TAPIR Decision Guideline

Practices & Processes
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The “TAPIR Decision Guideline” is an effective approach to find and make decisions in a group and to agree on them. The steps described here should be carried out by a moderator (e.g. a Servant Manager or Scrum Master) in the order described.

Triage & Time: A quick assessment about criticality and decision time. Questions: Regarding the time, how deep should the analysis be? Who, what and how much time is needed?

Analysis: Depending on the available time for the analysis, the assigned “TAPIR Driver” should do an Analysis, resulting in a Problem Statement. Questiones: What is the problem? What are the needs of the different stakeholders? For example, the A3 method from Lean/TQM/Six Sigma can be used for this purpose.

Proposed Options: A list of options with an analysis of their pros & cons, cost & benefits or effort & business value. The presentation of the options can be done in different ways:

  1. A simple list, for example with Effort & Business Value: The Effort can be discussed and estimeated by the Working Team using Planning Poker. The Business Value can be estimated by the Product Owner (or the TPO Group). The resulting priority can be visualized by the Upswing-Gravity-Field.
  2. A list with important attributes as a decision matrix (Pugh matrix). By first agreeing on the weighing factors of the different attributes, it is possible to split and slice the discussion.
  3. Different options can be prepared using the NABC method.
  4. A Consent Decision Making process where the TAPIR Driver introduces a proposal and the group discusses & resolves objections and lists concerns to be reviewed in the TAPIR Review step.

Decision: This is the formal step, where the deciding group agrees on one Proposed Option as the solution. The group also agrees that everyone supports and sticks to the solution, at least until the TAPIR Review step.

Implementation: In this step, the Proposed Option/solution is implemented and used. It is crutial that everyone is disciplined to stick the the agreed solution. Every deviation should be made transparent.

Review: After a predefined period of time (usually an Iteration or Cycle) the group verifies and reviews the solution’s results, effectiveness, efficiency and how people behave and feel about it. Then, the group can make changes or agrees to make the solution permanent.

TAPIR is based on TDODAR with extensions.

See also: Attributes of successful teams. Home.