs when selecting strategies.
9. Apply the guided continuous improvement mindset: Look for answers that support ongoing evolution of practices.
10. Consider organizational impact: Remember that tailoring decisions can impact other teams and the broader organization.
By mastering the concepts of process goals and tailoring, you'll be well-equipped to apply Disciplined Agile effectively and succeed in certification exams.
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