ASSESSMENT 1 BRIEF
Subject Code and Title	MIS608 – Agile Project Management
Assessment	Research Report on Agile
Individual/Group	Individual
Length	1500 words (+/- 10%)
Learning Outcomes	The Subject Learning Outcomes demonstrated by successful completion of the task below include: a) Undertake research to demonstrate an understanding of Agile concepts, tools and techniques.
Submission	Due by 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday end of Module 2.2 (Week 4)
Weighting	25%
Total Marks	100 marks

Assessment Task

“Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.” - Dr Tom Barrett

Manifestos communicate beliefs, aims, intentions and views - they are a philosophy rather than a method. The Agile Manifesto is the philosophy from which Agile methods and frameworks have emerged.

This assessment is about ensuring that we understand the thinking or the ‘what’ of Agile in preparation for learning the methods, practices, tools, and techniques associated with the ‘how’ of Agile.

Please refer to the Instructions section for details on how to complete this task.

Context

Because careers in the world of Information Systems require being able to ‘do’, we focus on techniques that enable capability building. Agile is a complex and multi-faceted discipline. Because we are preparing you for professional practice in your future workplace - the assessment pathway takes a laddered approach to your learning to embed theoretical knowledge through active practice:

Assessment 1 - Prepare - Understand the theoretical foundations of Agile.

Assessment 2 - Reflect - Develop your Agile Mindset and capability to work in an Agile team

Due attention needs to be paid to format, visual presentation and citation discipline (referencing) as this would be required in leading companies and consultancies which you would apply in your future career.

Excellent referencing demonstrates your capability as a researcher - it is evidence that you know how to find information from appropriate sources and can interpret and synthesise that information with skill at a master’s level.

Instructions

You are required to write a 1500-word (+/-10%) research report on Agile. You should carefully plan how you distribute your words in your assessment response.

This report DOES NOT require an introduction and conclusion.

This report will need to cover the following areas:

Title Page: the title page must include the following information: Subject code, subject name, assessment number & title, student’s name, student’s number, class CRN, enrolled program (e.g., Master of Business Information Systems), and learning facilitator’s name.

The Table of Contents: Create a Table of Contents: using headings, subheadings and page numbers.

Remember, the table of contents starts on a new page.

Body of the report: Ensure that the body of your report addresses the following questions. You don't have to repeat the questions in the report, provide a brief title before answering each question.

Question 1: VUCA.

To answer this question, you need to read this article. You can find it for free in the Torren online library:

Baran, B. E., & Woznyj, H. M. (2021). Managing VUCA: The human dynamics of agility. Organisational Dynamics, 50(2), 100787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2020.100787

After reading this article:

Select an organisation. It can be either your workplace or Torrens University. Shortly, specify which organisation you have chosen.

Select one dimension of VUCA.

Read the section titled “Sending, Assessing, and Monitoring VUCA” on page 3. Find “Table 1 The VUCA Audit” on page 3, then go to the section with the heading “To get a sense of one’s own sensing and monitoring behaviours... “. Using the four questions provided here, explain how well you are sensing and monitoring

the VUCA dimension that you have chosen within your organisation, and what you are doing to mitigate the impact of this VUCA dimension on your success.

Read the section titled “Implement Agility-Enhancement Practices” on page 5. Discuss one agility-enhancing practice that you can employ to help you mitigate the impact of this VUCA dimension on your success.

Remember: You need to include references; this is NOT a creative writing exercise.

Question 2: The Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto is not a rule book but rather a philosophy or set of patterns designed to help achieve good results. In the Agile world, the term 'anti-pattern' refers to practices that are not considered helpful. Below is a list of anti-patterns that contradict the principles of the Agile Manifesto. For each statement, identify at least one Agile principle it contradicts AND explain your reasoning.

Statement A. ‘Don’t tell the business; if they see what we are delivering they will want to make changes. Rather let’s get our work done so we can deliver on time.’

Statement B. ‘We have produced 5000 lines of code, we have been very busy. We have made lots of progress even if it isn’t working yet.’

Statement C. ‘Don’t worry, we can push the team to work all night in a big push at the end, we will get there.’

Statement D. ‘We don’t have time for retrospectives and reflection; we know what we are doing.’

Avoid referencing Agile principles using numerical identifiers like ‘Principle 1’ or ‘Principle 2’; instead, write out the entire principle or part of it, like “Our highest priority is to …”.

Remember: You need to include references; this is NOT a creative writing exercise.

Question 3: The Case for Agile

To answer this question, you need to read the Cutter Consortium case. You can find it for free at the link below. Make sure to read Chapter 3, pages 26-28.

