The Agile Manifesto explained: 4 values and 12 principles

The Agile Manifesto, created in 2001, is a statement of values and principles for software development that promotes a more responsive approach to delivering useful products. Its four values prioritise individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration and responding to change, while its twelve principles cover early and continuous delivery, welcoming changing requirements, frequent delivery, daily collaboration, motivated individuals, direct communication, working software as the measure of progress, sustainable development, technical excellence, simplicity, self-organising teams and regular reflection. Together, they provide the foundation for modern Agile ways of working.

What is the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto was written in February 2001 when 17 software practitioners met in Snowbird, Utah. They represented different approaches to software development but shared concerns about methods that relied heavily on documentation and rigid processes.

Their discussions resulted in a short statement describing what they believed should matter most when developing software. The accompanying Agile principles expanded on those values to show how they could influence everyday delivery.

The Agile Manifesto is therefore not a methodology or step-by-step process. It does not prescribe particular roles or tell teams how to organise their work. Instead, it provides a set of shared values that help explain the thinking behind many Agile ways of working, including approaches used within Scrum and AgilePM®.

The four values of the Agile Manifesto

Each of the four values compares two aspects of delivery and gives greater emphasis to one over the other. The Agile Manifesto does not dismiss processes, tools, documentation, contracts or plans; it simply places greater value on people, working software, collaboration and responding to change when priorities compete.

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Effective delivery depends on people working together; processes and tools can support them, but they cannot replace communication or human judgement.

For example, when a delivery problem emerges, a short conversation between colleagues may resolve it more effectively than following an escalation process designed for a different situation.

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Documentation has a purpose, but producing extensive records should not take priority over creating something that works and provides value to the customer.

A team might therefore demonstrate a functioning product increment to a customer rather than relying on a detailed report to communicate progress.

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Agile encourages an ongoing relationship with the customer rather than treating requirements agreed at the outset as permanently fixed. Regular collaboration allows teams to understand how needs develop as work progresses.

For example, feedback on an early version of a product might reveal that a planned feature is less useful than expected. The team is then able to respond before further effort is invested.

This emphasis on collaboration is also reflected in frameworks such as Scrum. Scrum training explores how these principles are applied within a defined delivery framework.

Responding to change over following a plan

Plans provide direction, but priorities and requirements can change while work is under way. . Agile teams expect change and adapt when new information makes the original plan less appropriate.

If customer research reveals a different priority midway through development, the team might reconsider upcoming work rather than continuing simply because it appeared in the original plan.

The twelve principles behind the Agile Manifesto

The twelve principles provide more practical guidance alongside the four values.. Although originally written for software development, their underlying ideas now influence Agile teams across many types of work. Below we’ve grouped the principles into four overarching themes.

Deliver value early and respond to change

Several principles focus on delivering useful work frequently rather than waiting until everything is complete. Early delivery gives customers something tangible to assess and creates opportunities for meaningful feedback.

Change is welcomed even when it occurs later in development if responding to it produces a better outcome. Teams should therefore organise work in short cycles and use what they learn to influence what happens next.

Put collaboration at the centre of delivery

The Agile Manifesto principles favour close cooperation between the people building a product and those who understand the business need. Regular direct communication reduces the risk of assumptions becoming embedded in the work.

Teams should also be trusted to organise delivery around clear objectives. The working environment needs to support that autonomy rather than relying on constant supervision.

Build quality into sustainable delivery

Agile delivery should maintain a pace that is sustainable rather than depending on repeated periods of excessive pressure. Quality also needs continuous attention because strong technical foundations make future changes easier to accommodate.

In the original Manifesto, working software is the primary measure of progress. More broadly, the principle encourages teams to focus on usable results rather than activity alone.

Keep improving how the team works

Simplicity matters in Agile because unnecessary work consumes capacity without improving the outcome. Teams should continually consider whether an activity adds enough value to justify the effort involved.

They also need regular opportunities to reflect on their effectiveness and adjust how they work. The Manifesto also argues that strong architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organising teams, reinforcing the value it places on team autonomy.

Some of these principles are harder to maintain than others. Welcoming late change can be uncomfortable when budgets or deadlines are under pressure, while sustainable delivery is easily compromised when demand increases. Regular reflection could also become a routine meeting unless teams are prompted and supported to act on what they learn.

Why the Agile Manifesto still matters

The Agile Manifesto remains relevant because its values describe how people approach delivery rather than prescribing a particular set of practices. Agile frameworks and methods provide more structured ways to put compatible principles into practice..

Scrum, for example, uses short iterations and frequent feedback to support adaptive delivery. AgilePM® Foundation and Practitioner courses explore how Agile principles can be applied within project environments, while PRINCE2® Agile Foundation and Practitioner shows how Agile ways of working can operate within the governance and structure of PRINCE2 Project Management.

Using Agile practices does not automatically mean a team is working in an Agile way. A team may hold retrospectives and work in short iterations while still resisting feedback or treating the original plan as fixed. The ceremonies may look Agile even when the decisions behind them are not.

Understanding the Agile Manifesto therefore provides useful context for anyone learning a particular framework. It explains the thinking that sits underneath the techniques and connects directly with the wider concept of developing an agile mindset.

FAQs

Who wrote the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto was created by 17 software practitioners, including people associated with approaches such as Scrum and Extreme Programming. They met in Snowbird, Utah, to discuss shared ideas about improving software development. The group later became known collectively as the authors of the Agile Manifesto.

When was the Agile Manifesto created?

The Agile Manifesto was created in February 2001. Although it emerged from software development at the beginning of the century, its influence has since spread into project management and other areas where organisations need to deliver work while adapting to changing requirements.

Is the Agile Manifesto still relevant?

Yes. The technologies and working environments surrounding Agile have changed considerably since 2001, but the underlying emphasis on collaboration and adaptability remains relevant. Its value lies in guiding how teams think about delivery rather than prescribing practices tied to a particular period or technology.

What is the difference between the values and the principles?

The four values describe the priorities that underpin Agile thinking. The twelve principles provide more practical guidance about how those priorities affect delivery.

The Agile Manifesto is a starting point rather than a complete delivery method. If you want to turn those ideas into practical skills, explore ILX agile training courses to learn how established Agile approaches can be applied in the workplace.

Learn agile the right way.