Gain insights into applying Agile methods in large projects and teams. Explore challenges, best practices, and strategies to secure organizational buy-in for successful implementation.

Agile methods allow us to handle rapidly changing requirements, typical in most software projects. These methods are conventionally used for small teams and software projects. However, in this course, you will learn how to effectively apply Agile methods to large software projects and large teams.

You’ll start with a recap of the Agile Manifesto, followed by a description of the common challenges associated with Agile methods in the context of large software projects. You’ll learn how Agile approaches have been applied to build responsibility. Next, you’ll learn about approaches to apply Agile methods in the processes. You will then learn best practices for applying Agile methods such as software testing, and software architecture. 

This course provides insights into successful and unsuccessful approaches to introducing agility to teams, processes, and technology aspects of large projects. It also teaches strategies to secure organizational buy-in for agility in the context of large projects and teams.

Applying Agile Methods to Large Teams and Projects

# Establishing a learning environment
Let’s look at the different possibilities for establishing a learning environment. Most of these can be learned from experience, and a review team can ensure that these experiences will be shared. It is also worth analyzing how much can be learned from failure and how a culture of failure can foster learning. All these factors impact individual learning during development.

## Review team
In addition to a (virtual) technical service team, we might also consider installing a virtual review team to look after the code and design. All the developers are qualified to belong to this team, which means we do not have to specifically pick skilled ones. The review team provides a great learning opportunity for all. The developers will learn a lot by reviewing and seeing different kinds of code, and those being reviewed will also learn a lot from the reviewers' comments. An internal review team helps to not only improve the code and design but also the skills of everybody involved.

Often, we will see that it is a huge motivation for the developers to belong to the review team. To give everybody the chance to learn through review, the staff of the review team should change over time. Often, the same people will stay together in a team for only one iteration or release cycle. The review team has to be careful not to be too picky because this will hinder the teams from accepting suggestions.

### Post-review skill dissemination
To spread the acquired skills, the review team should define the good and bad habits they detect the most often. The whole team can then work on those issues in different ways:
* Somebody can deliver a lecture about the topic in question. If time and money permit, we might even consider inviting an expert in
the field to talk about the topic.
* Install study groups focusing on the topic, like pattern-reading groups. Invite all participants to come prepared to the session—this will support learning how to learn—and to talk about what they have learned and what they still do not understand.
* Publish a newsletter, which covers the “dos” and “don'ts” discovered by the review team. The reviewers should serve as the editors. Make the organizational structure of the newsletter as simple as possible: distribute it via email or the wiki web. Make sure it isn’t too long—half a page is fine—otherwise nobody will read it. Make sure the articles give examples and counterexamples to illustrate the points.
* Define one to three topics as focal points for the next development cycle. This means all the developers will concentrate specifically on eliminating bad habits.

### External reviewers
Of course, we can also consider occasionally asking external reviewers to inspect the efforts of the team. Sometimes the outside perspective of external reviewers can give us a new insight into our system. However, if the internal review team understands the job, external reviewers rarely add extra value. 



Learn about the importance of establishing a learning environment and appreciation for a culture of failure.

Introduction to the Course

Agility and Largeness

Dealing with Large Teams

Dealing with the Process

Dealing with the Technology

Dealing with the Company

Putting It All Together: A Project Report (Case Study)

Final Thoughts

Company Culture Shapes Individuals: Learning Environment

Establishing a learning environment

Review team