Initiating a DA Team

Initiating a Disciplined Agile (DA) team is a critical first step that sets the foundation for success. The process begins with forming the team, ensuring you have the right mix of skills and perspectives needed for the work ahead. This includes identifying key roles such as Product Owner, team members, and the Scrum Master/Team Lead. During initiation, the team establishes its way of working (WoW). This involves selecting an appropriate lifecycle - whether it's Agile/Scrum, Lean/Kanban, or a hybrid approach that best suits the project context. The team must also determine how they'll coordinate with other teams and stakeholders. A crucial aspect is aligning on the mission and vision. The team needs clarity on what they're trying to achieve, why it matters, and how success will be measured. This includes defining initial goals, understanding constraints, and identifying risks. The team should create their workspace, both physical and virtual, to support collaboration. This means setting up the necessary tools, communication channels, and information radiators that enable transparent work practices. Documentation needs are also addressed during initiation - what's the minimum documentation required to support the team's work while keeping bureaucracy in check? Perhaps most importantly, the team establishes initial governance - how decisions will be made, how the team will be funded, how progress will be tracked, and what metrics matter. The Disciplined Agile toolkit provides multiple strategies for each of these aspects, allowing teams to choose approaches that make sense for their unique situation rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions. Successful initiation in DA requires balancing structure with flexibility, establishing just enough process to be effective while allowing for adaptation as the team learns and evolves.

Initiating a Disciplined Agile (DA) team is a critical first step that sets the foundation for success. The process begins with forming the team, ensuring you have the right mix of skills and perspec…

Concepts covered: Forming the Team and Defining Roles, Defining the Team's Way of Working (WoW), Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders, Setting Up the Work Environment, Training and Onboarding Team Members, Setting Up the Technical Infrastructure, Creating the Initial Product Backlog, Establishing Governance and Compliance Practices, Establishing Communication Channels, Defining the Definition of Done, Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders, Establishing Team Logistics and Infrastructure, Tailoring the Approach to the Team's Context, Establishing Team Governance and Policies, Conducting Risk Identification and Management Planning, Identifying Stakeholders and Building Trust, Aligning on Vision and Objectives