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Introduction To DSDM Atern

DSDM Atern is an agile project management framework that encompasses the entire project lifecycle, not just software development. It has seven phases: pre-project, feasibility, foundations, exploration, engineering, deployment, and post-project. The exploration and engineering phases involve iterative development. Atern defines roles like business sponsor, project manager, and team leader. It also outlines deliverables or "products" across each phase like the feasibility assessment and prioritized requirements list.

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116 views13 pages

Introduction To DSDM Atern

DSDM Atern is an agile project management framework that encompasses the entire project lifecycle, not just software development. It has seven phases: pre-project, feasibility, foundations, exploration, engineering, deployment, and post-project. The exploration and engineering phases involve iterative development. Atern defines roles like business sponsor, project manager, and team leader. It also outlines deliverables or "products" across each phase like the feasibility assessment and prioritized requirements list.

Uploaded by

Yexeon Chew
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to DSDM Atern

http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/dsdmatern.php
Matthew Caine, M.C. Partners & Associates, http://www.mcpa.biz/
DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method), the longest-established Agile method,
launched in 1995, is the only Agile method to focus on the management of Agile projects.
Arie van Bennekum represented DSDM at the launch of the Agile Alliance and their
Agile Manifesto in 2001. DSDM has mainly operated in the corporate environment
where it consistently demonstrates its ability to successfully work within and complement
existing corporate processes. Practicing evolutionary development itself DSDMs latest
version (Atern) incorporates those improvements.
This article provides a high-level introduction to Atern: its structure & phases, principles,
roles & responsibilities and a brief look at the products.
The Structure of an Atern Project
Atern differs from more common agile approaches as it encompasses the entire project
lifecycle and not just software development (where Scrum prevails). It incorporates
project management disciplines and provides mechanisms to ensure that the project
benefits are clear, the proposed solution is feasible and there are solid foundations in
place before detailed work is started.

There are seven phases to an Atern project:

Phase

Key Responsibilities

Pre-project

Initiation of the project, agreeing the Terms of


Reference for the work

Feasibility

Typically a short phase to assess the viability and


the outline business case (justification).

Foundations Key phase for ensuring the project is understood


and defined well enough so that the scope can be
baselined at a high level and the technology
components and standards agreed, before the
development activity begins.
Exploration Iterative development phase during which teams
expand

on

the

high

level

requirements

to

demonstrate the functionality


Engineering Iterative development phase where the solution is

engineered to be deployable for release


Deployment For each Increment (set of timeboxes) of the project
the solution is made available.
Post project Assesses the accrued benefits.
The Exploration and Engineering phases are often merged, as the method is flexible,
allowing them to be organized to best suit the situation. Some examples are provided
below:

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Example 1 illustrates iterative development with the solution evolving over a number of
Exploration- Engineering cycles before Deployment of an increment.

Example 2 completes all Exploration activities prior to commencing the Engineering


activities. The timeboxed Iterative Development occurs within the stage as opposed to the
previous and following example. This approach is not to be confused with a traditional
waterfall approach.

Example 3 combines Exploration and Engineering work to deliver fully engineering


subsets of the end product in a single pass.

Example 4 reflects a more complex scenario with two teams involved. For simplicity,
two teams are shown but, in practice, several teams could be involved if the size and
complexity requires them. One team concentrates on exploratory work and the other on
engineering. In this example, the Exploration team might deliver prototypes of the
solution to the Engineering team who then build solutions for Deployment.
Atern Principles
Many organisations guide general behaviour with high-level values and culture. Wellunderstood principles are better guides than detailed process procedures. In Atern
principles are used to provide guidance throughout the project.
Atern has eight underlying principles and the complete framework can be directly derived
from these. The principles are based on best practice in its truest sense. They define "the
way things are done".

