The Goals For Iteration 0 Are:
1. Formalize a project team charter.
2. Discuss and finalize logistics (e.g. if people will collocate).
3. Discuss and setup initial infrastructure requirements.
4. Agree on which agile methodology the team will implement.
5. Design the sprints and cadence.
6. Discuss and agree on the definition of done (DoD) at the team and release level.
7. Assign the roles.
8. Discuss initial agile architecture.
9. Initial ramping up on the technologies and code base.
10. Finalize team agreements.
11. Anything else that is essential to get the team moving forward!
A Project Charter Describes:
1. Vision
2. Objectives
3. Methodology
4. Stakeholders
5. Team Members
6. Product Owner
7. Scrum Master
8. Release/Sprint Design
9. Milestones
10. Training Initiatives
11. Measures for Success
Below are Examples of Team Agreement, Definition of Done, and Measures for Success:
Team Agreement
1. Tell the Truth.
2. How does P1 issues get addressed in the Sprint.
3. Address any issues to the correct party (at the right time).
4. Meetings: Be on time, end on time, have an agenda.
5. Communicate individual schedule.
6. Update backlog/hours before daily Standup.
7. Be present for core hours: 9:00AM – 5:00PM.
8. Communication – to the best of our ability.
9. Publish phone numbers & Calendar.
10. Standup is at 9:00AM Pacific Time.
11. If unavailable for Standup, communicate status.
12. Automated Unit Test is a requirement for the project.
13. Pairing or code reviews are required for any shipping code.
14. Define DONE criteria and adhere to Release.
15. When pairing, turn off distractions (e.g. email, IM).
16. Define and adhere to DONE criteria for stories.
17. Record Accurate (actual) hours.
18. Define and adhere to Version Control rules.
19. Don’t break the CI build!
Definition of Done
1. Code produced (all ‘to do’ items in code completed).
2. Code commented, checked in and run against current version in source control.
3. Peer reviewed (or produced with pair programming) and meeting development standards.
4. Builds without errors.
5. Unit tests written and passing.
6. Deployed to system test environment and passed system tests.
7. Passed UAT (User Acceptance Testing) and signed off as meeting requirements (if applicable).
8. Any build/deployment/configuration changes implemented/documented/communicated.
9. Relevant documentation/diagrams produced and/or updated.
10. Remaining hours for task set to zero and task closed.
Measures for Success
1. Track to Release BurnUp Chart.
2. Track to Sprint Burndown Chart.
3. Consistent Velocity.
4. Increased Agile Maturity and Team Satisfaction.
5. Meeting CI and AUT standards as defined by the champions committee.
In conclusion, when starting with teams brand new to Agile, some planning is essential, otherwise you will be off to a shaky start that will require lots of patching along the way. This will lead to less value being delivered to the customer and increased frustration. Good Luck!
