Governance of an Agile Software Project

Effective governance of agile software teams is challenging but required to enable wide adoption of agile methodologies, in particular for large-scale projects. In this paper we apply a full lifecycle governance model to agile projects, focused on the iteration level. The concept is demonstrated via a case study of a large-scale, enterprise-critical software project that implemented agile practices. We analyze three governance events, including the metrics that triggered the event, the decisions taken and the follow-up to ensure resolution. We conclude that governance iterations can be naturally unified with agile development iterations, resulting in a lean governance mechanism that identifies and resolves issues in an effective and timely manner.