Implementation of agile methodology in developing countries : case study in Lebanon

Rahy, S; Bass, J

Abstract

Researchers have become interested in agile approaches to information systems development, because of their potential to improve product quality and increase productivity. While
often associated with project orchestration in software development, agile methods have a wider
potential application within ICT4D.
Our interest, in this research, is to explore how practitioners in developing countries describe
factors that either enable or impede the adoption of agile information system development methods. We chose Lebanon to investigate this question, because it is a center for outsourcing software development in Middle Eastern countries. We employed a qualitative research approach by
conducting 31 semi-structured recorded interviews with practitioners in three Lebanese software
development companies. We employ an analytical model which interlinks institutional theory,
the capability approach, and ICTs to explore creating software using agile methodology.
The analysis revealed positive reinforcement between three factors that improve the effectiveness
of agile methods including the inclusive and detailed sprint planning, rich variety of stakeholder
communication tactics, and teams that embrace a rich variety of communication technologies
that overcome challenges presented by geographical distance. On the other hand, we also discovered impediments to agile adoption including team and management misunderstandings of agile
methodology and the current political and economic crisis in the country.
The model revealed the low investment of companies in ICT. The lack of knowledge of agile
ceremonies roles and artefacts created gaps in the implementation process. Also, the model highlighted bottlenecks that should be crucially tackled such as the lack of customer involvement and
risk mitigation towards external factors.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 16th IFIP WG 9.4 International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries
• Acceptance Date: May 13, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Dec 23, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 11, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 16, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 5, 2021
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Series Title: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
• Book Title: Information and Communication Technologies for Development 16th IFIP WG 9.4 International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, ICT4D 2020, Manchester, UK, June 10–11, 2020, Proceedings
• ISBN: 9783030658274-(print);-9783030658281-(online)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65828-1_18
• Additional Information: Access Information : This is an accepted version of a conference paper. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65828-1_18