What does the Agile Manifesto contain?
The Agile Manifesto, created in 2001 by seventeen software developers, is a foundational document for various Agile methodologies and frameworks. The manifesto is composed of four key values and twelve principles that guide Agile practices.
Here are the four key values of the Agile Manifesto:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Responding to change over following a plan.
The manifesto emphasizes the items on the left (e.g., “individuals and interactions”) while acknowledging that the items on the right (e.g., “processes and tools”) have value, but they are of lesser importance in the Agile philosophy.
In addition to these values, the Agile Manifesto also lists twelve principles:
- Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
- Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
- Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
- Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
- The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
- Working software is the primary measure of progress.
- Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
- Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
- Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
- The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
- At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
These values and principles serve as the foundation for various Agile methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and others. They provide a philosophical approach to software development that emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
What does the Agile Manifesto contain?
