Chapter 12. Planning: Managing Scope

The state of a shared plan provides clues about the state of the relationship between the people affected by the plan. A plan out of touch with reality betrays an unclear, unbalanced relationship. A mutually agreed-upon plan, adjusted when necessary to reflect changing reality, suggests a respectful, mutually valuable relationship.

Planning makes goals and directions clear and explicit. Planning in XP starts with putting the current goals, assumptions, and facts on the table. With current, explicit information, you can work toward agreement about what's in scope, what's out of scope, and what to do next.