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

# Overview
Switching to an agile process always implies a big change. For team members to accept the change, their hopes and fears must be respected. Therefore, we must carefully watch the project members when introducing any change. Otherwise, the change may cause us to lose more than we gain. Therefore, the process we are using must constantly adapt to the needs of the people using it. The best way to figure out their needs is by communicating with them intensively and directly and to respect their concerns.

# Culture of change: Humans & mackerels
An #key# article: Peer Van der Helm and Dieter Stopper, Von Makrelen und Menschen (About Mackerels and Human Beings). DAV Panorama, Nr. 1, Issue 54 2002. #key# published recently in the German magazine _DAV Panorama_ about human behavior compared the behavior of mackerels with that of humans.

The results were astonishing:
* Mackerels and human beings normally show a similar reaction if they are in a large group.
* If mackerels or humans are starving, they react irrationally. For example, if a mackerel is hungry, it is much easier to catch with a fishing rod, while poor people invest in the lottery.
* Both mackerels and humans are creatures of habit. Mackerels have lots of habits, and they *always* follow them. People also have lots of habits and experience great difficulty in breaking away from them. 



Examine the characteristics of corporate culture and human nature that resist changes in culture.

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

People Shape the Process: Culture of Change

Overview

Culture of change: Humans & mackerels