Examining the Declaration of Interdependence

Posted by Deborah Hartmann Preuss on Jun 27, 2006

Sections

Process & Practices,

Architecture & Design

Topics

Agile ,

Leadership ,

Methodologies ,

Teamwork

Tags

Management

At the 2004 Agile Development Conference, a number of project, product, and management experts started working together to answer the question "How would you extend the Manifesto for Agile Software Development to non-software products, project management, and management in general?"  Their answer is a document called "The Declaration of Interdependence", often shortened to DOI on the mailing lists.

• We increase return on investment by making continuous flow of value our focus.
  
  
• We deliver reliable results by engaging customers in frequent interactions and shared ownership.
  
  
• We expect uncertainty and manage for it through iterations, anticipation, and adaptation.
  
  
• We unleash creativity and innovation by recognizing that individuals are the ultimate source of value, and creating an environment where they can make a difference.
  
  
• We boost performance through group accountability for results and shared responsibility for team effectiveness.
  
  
• We improve effectiveness and reliability through situationally specific strategies, processes and practices.
  

The group creating the document included two of the original Agile Manifesto authors (Jim Highsmith and Alistair Cockburn); noted authors in product management (Preston Smith), project management (Robert Wysocki), and teamwork (Chris Avery); plus others in industry and consulting from both Europe and the US (David Anderson, Sanjiv Augustine, Mike Cohn, Doug DeCarlo, Donna Fitzgerald, Ole Jepsen, Lowell Lindstrom, Todd Little, Kent McDonald, and Pollyanna Pixton).  It's appearance seemed to coincide with the creation of the Agile Project Leadership Network (APLN), whose board boasts many of these same luminaries, and which provides discussion boards for this and other subjects.

June's edition of Better Software Magazine , put out by the StickyMinds people, declares "Declaration of Interdependence" in bold letters. The related article by Alistair Cockburn relates the history of the DOI and examines its six principles, focusing on ways in which its wording may surprise readers. He also looks at the benefits the DOI can bring to the organization that applies it.

Alistair Cockburn, PhD, is internationally known for his work on use cases, project management, and agile methodologies. He has written four books and dozens of articles based on more than thirty years of experience an continues to provide leadership within the Agile Software Development community.

• Older >