2. Agile Performance Assessment Metrics
Number of Interviews Conducted 4
Number of Gemba Walks Conducted 5
Number of Teams Assessed
Size of Appraisal Team 2
Assessment Team
Performance Circles
Jeff Dalton
Darian Poinsetta
Leading – As an agile leader, I will project agile values, provide the environment, and establish a vision, so that my teams can be agile and successful in everything they do.
Teaming – As an agile leader, I want teams and functional areas to learn and master self-organization and agile ceremonies and techniques, so that the entire organization can benefit fully from agile adoption.
Affirming – As an agile leader, I want to confirm that teams are demonstrating agile values, methods and techniques as expected, so that I can understand what is working well and what needs improvement.
Envisioning – As a Product Owner, I will establish a roadmap, release plan, and backlog, so the overall vision of the product/ service can be realized.
Providing – As an agile leader, I want to foster a continuous improvement environment, and engage with agile partners, so that agile teams can grow their capabilities.
Crafting – As an agile leader, I want agile team members engaged in the planning and building of high quality products, so that we deliver the solution as expected.

3. Agile Performance Holarchy (APH)

5. Performance Certification Levels
Organizations can earn an Agile Performance Level Certification in one of the following levels:
Adopting: Early Stage Agility
Transforming: Ongoing Transformation
Mastering: High Performance Organizational Agile
Organizations that have completed a successful APHAM can be recognized in the AgileCxO.org directory of assessed organizations.   

6. Result Statement Format
The Result Statement describes the consensus of the Appraisal team for each Performance Circle. To maintain integrity, the statement will be read verbatim.
Statements include strengths, weaknesses, and observations.
Strengths are examples of Agile practices that meet or exceed expectations related to the Foundational Agile Keys and Actions within the APH.
Weaknesses identify examples of Agile practices which did not meet expectations related to the Foundational Agile Keys and Actions within the APH.
Observations are not weaknesses but refer to areas that could be made stronger. These are based on analysis of detailed data and do not affect scoring.

7. What would lead to a weakness result
Little or no evidence of the agile roles in place
Little or no evidence of agile ceremonies/ techniques being performed
Evidence found but key elements of agile ceremonies/ techniques are absent
Evidence found to be inconsistent
Little or no awareness of the agile practices in the field
Little or no training in performing agile practices
Expectations to perform are unclear
Little or no monitoring of agile values and behaviors

8. Assessment Scoring
Agile Keys (Roles, Ceremonies/ Techniques, Actions) and Performance Level Outcomes can be verified using multiple methods. The goal of the assessment is to verify as many of the APH elements as possible.
Verification methods for each Agile Key includes:
Observed = Witnessed an Event or Behavior
Affirmed = Verbally confirmed via interviews or answering questions
Viewed = Saw documentation, pictures, or a whiteboard
Verification methods for each Performance Level Outcome includes:
Yes = Outcome is being met
In Progress = Outcome is partially being met
No = Outcome is not being met
Note: Roles require a single Verification Method while all other Agile Keys require at least Two Verification Methods (this can include affirmations from 2 different sources)

9. Leading Performance Circle
Valuing holon describes a set of actions, outcomes, ceremonies and techniques that will help leaders define, deploy, project, and sustain agile values.
Engaging holon contains actions and ceremonies to support the development of a “servant leader” that engages, mentors, and participates with the organization’s Agile Community.
Visioning holon contains actions and ceremonies that help set and communicate a vision that is compatible with agile values and a healthy agile organization.
Enabling holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to design and deploy the set of “Agile Keys” that define the agile performance levels of Adopting, Transforming, and Mastering.

11. Leading Performance Circle
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By achieving the Agile Keys, the company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.
Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.

12. Leading Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Agile values are part of each team's Teaming Agreement and Charter
All agile ceremonies/ techniques are well defined
What Needs Improvement?
Currently, Enterprise Retrospectives are not being held. This would be a catalyst for identifying impediments to organizational performance.
Do Differently? Conduct Enterprise Retrospective to provide an opportunity for programs to share feedback relating to impediments other programs may be facing or will face.
Unclear if the Agile performance improvement backlog encompasses all programs and teams.
Do Differently? Develop a backlog capturing all Agile performance improvement opportunities.

13. Envisioning Performance Circle
Roadmapping holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to create the product vision, define the product roadmap based on the vision, and identify the resources needed to make the product a reality.
Defining holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to build the product backlog that define the product vision and roadmap.
Clarifying holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to iteratively evolve the business needs into user stories, child stories, and tasks, and to better understand the customer’s needs.

15. Envisioning Performance Circle
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By achieving the Agile Keys, your company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.
Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.

16. Envisioning Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Regular meetings are held with the customer to understand what features the product must provide.
Programs utilize roadmaps to organize and plan high-level features.
Strong grooming process in place to analyze and validate requirements in preparation for sprint planning and execution.
What Needs Improvement?
Unclear if ceremonies and techniques associated with roadmapping, product definition, and clarifying requirements are regularly reviewed to identify improvement opportunities from which the organization can benefit.
Do Differently? Retrospectives and other ceremonies should be utilized to identify improvements to roadmapping, product definition, and requirements clarification ceremonies/ techniques.

