Agile Contracting GamesExperience What It Takes to Build a Cooperative Environment

v2.0 – December 2011

IntroductionWho are we

Remi-Armand CollarisAgile Facilitator at Ordina

Wing Yu ChongProduct Manager at ABZ

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IntroductionWorkshop

IntroductionSchedule

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Introduction

Survey

Let’s Play Game 1Evaluation

Rules of PlayGame 2EvaluationRules of Play versus Contracts

What’s at Stake?Game 3Evaluation

Summary & Conclusions

Introduction Definition of a Contract

General:

• A contract is an agreement between two or more parties which can be legally enforced.

• Contract implies an offer and an acceptance of that offer.• Offer: delivering a product or service.

• Acceptance: rewarding the successful delivery.

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Introduction Agile Manifesto on Contracts

We have come to value…

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation…

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What does this statement mean?• No contract (negotiations)?• Focus contract on collaboration?

7IntroductionWhat Comes Into Play

What is the goal of playing a game?

• Winning

• Team play

• Improve your skills (Learning)

• Satisfaction

• …

What emotions come into play?

• Motivation

• Creativity

• Hope

• Disappointment

• …

Let’s Play!

Let’s PlayGame 1: Playing the Game

• Number of players: 2 + observers.

• Available time: 2 min 30Goal:

to win!

Assumptions:

• Each participant knows how to play cards.

• The players can interact and discuss

Material: • Two stacks of cards

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1

Let’s Play Evaluation

• Observations:

• The rules of play.

• The goal of the game

• What if € 1000.- were at stake?

• Put experience into practice

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Rules of Play

Rules of PlayGame 2: The Rule Manager

• Available time: 5 min• Roles: n players + 1 rule manager + 1

observer.• Preparation:

• each player gets 5 cards.• stack of cards face down with one card

facing up at the side

• Rounds:• Player 1 plays a card.• If rule is applicable the rule manager

explains the rule.• The rule is executed• Player 2 plays a card.• etc.

• Game end and score: • The first player who has played all his or

her cards wins.

Goal:

To win a game of ‘Jacks’ (pesten)!

Assumptions:

• Each participant knows how to play cards.

• The players can interact and discuss.

• The rules have been described and handed over to the rule manager.

Material: • Stack of cards.

• Rule paper.

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Rules of Play Game 2: Evaluation

• Observations:

• The Rules of Play

• Roles

• Strategy

• Changing Rules

• Put experience into practice

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Rules of Play Structuring Rules of Play

• Context• number of persons

• duration of the game

• ages of participants

• Goal of the game

• Materials

• Roles

• Preparation

• Rounds• steps

• situations

• examples

• exceptions

• Game end

• Scoring

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Rules of Play Simple ‘Contracts’?

Goal

Scoring

Rounds & Examples

Preparation

Materials & Roles

Game end

Rounds & Examples

Context, Persons & Age

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What’s at Stake?

What’s at Stake? Game 3: Saboteur

Available time: 10 min

Roles: 4 - 6 players (builders, saboteurs) + 1 observer.

Preparation: • Each player gets 4 cards.

• Prepare construction site

• Put down a closed deck of cards and have a discard pile

Game end :• Time is up

or

• All cards have been played.

Goal:

Create a road spanning 5 lanes.

Score• builders win when a road is created.

• saboteurs win when no road is created.

Assumptions:• The players may not discuss their roles.

• As a saboteur it is wise to not show your intent to early.

Material: • Deck of cards.

• Rule paper.

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What’s at Stake?Game 3: Saboteur – Building a Road

10♣

1 2 3 4 5Start End

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discard pile

stack

9♥

7♠

Different colorRank difference <= 2

Same colorRank difference <= 2

What’s at Stake?Game 3: Saboteur - Examples

8♣

9♥

5♦

7♠

8♥

6♥

4♣

5♣

3♣

3♦

4♠

1 2 3 4 5Start End

9♦

8♦

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5♠

What’s at Stake?Game 3: Saboteur - Roles

8♣

4♦

4♣

Builder

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8♣

Saboteur

8♣

4♦

4♣ 4

♦

Builder

7♦

9♣

4♦

4♦

Do not discuss roles!

What’s at Stake? Game 3: Saboteur – Rounds

• Take turns counter-clockwise

• Play a card or put a card on the discard pile

• Connect to the road. Card must match all adjacent cards.

• Block a player from building road.When a player is blocked, he or she may not build the road .He or she can still do all other actions.

• Unblock a player.

• Destroy a card in the road (not being a start or end card).

• Inspect an end card (secretly, saboteurs are watching!).

• Pick a card of the deck if possible (you then again have 4 cards)

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2♦

- 10♦

What’s at Stake? Evaluation

• Observations:

• Goal

• Roles

• Feelings

• Put experience into practice

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SummaryContract and Agile Way of Working

1. Provide a clear goal and working arrangements.

2. Work out a clear payment model in advance.

3. Share and discuss the goal and working arrangements.

4. Work as a team and switch roles as needed.

5. Adapt the contract as needed.

6. Less is more.

7. Be explicit about conflicting interests.

8. Regularly demo a usable part of the solution.

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More info: www.scrumup.com/agilecontractinggame

Rules of Play Game 2: The Rule Manager’s Rule Sheet

Basic rules (explained at start):

1. Toss a card with similar suits (symbol) or equal rank (value).

2. If no options: pick a card from the deck.

3. The card for changing suits can be played always.

Advanced rules (only explained when applicable):

• number of cards at hand > 3:

• 2: pick 2 of the deck

• 3: pick 1 of the deck

• 7: skip a turn

• 9: once more

• Jack: change the suit

• Ace: change the direction

• Joker: pick 5.

• Spades: suit is changed to hearts.

• Jack, Queen, King: raises the joker.

• number of cards at hand <= 3:

• 2: pick 2 of the deck

• 5, 9, 10: once more

• 6: skip a turn

• Queen: change the suit

• Joker: pick 2 of the deck.

• Ace: exchange all your cards with another player.

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Suits

Agile Manifesto

Agile Contracting Obligations versus Rights

XP Bill of Rights

Customer Bill of Rights (Client)

• You have the right to an overall plan, to know what can be accomplished when and at what cost.

• You have the right to get the greatest possible value out of every programming week.

• You have the right to see progress in a running system proven to work by passing repeatable tests that you specify.

• You have the right to change your mind, to substitute functionality, and to change priorities without paying exorbitant costs.

• You have the right to be informed of schedule changes in time to choose how to reduce the scope to restore the original date. You can cancel the project at any time and be left with a useful working system reflecting the investment to date.

Developer Bill of Rights (Contractor) • You have the right to know what is needed with clear declarations of priority.

• You have the right to produce quality work at all times.

• You have the right to ask for and receive help from peers, superiors, and customers.

• You have the right to make and update your own estimates. • You have the right to accept responsibilities instead of having them assigned to you.

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