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How To Audit Agile Projects

The document outlines a three-phase process for auditing agile projects: Phase 1 involves planning and research, including interviewing stakeholders to understand success criteria and reviewing project documentation. Phase 2 involves deep analysis of the project through interviews, observation of meetings and artifacts. Phase 3 involves compiling findings into a report with recommendations to improve the project and ensure goals are met. The audit process aims to uncover issues and provide lessons to help current and future projects succeed.

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Marcos Toti
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46 views

How To Audit Agile Projects

The document outlines a three-phase process for auditing agile projects: Phase 1 involves planning and research, including interviewing stakeholders to understand success criteria and reviewing project documentation. Phase 2 involves deep analysis of the project through interviews, observation of meetings and artifacts. Phase 3 involves compiling findings into a report with recommendations to improve the project and ensure goals are met. The audit process aims to uncover issues and provide lessons to help current and future projects succeed.

Uploaded by

Marcos Toti
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Audit Agile Projects

How to Audit Agile Projects


Agile Project Audits are highly beneficial and worth the investment.  They not only uncover
problems, issues and challenges but also lessons to help improve the outcome of the current project
as well as future projects.  This three-phase Agile Audit Process is straightforward, effective and
proven.
Traditional project audits follow a prescribed set of activities to be performed during the project’s
execution or at its conclusion.  Agile projects consist of a series of Sprints (3-week work iterations).  An
Agile Project Auditor must be more flexible in how to use their time as well as when and how best to
engage in a rapidly changing environment.

One would carry out an Agile project audit for a variety of reasons to:

 Ensure the project is being delivered using an agreed Agile approach.


 Validate that the Product Owner and Scrum Master are competent.
 Assess the Backlogs of work to be completed.
 Ensure engagement for the Sprint Teams.
 Ensure that the customer’s requirements are being managed.
Agile Project Auditor Knowledge
Project Auditors can be internal and/or external.  To audit a project, auditors must have some knowledge
of how projects are managed.  In our article: “Use your Internal Auditor to Audit Projects” we discussed
the challenge project auditors face and how to manage these.

In another one of our articles, “How to Immediately Improve Your Bottom-Line by Undertaking a Project
Audit or Project Health Check,” we reviewed the entire process of auditing a traditional type of project. 
Generally, these projects use a Waterfall method of project planning.

To be successful auditing Agile projects, the auditor must have knowledge of the entire Agile Framework
as well as knowledge of project management methodologies.  Many projects are managed using a Hybrid
approach so a combined knowledge of Waterfall and Agile will help the auditor understand the jargon,
processes and so on. For more information about hybrid approaches to project management, read our
article, “Rapid Product Development Projects Using Hybrid Waterfall/Agile.”

Agile Project Audit Process


The approach that we undertake is broken down into three phases:

Phase 1:  Research and Planning the Agile Project Audit


Phase 2:  Agile Project Analysis

Phase 3:  Report and Recommendations

Phase 1:  Research and Planning the Agile Project Audit


During this phase the project auditor spends a short time understanding the Agile project process and
planning for the analysis phase.   Key elements include:

 Interview the Product Owner and Scrum Master to determine their “success criteria” for this
agile project audit. This will ensure that their individual and collective needs are met.
 Identify the competencies of the Scrum Master and Sprint Team members.
 Review how the Sprint Team members were selected.
 Confirm how project success is measured.
 Identify if Agile project management tools and templates exist to ensure a consistent application
of agile quality processes.
 Validate that the project is strategically aligned with business goals.
 Arrange in-depth interviews including the Sponsor, Scrum Master, Product Owner and Sprint
team members.
 Arrange interviews with vendors, suppliers, consultants and other external resources, if they are
included in the management of this project.
 Arrange interviews with any key stakeholders who will be impacted by the project.
 Arrange to attend some of the Sprints, Demos and Retrospective meetings.
Phase 2:  Agile Project Analysis
During this phase the project auditor dives deep into the Agile project.  Key elements include:

 Interview the Sponsor, Product Owner and Scrum Master.


 Review the competencies of the Scrum Master and Sprint Team members.
 Assess the issues, challenges and concerns in more depth to get to the root causes of any possible
problems.
 Confirm the level of engagement and understand of the project’s customers.
 Auditor is a silent observer of the Sprint.
 Observe the daily Scrum stand-up meetings.
 Observe the Sprint Demos.
 Observe the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective Meeting.
 Review the Product Backlog and Sprint Backlogs and how stories were broken down into these
backlogs.
 Determine how change and risk have been managed.
 Review the Sprint Burndown chart and other artifacts.
Phase 3:  Report and Recommendations
During this phase the project auditor reviews all of the data they’ve collected and creates the final report
and recommendations.  Key elements include:

 Compile the information collected from the interviews.


 Consolidate the findings from the review of project artifacts.
 Review the observations from the meetings.
 Validate that the customer requirements are understood and being met.
 Validate that the Sprint team members are being effectively and efficiently utilized.
 Review the observed issues, concerns and challenges.
 Identify any competency and leadership gaps of the Sponsor, Product Owner and Scrum Master.
 Identify all of the project opportunities that can be realized through this report’s
recommendations.
 Identify the actions required that will ensure the overall performance of this project is
immediately improved.
 Finalize the development of the report with recommendations based on the findings and present
this detailed Agile Project Audit Report with recommendations including the steps required to keep
this project on-track.

Conclusion
Our 3-phase Agile Project Audit will uncover the root causes of problems, issues and challenges that may
be preventing an Agile project from succeeding.  It will also provide “Lessons Learned” that can help
improve the performance of current and future Agile projects. Agile Project Audits are always highly
beneficial to an organization and pay back the investment many times over.

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