Factors associated with the software development agility of successful projects

Currently there is considerable debate among practitioners and researchers on the nature of software development agility and conditions under which it is linked to project success. Evidence from practitioner narratives and the agile development literature is inconclusive. This empirical study of successful projects aims to answer the following question: what factors in the project and its environment are indicative of software development agility in successful projects? Members of the PRINCE2, PMI and agile communities of practice were engaged via local interviews and an international survey. The interviews, which employed the card sort technique, provided preliminary answers. Analysis of the survey data revealed that software development agility was indicated by a project environment factor (organizational culture) and a project factor (empowerment of the project team). The contents of these factors may assist practitioners to reflect on their development practices, and to negotiate change to achieve higher rates of project success.

► Identifies the importance of software development agility to project success.
► Addresses this key issue in the context of a hierarchy of management methodologies.
► Corroborates findings by comparing results from two research methods.
► Provides a ‘best practice’ model based on successful projects.
► Factors in the model explain 53% of the variance in software development agility.