Agile contracting (testing, testing, testing)

As you may have noticed dear reader, I have been less regular of late. Holidays can do that to a body. Holidays or writer's block!

Recently I have embarked on a journey of discovery in the world of (automated) testing. A wonderful world it is too. I've subscribed to magazines, and read my Crispin & Gregory, I've discovered James Bach and Cem Kaner and Ward Cunningham, I've learned about Dan North's BDD and Liz Keogh, and that people can be test-obsessed. I've even joined a tester's social network. My appetite has been whetted and I'm keen to find out about specification by example.

Along the way, I've also been getting down and dirty with Java JDKs, Eclipse this and Eclipse that, Subversion and Maven and Sonar and Hudson, Java script, GWT, Flex, and Selenium. Hopefully I can add Fitnesse to that list shortly too. And then there's test theory; model testing, domain testing, permutations & combinations, set theory and so on... I, most recently and for many years now a project manager, am decidedly uncomfortable!

I thought all this would at least yield a couple of good blog posts (continuous improvement?). Fat chance. To-date at any rate.

In other news - our first assignment to coach a transition was confirmed today. Wouter and I are completely new to the acquisition side of things but we thought agile and guess what; it works for contracting too!

Agile contracting

We sat down together to explore possibilities	–	we didn't send Sales to see Purchasing
We ran one of our workshops on-site	–	we didn't pitch
We investigated opportunities for mutual benefit	–	we didn't negotiate terms up-front
We agreed on a framework for co-operation	–	we didn't write statements of work

    -o-

The actual contract to come out of all of this will incorporate change-for-free & money-for-nothing type clauses. 

I'm sure I will be back to my usual prolix self the next time we meet!