Measey, P. (2015). Agile foundations: Principles, practices and frameworks. BCS Learning & Development Limited.

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/think/reader.action?docID=1759633&ppg=46

Which Agile approach is Cutter Consortium – example 1 aligned with? Use evidence from Table

 

to support your response.

Which Agile approach is Cutter Consortium – example 2 aligned with? Use evidence from Table

 

to support your response.

What is the specific impact on the quality of both approaches? Include specific figures to back your position and explain why you believe this quality outcome was achieved.

What was the specific impact on the cost of both approaches? Include specific figures to back your position and explain why you believe this cost outcome was achieved.

What was the specific impact on the time to deliver both approaches? Include specific figures to back your position and explain why you believe this time outcome was achieved.

Why do you believe these Agile approaches have these effects?

You must refer to the facts and figures as discussed in the case study and relate them to the iterative cycles of the case study.

Question 4: Scrum and Kanban

To address this question, you need to read pages 148 - 152 of Measey's (2015) work, which is available through the Torren online library: Measey, P. (2015). Agile foundations: Principles, practices and frameworks. UK: BCS Learning & Development Ltd. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/think/reader.action?docID=1759633&ppg=168

Also, watch this video: Rose, D. (2018, April 12). Kanban Overview [Video]. LinkedIn Learning. https://www.linkedin.com/learning/agile-foundations/kanban- overview?resume=false&u=56744473

This exercise is designed to help you understand theory better by doing practical activities. You'll need to use your imagination and assumptions.

Picture yourself as a member of a small startup team consisting of five members. This Friday, a major client is visiting for a project review. Your task is to make sure the workspace is organised and that all project materials are ready for presentation.

Use the Kanban board layout described in Rose (2018) and draw a Kanban board with at least five cards. These cards will help you plan what tasks your team need to do for client visits.

Using the six core Kanban practices, explain how you will use this Kanban board with your team members to get work done

You may use first-person language in this question (i.e. I, we, me), however, you must still reference the six core Kanban principles.

Question 5: The Influence of Lean on Agile philosophy and practice

Muda, Mura & Muri are a very well-known Lean philosophy that originated in Lean manufacturing.

Explain what each of these three terms refers to AND provide a real-life example for each from your own experience.

Looking at MUDA, which Agile principle from the Agile Manifesto would combat MUDA and explain why.

Looking at MURA, which Agile principle from the Agile Manifesto would combat MURA and explain why.

Looking at MURI, which Agile principle from the Agile Manifesto would combat MURI and explain why.

Avoid referencing Agile principles using numerical identifiers like ‘Principle 1’ or ‘Principle 2’; instead, write out the entire principle or part of it, like “Our highest priority is to …”.

Remember: You need to include references; this is NOT a creative writing exercise.

Reference list

All referenced material must be properly cited using the APA referencing guide, including academic sources, books, magazine sources, web sources, images, tables, figures and any other material that is not your work.

It is expected that students perform additional research and provide

a minimum of five additional references

in the relevant subject areas.

At least two of the references MUST BE of academic quality (peer-reviewed journal or conference articles).

Do NOT use any lecture slides as a reference.

All references should accompany the DOI or URL if available.

Appendix (if required)

Report format and layout:

The report should use font Arial or Calibri 11 point, should be line spaced at 1.5 for ease of reading and page numbers on the bottom of each page.

All images, diagrams and tables must carry the appropriate captioning (numbering, name, and resource) using the APA referencing guide.

If you use pictures, drawings, or tables, make sure they're placed correctly so information isn't split between pages and stays clear

Referencing

It is essential that you use the appropriate APA style for citing and referencing research. Please see more information on referencing on the Academic Skills webpage

Submission Instructions

Submit this assessment via the Assessment link in the main navigation menu in MIS608 Agile Project Management. The Learning Facilitator will provide feedback via the Grade Centre in the LMS portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades.

Academic Integrity

All students are responsible for ensuring that all work submitted is their own and is appropriately referenced and academically written according to the Academic Writing Guide. Students also need to have read and be aware of Torrens University Australia Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure and subsequent penalties for academic misconduct. These are viewable online.

Students also must keep a copy of all submitted material and any assessment drafts

Special Consideration

To apply for special consideration for a modification to an assessment or exam due to unexpected or extenuating circumstances, please consult the Assessment Policy for Higher Education Coursework and ELICOS and, if applicable to your circumstance, submit a completed Application for Assessment Special Consideration Form to your Learning Facilitator.

