How to Understand the Difference Between Commitment and Involvement in Agile Projects

One of the key factors for the success of any project is the level of commitment and involvement of the stakeholders. Commitment means that the stakeholder is willing to dedicate their time, energy, and resources to the project, and to take responsibility for the project’s outcome. Involvement means that the stakeholder is interested in the project, and may provide some input or feedback, but does not have the same level of accountability or ownership as the committed stakeholder.

This difference can be illustrated by the story of the chicken and the pig, which is a metaphor that is often used in Agile projects. The story goes like this:

A chicken and a pig are walking down the road. The chicken says to the pig, “Hey, why don’t we open a restaurant?” The pig thinks for a moment and says, “What would we call it?” The chicken replies, “How about ‘Ham and Eggs’?” The pig says, “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved.”

The moral of the story is that in a project, some stakeholders are committed like the pig, who has to sacrifice something valuable (his life) to provide the ham. Other stakeholders are involved like the chicken, who can provide the eggs without much cost or risk. The story can be used to highlight the importance of having a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in a project, and to ensure that everyone is committed to the project’s success.

In Agile projects, the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders are defined by the Scrum framework, which is one of the most popular and widely used Agile methodologies. Scrum defines three main roles: the product owner, the Scrum master, and the development team. Each role has a different level of commitment and involvement in the project, as follows:

Product Owner

The product owner is the person who represents the voice of the customer and the business, and who is responsible for defining and prioritizing the product backlog, which is the list of features and functionalities that the product should have. The product owner is also accountable for the value and the outcome of the product, and for ensuring that the product meets the needs and expectations of the customer and the business. The product owner is like the pig, who has to provide the vision and the value for the project, and who is committed to the project’s success.

Scrum Master

The Scrum master is the person who acts as a coach and a facilitator for the development team and the product owner, and who is responsible for ensuring that the Scrum process is followed and implemented correctly. The Scrum master is also responsible for removing any impediments or obstacles that may hinder the progress or the performance of the development team, and for promoting the Scrum values and principles, such as transparency, collaboration, and adaptation. The Scrum master is like the chicken, who has to support and enable the development team and the product owner, and who is involved in the project’s success.

Development Team

The development team is the group of people who are responsible for designing, developing, testing, and delivering the product increment, which is the potentially releasable version of the product that is created at the end of each sprint, which is a fixed time-boxed iteration of work. The development team is also responsible for ensuring that the product increment meets the quality standards and the acceptance criteria, and for managing their own work and collaboration. The development team is like the pig, who has to provide the product increment and meet the quality standards, and who is committed to the project’s success.

By understanding the difference between commitment and involvement, and by defining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the project, we can ensure that everyone is aligned and engaged with the project’s goals, scope, and requirements.

Here are some tips and techniques to increase the commitment and involvement of the stakeholders and to foster a culture of accountability and ownership in agile projects:

Define and identify your stakeholders

The first step is to find out who the stakeholders are that will be engaged in the project, and what are their roles, interests, and expectations. You can use a stakeholder analysis matrix to map out the level of influence and interest of each stakeholder, and to categorize them into different groups, such as supporters, influencers, neutrals, or blockers.

Plan your engagement strategy

Based on the stakeholder analysis, you can plan how to communicate and interact with each stakeholder group, and what level of information and feedback you will provide and receive. You can use a stakeholder engagement plan template to document your strategy, including the objectives, methods, frequency, and responsibilities of the engagement.

Use user stories to capture the different perspectives and needs of the users and customers.

User stories are short and simple descriptions of the features and functionalities of the product from the user’s point of view. They help to define the value and the outcome of the product, and to verify that they meet the expectations and requirements of the user. User stories are like the descriptions of the ham and eggs by the chicken and the pig, who represent the different personas and roles in the project. User stories help to avoid assumptions and ambiguities, and to create a common language and understanding among the stakeholders.

Use feedback loops and retrospectives to inspect and adapt the product and the process.

Feedback loops are the mechanisms that enable the stakeholders to provide and receive feedback on the product increment and the project progress. Retrospectives are the sessions that enable the team to reflect and improve on their performance and collaboration. They help to ensure that the product and the process are aligned with the changing needs and expectations of the users and customers, and that they deliver the maximum value and benefit. Feedback loops and retrospectives are like the conversations and discussions that can be used to share and learn from the different perspectives and experiences of the stakeholders, and to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.

Fuel active participation from stakeholders by writing good consultation questions.

Use the right language, write concise and clear questions and background documents, avoid overly technical jargon, and ensure language used is culturally appropriate. Good consultation questions can help to elicit meaningful and constructive responses from the stakeholders, and to encourage them to share their opinions and suggestions.

By utilizing these suggestions and methodologies, you can amplify stakeholder commitment and engagement, while nurturing a culture of accountability and ownership in agile projects.