TO help teams deliver business value now and in the future
AS AN Agile Architect
I NEED to ensure the team implements good techniques and practices.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Developer plus:

Development and Testing

• I help disseminate good techniques and practices
• I help review designs from a strategic point-of-view
• I help teams align their techniques and practices
• I help make sure what different teams build integrates well
• I provide insight into the way things are done and what is being produced
• I ensure quality issues are addressed
• I have experience of Agile Design and Architecture.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO deliver business value now and in the future
AS AN Agile Developer
I NEED to implement  stories with high business value using good techniques and practices.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I have a good understanding of software engineering practices.

Development and Testing

• I ensure I have enough information to estimate user stories
• I ensure I have enough information to write unit tests when implementing user stories
• I ensure I have enough information to design and develop code
• I test deliverables against a user story’s acceptance tests
• I ensure Continuous Integration and Build is in place
• I perform peer reviews
• I collaborate with architects and other developers to produce just enough design
• I ensure just enough technical documentation is provided
• I help remove technical impediments raised by the team.

Technical Backlog

• I write technical user stories
• I clarify any ambiguity with the Agile Customer
• I collaborate with the Agile Customer to assign business value to technical stories.

Agile Estimating

• I provide estimates to the required level of accuracy for stories and tasks.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO maximise the effectiveness of the user of the product
AS AN Agile UX Designer
I NEED to help the Agile Customer discover usability needs, help the team meet them and verify they have been met.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I have a strong understanding of User-Centred Design
• I have a strong understanding of Information Architecture
• I help the Agile Customer to establish the usability needs of the user of the product
• I help the Agile Customer to define usability needs as acceptance criteria
• I help the Agile Customer to verify and validate the usability-related acceptance criteria
• I help the team to understand the usability needs and how to meet them.

Agile Estimating

• I provide estimates to the required level of accuracy for stories and tasks.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO maximise the effectiveness of the customer of the product
AS AN Agile Business Analyst
I NEED to help the Agile Customer discover the goals and needs of the customer of the product.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I have a good understanding of the business domain and business goals
• I have strong facilitation, communication and analytical skills.

Backlog

• I help clarify the goal and business value of Minimum Marketable Features
• I assist the Agile Customer in writing user stories to the level of granularity required by the team, in collaboration with the team
• I help clarify any ambiguity until it is understood by the team
• I review user stories with the Agile Customer with a strategic point of view
  
• I capture and keep the business rules up-to-date
• I capture and keep the data rules up-to-date
• I help remove business-related impediments raised by the team.

Prioritisation and Planning

• I provide business information during Release and Iteration Planning
• I help review, refine and re-prioritise the Release Backlog, also known as Backlog Grooming

Testing

• I help produce acceptance tests from acceptance criteria
• I provide regular feedback by testing the deliverables against a user story’s acceptance criteria
• I provide regular feedback by validating that the product meets the business goals.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO create value for the organisation
AS AN Agile Project Manager
I NEED to do whatever it takes to ensure that valuable projects are delivered now and in the future.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I apply the servant-leadership style of management
• I have experience of Agile projects
• I have strong facilitation, communication and interpersonal skills
• I take responsibility for the project members and their deliverables
• I take responsibility for communication within the project
• I take responsibility for the project’s resources.

Managing

• I track project risks and issues arising
• I actively manage project risks so that they don’t turn into issues
• I ensure that project impediments are removed
• I establish what the team can decide independent of me
• I track and communicate the real state of the project.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO create value for the organisation
AS AN Agile Team Lead
I NEED to do whatever it takes to ensure the team delivers now and in the future.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I apply the servant-leadership style of management
• I have experience of Agile projects
• I have strong facilitation, communication and interpersonal skills
• I take responsibility for the team and their results.

Managing

• I track team risks and issues arising
• I actively manage team risks so that they don’t turn into issues
• I ensure that impediments raised by the team are removed
• I establish what the team can decide independent of me
• I facilitate the Agile process
• I track and communicate the real state of the team and their results.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO maximise the effectiveness of the customer of the product and the value of the organisation
AS AN Agile Customer
I NEED to ensure the team works on stories that deliver the highest business value possible.