Assessment Rubric

 

Assessment Attributes	Fail (Yet to achieve minimum standard) 0-49%	Pass (Functional) 50-64%	Credit (Proficient) 65-74%	Distinction (Advanced) 75-84%	High Distinction (Exceptional) 85-100%
Visual appeal and presentation of content Title page Table of Contents Font, spacing and format are following the assessment brief Appropriate use of paragraphs, sentence construction, spelling, and grammar Adheres to the word count requirement Percentage for this criterion = 15%	No title page is included. Table of Contents is not included. Incorrect font and size are used with poor line spacing. There are large gaps in pagination. The report is written as a block of text with no breaks in between ideas. Separate ideas cannot be clearly discerned. Many errors in spelling or grammar obscure the meaning of what the student has written. Does not adhere to the word count requirement.	The title page is included but is missing most information. The Table of Contents is included but is missing page numbers or it did not start on a new page. Either incorrect font and size are used or poor line spacing or large gaps in pagination. Paragraphs are used but large blocks of text with long sentences make it difficult to understand the ideas being conveyed. Spelling or grammar has errors, but the meaning remains clear. Does not adhere to the word count requirement.	The title page is included but is missing key information. The Table of Contents is included but has some issues. There are some errors in font size, line spacing, or pagination problems. One idea or concept per paragraph. Some paragraphs could be more succinctly written. Minor spelling or grammar errors. Adheres to the word count requirement.	The title page is included with the most required information. The Table of Contents is included with page numbers. Minor errors in font, spacing and format. One idea or concept per paragraph with 3 to 5 well- constructed sentences per paragraph. No errors in spelling or grammar. Adheres to the word count requirement.	The title page includes all the required information. The Table of Contents is included with page numbers. Font, spacing and format follow the assessment brief. Expert use of paragraphs with 3 to 5 well- constructed sentences per paragraph which follow logically from each other. No errors in spelling or grammar. Adheres to the word count requirement.
Knowledge and understanding Understanding of the origins of agile, and its principles and values The case for an organisation in adopting agile. Scrum and Kanban as Agile methods Percentage for this criterion = 40% Analysis and application with synthesis of new knowledge Percentage for this criterion =25% Use of academic and discipline conventions Formal tone, no use of first-party perspective Meets the assessment brief regarding the body of the report Appropriate use of credible resources Correct citation of key resources using APA style of referencing, in- text as well as for models, diagrams, tables, or tools. Percentage for this criterion = 20%	Lack of understanding of the required concepts and knowledge. Key components of the assessment are not addressed. Lack of application and analysis of information to provide a clear understanding of the provided concepts in the report. Limited synthesis and analysis. Limited application based upon analysis. Poorly written with an informal tone, using first- person pronouns (I, my, we, me, us). Does not adhere to the assessment brief of the requirements for a short business report. Inconsistent and inadequate use of good quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas. No use of in-text references, or not having a reference list at the end of the report. There are many mistakes in using the APA referencing style.	Demonstrated analysis and synthesis of new knowledge with application. Shows the ability to interpret relevant information and literature. Written according to the academic genre. Minor errors in the use of first-person pronouns (I, my, we, me, us). Demonstrate consistent use of credible and relevant research sources to support and develop ideas, but these are not always explicit or well-developed. Little use of in-text referencing, or inadequate references consulted and added to references at the close of the report. There are some mistakes in using the APA referencing style	Adequate knowledge or understanding of the required concepts. A reasonable capacity to explain and apply relevant key concepts. Supports opinion and information substantiated by evidence from research to provide a clear understanding of the provided concepts in the report. Well-developed analysis and synthesis with application of recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis. Written according to the academic genre. Consistent use of credible and relevant research sources to support and develop ideas. Good use of in-text referencing and an appropriate number of references used and listed in the reference list. There are only minor errors in using the APA referencing style with the references listed in the reference list. There is no mistake in using the APA referencing style	Thorough understanding of the key concepts. Discriminates between assertion of opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading. Well-demonstrated capacity to apply and analyse relevant information to provide a clear understanding of the provided concepts in the report. Thoroughly developed and creative analysis and justified recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis Well-written and adheres to the academic genre. Expert use of good quality, credible and relevant research sources to support and develop appropriate arguments and statements. Shows evidence of reading beyond the key reading. Very good use of in-text referencing. All in-text references match	Highly developed understanding of the field or discipline/s. Systematically and critically discriminates between assertion of opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading. Provided concepts are clearly justified based on the application and analysis of information Highly sophisticated and creative analysis, synthesis of new with existing knowledge. Expertly written. Adheres to the academic genre. Expert use of high-quality credible and relevant research sources to support and develop arguments. Extensive evidence of reading beyond the key reading. Gives the reader a clear sense of the next steps required Excellent use of in-text referencing with all in-text references listed in the reference list. There is no mistake in using the APA referencing style