Agile, the new development paradigm, is used today throughout software development life cycles, but also for other information technology (IT) product development. Under the “agile” name is a whole family of related modern development methodologies represented in a pyramid fashion. Different methodologies include (in descending top-bottom order from more to less prescriptive): extreme programming (XP), Scrum, Crystal Clear, evolutionary project management (EVO), the agile software development methodology, feature-driven development (FDD), the dynamic systems development method (DSDM) Atern, lean thinking, organizational learning, and more. They were conceived to deliver software programs or systems, including software and hardware, from internal and external perspectives.

Managing a general agile-based product development project is a subject covered by many books and dedicated papers. Few of them deal with the specific agile management of an agile product development process. This book aims to cover this first major objective. Second, it details the ways in which assigned program or project managers for agile development teams should act through their combined leadership, management, and facilitating capabilities to successfully direct the team along the agile development project. As a third major objective, the material offers a set of tools, human psychological concepts, and philosophies considered very useful for becoming a successful agile development project manager.

The thread is continued in the second chapter, which is dedicated to agile team leadership psychology. Four main skills of the agile manager/leader are presented: effective communicator, diplomat, effective listener, and analytical thinker. The authors recommend placing the emphasis on the individual members of the agile development team instead of on the development process and related tools, looking first to independence and interdependence and then to overall individual and team goals. The idea is to provide different human psychological concepts. First is the interactive process of “locus of empowerment” determined by informed choice and self-determination. This process is linked to self-efficacy and “locus of control.” The latter, as an individual’s belief system, emphasizes the extent to which any team member thinks he might control the events affecting him, respectively being related to the individual causes of his experiences, successes, or failures. Also, there is a focus on the agile development characteristics of self-organizing teams, on how to create stable team membership and an environment of growth by mentoring and learning from each other and then ensuring system and software architecture, integration, and final testing.

The third chapter deals with an overall understanding of the agile team. It starts by presenting graphical concepts of the traditional program development cycle compared to those of the typical agile program development life cycle, including requirement changes. Two case studies are presented with discussions of the general agile team dynamics, team member dynamics, differences between classical and agile team dynamics, and cultural and diversity differences.

The fourth chapter is dedicated to productivity tools for modern team members, as communication and collaborative tools are considered crucial. It details the productivity tools needed for agile managers and agile developers, and the future of agile development productivity tools.

Measuring the deployment progress and the success of an agile project is the subject of chapter 5. It introduces the reader to the classical earned value management system (EVMS) concepts broken into seven major precepts, and then it discusses agile development through the new specific agile EVMS and its precepts. They allow agile managers to keep track of the large volumes of information and the lessons learned along the agile projects. Agile EVMS is detailed with its specific metrics, including entropy measures, volatility of teams, and volatility of software defects.

The final chapter concludes how modern design methodologies are linked to information and knowledge management. The authors recommend three paradigm domains that the agile manager should embrace in order to keep a sustained rhythm of the agile development team along the full agile development life cycle. Agile managers and leaders are cautiously advised on how they must understand all development team aspects for a successful long-term agile project. Finally, there are 79 references and a two-page index.

I recommend this professional book to any agile manager, leader, or development team member.