The key to the success of agile methods rests in the hands of the people who are facilitating the process and encouraging self-organization at the level of the team. The “Process Facilitator” is a completely new job category for most organizations and people are often ill-prepared for this role. Providing strong, sustained and direct support for these people is a critical aspect of any large-scale implementation of agile methods, particularly in large organizations with a history of heavy bureaucracy.

Berteig Consulting provides experienced agile coaches who will be paired up with each team to help them implement agile methods. The coach will work with an “apprentice”, usually the person designated as the Process Facilitator for that team. This coaching assistance includes one week preparing the team to start iterations, and then full-time support through four to eight consecutive iterations. (Assistance can also be provided for teams that have already started.) The coach acts as the Process Facilitator for the first iteration, supports the apprentice for two to six iterations, and then completes a final iteration in an observation mode. A single coach can work with at most two apprentices/teams simultaneously. Deciding when the team and the apprentice Process Facilitator are ready to go without assistance is determined collaboratively by the apprentice, the coach and other in-house stakeholders including management and Human Resources.

Activities
Iteration planning, project planning, demos, retrospectives, the daily status meeting, team room setup and optimization, interpersonal communication, task tracking and burndown charts, team self-organization, cross-team communication and coordination, obstacle tracking and removal, tool selection, and working with management and other stakeholders.

Outcomes

1. A number of Process Facilitators and their teams who are able to follow the basic rules of agile methods in order to consistently meet their commitments in delivering high-quality products.
2. A substantial record of team and organizational obstacles that have been overcome. This record of obstacles feeds back into the implementation strategy.
3. Establish and record a pattern of work for the teams and the organization that can be used in the official in-house process documentation (e.g. for ISO certification).
4. A small number of internal coaches who are able to continue coaching new Process Facilitators.

Size of Effort
One Berteig Consulting Master Coach for every two apprentices and their teams (two teams maximum per coach)

8 to 12 weeks per apprentice/team, depending on iteration size and apprentice aptitude Additional coaching for each Process Facilitator (ScrumMaster/Agile Project Manager) who will become an internal coach, determined as needed

Process Coaching must be preceded by appropriate training.

Remember, the best return on your investment for increasing productivity is a combination of consulting, training and coaching. To work with us please contact sales@berteigconsulting.com.