An agile assessment is a process that an organization can implement to perform software assessments during an Agile (or Lean) development process. During the assessment, security requirements are identified, documented, and traced directly to one or more items in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
How does Agile Software Development Work?
Typically, there are two core principles to agile development processes:
- The product requirements aren’t fully known at the beginning of the project; they evolve as more is learned about the problem/solution space (incremental discovery).
- There is an emphasis on building less functionality upfront and delivering it iteratively so that users can provide feedback sooner to tune the product direction (lean thinking/Fast-fail prototyping).
What is Required for Successful Agile Projects?
Successful agile projects require a strong team with cross-functional skills (including business analysts, testers, developers, web designers, etc.) who work closely throughout the entire development life cycle. In addition, successful agile projects also require a strong change management process to address issues as they arise and ensure that the project remains on track despite changes in scope or direction.
Role of Agile Assessment during Software Development Life Cycle
Agile assessment is a key role/responsibility for a Business Analyst who works closely with the team members to provide guidance through user stories and acceptance criteria. During the initial stages of an agile assessment, business analysts conduct interviews to understand end-user requirements and then write test cases based on those requirements. Developers and testers review the test cases to ensure quality before being worked into daily builds provided after each iteration.
What Training Is Required?
The Business Analyst should have an understanding of the SDLC, quality assurance concepts, and practices. In addition, in order to conduct effective Agile Assessments, a business analyst should be familiar with test case development techniques and activities such as:
Some good practices for Agile Assessments include:
(i) Identifying and documenting security requirements in user stories and acceptance criteria.
(ii) Developing test cases with unique identifiers to ensure traceability to specific user stories or unit/integration tests
(iii) Use of cross-functional teams such as developers, testers, database administrators, etc. to ensure that issues can be resolved quickly and efficiently
Agile assessment is the process by which the business analyst works with team members throughout the development life cycle to understand end-user requirements, write detailed test case scenarios, and provide acceptance criteria (or exit criteria). The most significant aspect of agile assessment is its focus on customer collaboration and iterative development, which allows for continual user feedback and adjustment of requirements.
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