When an approach or a technology reach the hype level, then every IT solutions provider include it in the description of what it offers. This is today the case for Agile and Scrum in software development. This is why the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) has worked on a document to help US Department of Defense (DoD) agencies to detect Agile bullshit.
The goal of this working document is stated in its introductory paragraph: “The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to DoD program executives and acquisition professionals on how to detect software projects that are really using agile development versus those that are simply waterfall or spiral development in agile clothing.”
This is done by finding some flags that projects are not really Agile. The working paper also lists some tools that should be used by Agile teams. The document proposes a list of questions to ask to the project team and the users to check if the project follows Agile values. This document can be an interesting source for people hiring Agile consultants and development teams or that just want to assess how far they are Agile in their own organization.
Read the full working document on https://media.defense.gov/2018/Oct/09/2002049591/-1/-1/0/DIB_DETECTING_AGILE_BS_2018.10.05.PDF
For those who want to explore the lighter side of Agile Bullshit, you can also check the following resources :
* The Agile Bullshit Generator: http://agilebullshitgenerator.com/
* Manifesto for Half-Arsed Agile Software Development: http://www.halfarsedagilemanifesto.org/
All this hype about Agile and Scrum sucks! This is why we see all these articles and posts about “Agile is Dead” or “Why you shouldn’t use Scrum”. They are just (though and disciplined) approaches to software development, not miracle cure for software developer and project managers that lack the required skills for project success.