Agile methods focus on iterative development, close customer collaboration, and empowered self-organizing teams. For international organizations, agile principles could be applied to both IT and non-IT projects through iterative delivery of working software or project components. Agile also provides a new paradigm for collaboration through a focus on individuals, interactions, and customer feedback over processes. It offers methods for building high-performing teams and facilitating them through leadership focused on empowerment rather than hierarchy.

1. Agile
International
Organizations
www.p-a-m.org

2. Topics
 What are agile methods?
 Where may agile methods, principles and values
be of use to International Organizations?

3. Thomas Spielhofer
 has been using agile methods since 2001.
 has facilitated the introduction of Scrum as
responsible manager in different organizations and is
now supporting others in doing so as a consultant.
 has 17 years of IT experience leading large and
complex international projects based on IPMA and
CMMI as well as lean product development initiatives
based on XP and Scrum.
 is co-editor of PAM - Platform for Agile Management
 Contact: thomas.spielhofer@p-a-m.org
PAM – platform for agile management
www.p-a-m.org
An open and interdisciplinary online platform to share
experiences and lessons learned and discuss tools and
research on agile methods. Co-editors are Siegfried
Kaltenecker and Thomas Spielhofer.

4. An overview of agile
Individuals and
interactions over
processes and tools
Commitment
Working software Respect
over comprehensive Openness
documentation Focus
Courage
Customer Manifesto Values
collaboration over
contract negotiation
Responding to
change over
following a plan
Methods
Specific
methods for
software
projects:
XP, Scrum,...

5. What does that mean for a real-life Scrum
project?
 Iterative construction:
– Previously (waterfall approach): deliver once, e.g. 18 months
after project start
– Agile approach: break down the work in small pieces and
present working results to your customer e.g. every 3 weeks
 Close customer collaboration:
– Continuos communication to understand requirements
– Continous feedback loops
 Empowered team:
– Build a collocated team with all resources and skills to deliver
– Empower the team to do their worked in a self-organized manner

6. Agile at International Organisations
Where may agile

7. References
1.) Scrum "full-fledged" as methodology for software development/customisation/integration at International Organisations
-> references: standard Scrum literature, e.g. by Ken Schwaber, Mike Cohn
2.) Agile as project methodology also for non-IT projects: e.g. iterative approach: do small chunks and re-iterate based on stakeholder feedback,
instead of doing large chunks of work.
-> project methodology: a lot of material throughout the IT community, e.g. "Implementing Lean Software Development" by Mary and Tom
Poppendieck (easy to digest also for non-IT experts), "Agile Project Management" by Jim Highsmith, also interesting in this context: "the
mythical man-month" by frederick p. brooks
3.) Agile as new paradigm for collaboration e.g. relationship between (internal) customer and (Internal) supplier
references:
-> agile manifesto (http://agilemanifesto.org/): "customer collaboration over contract negotiation", "Individuals and interactions over processes
and tools"
4.) Agile as method to build high-performing teams
references:
-> excerpt on research on high performing teams can be found on the platform for agile management (PAM), at "http://p-a-m.org/2011/12/the-
legend-of-hyper-performing-teams/"
-> a model created by a team of managers can be found at PAM: http://p-a-m.org/2011/09/high-performing-teams/
5.) Agile as leadership paradigm: e.g. facilitate performing teams and good stakeholder alignment rather than focus on hierarchical leadership
references:
-> "The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership", Jeffrey Liker
-> "Radical Management", Stephen Denning
-> "Study on Successful agile Leadership", platform for agile management, http://p-a-m.org/2011/06/exec-summary-of-the-study-on-successful-
agile-leadership/