Acceptance Criteria

Those of an Agile Team Member plus:

• I have a good understanding of the business domain
• I have the authority to make business decisions
• I provide a single voice on business value and business decisions even when there are multiple customers.

Backlog

• I write user stories and acceptance criteria
• I define acceptance tests
• I clarify any ambiguity until it is understood by the team
• I define business value currencies for the project
• I assign business value to stories using the business value model
• I define business rules
• I help define data rules
• I update the team on changes
• I help remove business-related impediments raised by the team.

Prioritisation and Planning

• I decide the final shape of the Release Plan
• I prioritise stories to maximise business value, taking into account risk, effort and dependencies
• I collaborate with the team on Iteration Planning
• I constantly review, refine and re-prioritise the Release Backlog, also known as Backlog Grooming.

User Acceptance Testing

• I provide regular feedback by testing the deliverables against a user story’s acceptance criteria
• I formally accept the deliverables against a user story’s acceptance criteria at Show & Tells.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO maximise the effectiveness of the customer of the product and the value of the organisation
AS AN Agile Customer Proxy
I NEED to help the Agile Customer ensure the team works on stories that deliver the highest business value possible.

Acceptance Criteria

If an Agile Customer cannot be identified or is unavailable to the team, you can nominate an Agile Customer Proxy to act on behalf of the Agile Customer to the team.

Those of an Agile Customer plus:

• I have the authority to represent the Agile Customer
• I act as a communication channel between the Agile Customer and the rest of the team.

Backlog

• I review the backlog with the Agile Customer.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.

TO help conventional teams transition to Agile teams
AS AN Agile Coach
I NEED to illustrate the Agile team roles and responsibilities in contrast to those of a conventional team.

Roles and responsibilities is the most frequently-asked-question when a conventional team transitions towards the Agile way of working. Pascal and I have put together a set of role descriptions for a team as they embark on their journey towards becoming agile.

Portia says: The roles and responsibilities we’ve identified are simply guidelines. They are a starting point. It’s entirely up to the team members to refine their roles to meet the goal and needs of the team.

Pascal says: Each team member will play one or more roles at any point in time, as and when the need for that role arises.

Membership of a Typical Agile Team

TO improve the effectiveness of the customer and users of the product and maximise the value of the organisation
AS AN Agile Team
WE NEED to leverage the strengths of each team member and create valuable products now and in the future.

• Agile Team Member – Strives to be better than they were yesterday every day. Everyone in an Agile Team is first and foremost an Agile Team Member
• Agile Customer – Ensures the team works on stories that deliver the highest business value possible
• Agile Customer Proxy – Helps the Agile Customer ensure the team works on stories that deliver the highest business value possible
• Agile Team Lead – Does whatever it takes to ensure the team delivers now and in the future
• Agile Project Manager – Does whatever it takes to ensure that valuable projects are delivered now and in the future
• Agile Business Analyst – Helps the Agile Customer discover the goals and needs of the customer of the product
• Agile User Experience (UX) Designer – Helps the Agile Customer discover usability needs, help the team meet them and verify they have been met
• Agile Developer – Implements  stories with high business value using good techniques and practices.
• Agile Architect – Ensures the team implements good techniques and practices
• Agile Tester – Provides information on the state of the project.

The Role of the Agile Coach

• Agile Coach – Creates a team that delivers value now and in the future

TO maximise my contribution to the team
AS AN Agile Team Member
I NEED to be better than I was yesterday every day.

Acceptance Criteria

• I apply the Agile Values at all times
• I apply the Agile Principles and Practices
• I take responsibility for the work I do
• I prioritise my work to maximise value, taking into account risk, effort and dependencies
• I do the work that bring the most value to the team
• I take responsibility for the team’s results
• I update the team on the progress of my work
• I raise impediments, risks and issues as early as possible
• I help remove impediments
• I believe in collective wisdom: I trust the team to make the best decisions possible based on the information available
• I understand how quality contributes to the overall value the team delivers
• I ensure quality is built into everything I do, as defined by the team’s definition of quality
• I minimise keyman dependency
• I’m committed to Continuous Improvement.

You can find out more about the other Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities here.