Methodologies such as Extreme Programming (XP), Scrum, and agile software development promise increased customer satisfaction, lower defect rates, faster development times, and a solution to rapidly changing requirements. Plan-driven approaches such as Cleanroom, the Personal Software Process, or methods based on the Capability Maturity Model promise predictability, stability, and high assurance. However, both agile and planned approaches have situation-dependent shortcomings that, if left unaddressed, can lead to project failure. The challenge is to balance the two approaches to take advantage of their strengths in a given situation while compensating for their weaknesses. We present a risk-based approach for structuring projects to incorporate both agile and plan-driven approaches in proportion to a project’s needs. We drew this material from our book, Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed, to be published in 2003.
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