Breaking one of these principles can lead to failure, as these are the basic building blocks
for Atern, and bind together all the other elements of Atern.
Principal
Focus

Description
on

the

Business Need

Deliver what the business needs when it


needs it. The true business priorities must
be understood with a sound business case.
Timeboxes are planned in advance and the
timeframe set. The dates never change;

Deliver on Time

features are varied depending on business


priorities, in order to achieve the deadline.
Teams work in a spirit of active cooperation and commitment. Collaboration
encourages

Collaborate

understanding,

speed

and

shared ownership. The teams must be


empowered and include the business
representatives.
A solution has to be "good enough". The

Never
Compromise

on

Quality

level of quality is set at the outset. Projects


must test early and continuously and
review constantly.
Increments allow the business to take
advantage of work before the final product

Build

is

complete,

encouraging

stakeholder

Incrementally from confidence and feedback. This is based on


Firm Foundations

doing just enough upfront analysis to


proceed and accepting that detail emerges
later.

Accept that work is not always right first


Develop Iteratively

time. Use Timeboxes to allow for change


yet continuously confirm that the solution
is the right one.

Communicate
Continuously and
Clearly

Use facilitated workshops, daily standups,


modeling, prototyping, presentations and
encourage

informal

face-to-face

communication.
The team needs to be proactive when

Demonstrate
Control

monitoring and controlling progress in line


with Foundations Phase. They need to
constantly evaluate the project viability
based on the business objectives.

The Roles and Responsibilities of an Atern Project


Atern defines the roles and responsibilities in such a way that it easy to imagine how
existing roles and positions would fit into an Atern project.

Descriptions for each role are described on the next page.


Project Roles

Role

Key Responsibilities

Business

Owns the business case. Ensures funding and

Sponsor

resourcing. Guarantees effective decision-making


and deals with escalations rapidly.

Project Manager

Entry point for project governance. High-level


planning. Monitors progress, resource availability,
project configuration, manages risk and escalated
issues.

Business

Owns the business vision and impact on wider

Visionary

business changes. Monitors progress against the


vision. Contributes to key requirements, design and
review sessions.

Technical

Agrees and controls technical architecture. Advises

Coordinator

and co-ordinates teams. Identifies and manages


technical risk. Ensures non-functional requirements
are met.

Solution Development Roles


Role

Key Responsibilities

Team Leader

Focuses team to deliver on time. Encourages full


team participation. Manages detailed time box
activities and day-to-day activities. Ensures testing
and review activities are scheduled and completed.

Business

Contributes to all requirements, design and review

Ambassador

sessions. Provides the business view for all day-today decision making. Describes business scenarios
to help design and test the solution. Provides
assurance that the solution is correct. Coordinates
business acceptance.

Solution

Creates the solution and participates fully in all

Developer

appropriate QA activities.

Solution Tester

Works with business roles to define test scenarios


for the solution. Carries out full technical testing
reporting results to the Team Leader and Technical
Coordinator.

Business Analyst Supports communication between business and


technical members of the team. Manages all
required products related to business requirements.
Ensures

business

implications

of

day-to-day

decisions are properly thought through.


Business

Provides specialist input, for example an accountant

Advisor

or a tax advisor. Usually an intended user of the

Other Roles
Role

Key Responsibilities

Atern Coach

Helps teams new to Atern teams get the most out of


Atern. Tailors Atern for the needs of the project.
Not all aspects are needed all the time!

Workshop

Manages and organizes workshops. Responsible for

Facilitator

the context not the content. Independent.

Other Specialists Experts required on a short-term basis, possibly


technical e.g. Load-Test specialists etc.
The Atern Products
Deliverables are associated with each phase of the lifecycle. These are referred to as
products. Not all products are required for every project and the formality will vary
according to the project and organisation. Influencing factors could be contractual
relationships and corporate standards.
Some products are specific to a particular phase in the lifecycle, others may continue to
evolve through subsequent phases.
The basic flow of products through the lifecycle is shown below. For instance, the
Feasibility Assessment enhanced with Business Foundations and the Prioritised
Requirements List (PRL). Similarly, the Outline Plan is refined into the Delivery Plan for
the project that in turn the teams refine to create the individual Timebox Plans and the
Deployment Plan for an increment.

Atern allows the project to decide for itself how the products are built or what they
should look like, allowing products to be tailored to most environments. Indeed, some
environments will require all products and others only the PRL and Evolving Solution
(similar to Scrum).

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