17. Providing Performance Circle
Contributing holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to identify, capture, and deploy lessons based on the empirical experience of agile teams.
Partnering holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to define relationships and agreements between teams and internal or external partners and suppliers.
Equipping holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to set-up team space and equip the team with the tools to enable them to be an effective and successful self-organizing team.

19. Providing Performance Circle
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Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.
By achieving the Agile Keys, your company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.

20. Providing Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Teams effectively collaborate together in co-located spaces.
Strong complement of tools and equipment to support Agile teams.
Robust process in place to evaluate and select agile partner firms.
What Needs Improvement?
Unclear if there is a list of preferred agile partners along with established criteria based on adherence to company agile values.
Do Differently? Develop a list of preferred agile partners based on Company’s experience with how these firms embrace Company’s agile values.

21. Crafting Performance Circle
Planning holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to estimate and plan for the upcoming sprint or iteration, grooming the backlog by the team, demonstrating successes, and inspecting and adapting team performance as part of continuous learning and improvement.
Solving holon contains the actions and ceremonies needed to create and sustain high-quality products and services from the viewpoint of the customer. Solving is a structured and disciplined approach to the design and development of products and services. Craftsmanship starts here.
Delivering holon contains the actions and ceremonies needed to plan product or service releases at a higher level than individual sprints or iterations. Delivering contains planning how product assembly and testing are done at the sprint or iteration level, and at the release level, as well as how and when the assembled and tested product is made available to the customer or end-user.

23. Crafting Performance Circle
Replace this graphic with the specific graphic from your assessment tool
By achieving the Agile Keys, your company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.
Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.

24. Crafting Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Agile team members are adept at performing the various ceremonies and techniques in support of planning, solving, and delivery.
Definition of Done is formalized for each project team.
Effective use of visual information management (e.g., scrum walls, Kanban boards) during agile ceremonies.
What Needs Improvement?
Unclear if ceremonies/ techniques associated with planning, product development, and delivery are regularly reviewed to identify improvement opportunities from which the organization can benefit.
Do Differently? Retrospectives and other ceremonies should be utilized to identify improvements to planning, product development, and delivery ceremonies/ techniques.

25. Affirming Performance Circle
Confirming holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to understand how agile has been adopted by the team. This information can then be used to improve agile team performance.
Understanding holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to collect and analyze metrics in order to understand team and organizational performance and quality. This understanding leads to corresponding actions needed to improve target areas.

27. Affirming Performance Circle
Replace this graphic with the specific graphic from your assessment tool
By achieving the Agile Keys, your company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.
Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.

28. Affirming Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Team-based metrics are collected and reviewed monthly using Visual Information Management dashboards.
Peer reviews are very instrumental in providing feedback to team members.
What Needs Improvement?
Enterprise retrospectives to capture feedback from coaches and agile leaders are not being held.
Do Differently? Utilize Enterprise Retrospectives to use feedback from coaches and agile leaders to drive improvements across teams and programs.
Metrics are not consolidated supporting a view of agile performance across teams or programs.
Do Differently? Aggregate metrics and perform trending in order to understand organizational performance and product quality. This will assist in driving organizational improvement.

29. Teaming Performance Circle
Organizing holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to implement self-organization, interface with non-agile teams, and define the roles of project managers, product owners, and for other roles not defined by any agile framework.
Growing holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to provide a training, mentoring, and learning environment.
Governing holon contains the actions and ceremonies required to provide a strong agile governance infrastructure for both product and process performance.

31. Teaming Performance Circle
Replace this graphic with the specific graphic from your assessment tool
By achieving the Agile Keys, your company has built a strong foundation for agile maturity and its continued growth.
Expected outcomes are different for each performance level reflecting an increase in agile capabilities and maturity.

32. Teaming Retrospective
Replace the example retrospective with actual feedback from assessment
What’s Working Well?
Team roles and accountabilities are well established on each project.
Teams demonstrate self-organization on a consistent basis when performing agile ceremonies.
What Needs Improvement?
Unclear if Agile leaders and development teams are collaborating across programs to drive continuous improvement.
Do Differently? Agile leaders and development teams should use Enterprise Retrospectives to increase collaboration across programs.

33. APH Dashboard for Your Company
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34. Client Name Here Partner Logo Here Recognition of Achievement
this certificate acknowledges that
Client Name Here
has achieved the Agile Performance Holarchy
Adopting Performance Level
Assessment ID: Assigned by AgileCxO l Appraisal Date: Fill in date l Expiration: 2 Years
Partner Logo Here

35. Next Steps
ADOPTING (2018)
APH Assessment : Adopting
Agile Release Zero
APH Training (Teams)
APH Training (leaders)
Adopting “Jump Start”
TRANSFORMING (2019)
Agile Leadership workshop
Craftsmanship Workshop
Teaming Workshop
Providing Workshop
Envisioning Workshop
Affirming Workshop
Assessment Readiness
APH Assessment: Transforming
MASTERING (2020)
Agile Leadership workshop II
Craftsmanship Workshop II
Teaming Workshop II
Providing Workshop II
Envisioning Workshop II
Affirming Workshop II
APH Assessment: Mastering
2018
2019
2020
Release One
Release Two
Release Three
Services/Consulting
Training
APH Assessments
Provide Gantt Chart with plan to achieve next level of performance

36. Questions
Provide contact information on this slide for follow-up