This is a super quick reference guide to agile project management. In this guide we cover the following two approaches:
Agile Sprint Cycle
Here is a diagram of how the Agile Sprint Cycle works. We will explore this below.
Agile Sprint Cycle
Sprint Kickoff Meeting
For a more detailed overview of the sprint kickoff view our guide. Its key outcomes are to:
- Set the sprint focus
- Prioritise the backlog items
- Add items to the Sprint Backlog
Implementation
This is the implementation phase, this happens during the sprint when the work is being delivered.
- Backlog items self assigned by team
- Pull Request created
- Solution developed
During the implementation phase the following also happens:
Daily Standup (Daily Scrum)
Read the more indepth Daily Standup guide here.
- What did you do last
- What will you do next
- Any blockers
- Change of priority needed?
Sprint Refinement
This happens mid-way through the sprint, its purpose is to prepare for the next sprint, but it can also be used to adjust the current sprint if needed.
- Does current sprint need adjusting?
- Assess priorities
- Refine backlog to prepare it for next sprint
Sprint Retrospective
This happens at the end of a sprint. In this meeting we gather feedback to adjust processes to improve performance and relationships.
- What went well
- What went not so well
- What did we learn
Agile Project Management with Kanban
Here is an example of a Wholesome Code project board.
This kind of board is called a ‘Kanban board’. They kind you might find in the GitHub projects view.
Of course the type of project used in this example is a WordPress plugin development.
Example of a Kanban Board
New Items
New issues are placed in the New Items column, until they have been estimated. This estimate should include:
- Priority (we can determine the issue priority using MoSCoW)
- Size
This issue is then placed into the project backlog.
Backlog
This is reviewed during the Sprint Kickoff. Items are then placed into the Sprint Backlog, ensuring the following:
- High priority items are moved forward first
- The items moved forward do not exceed the capacity of the team.
Sprint Backlog
The priorities of items this column are reviewed daily during the Daily Standup.
Unplanned high priority work may result in some items being descoped or moved back into the backlog.
Items that are actively being worked on are place in the ‘In Progress’ column.
In Progress
Solutions for issues in this column are actively being worked on by a team member. Once they are completed they are moved into the QA column for review.
QA (Quality Assurance)
At this point a PR (Pull Request) will have been created for an issue, this goes through a minimum of two stages of review:
- Code Review
- Functional Testing
If the solution passes the review stage it will be made live and the related issue will be moved into the Done column.
If however it does not pass it will either:
- Result in minor feedback placed on the PR
- Have a new issues created clarifying scope or functionality.