How Agile Is Hybrid Agile? An Analysis of the HELENA Data

Abstract

Context: Many researchers advocate “tailoring” agile methods to suit a project’s or company’s specific environment and needs. This includes combining agile methods with more traditional “plan driven” practices. Objective: This study aims to assess to what extent projects actually combine agile and traditional practices. Method: Data from the HELENA survey of nearly 700 projects were examined to assess how many projects combine agile methods and traditional methods, and also to what extent they used different software development practices. Results: The data show that, overall, two-thirds of the projects in the survey combine agile and traditional methods to some extent. However, projects that combine agile and traditional methods are significantly less likely to use agile practices than projects that solely use agile methods. Conclusions: We hypothesize that the mindset of an organization, rather than technical necessity, determines whether a project will adopt a hybrid vs. purely agile approach.