Agile in Practice Help Sheet
Social Contract
The social contract is the set of rules a team agrees to, that are above and beyond what
their basic project roles and responsibilities mandate.
It consolidates everyone’s understanding of how the team will behave and interact. The
contract may differ from team to team, project to project.
WHY HAVE ONE?
Teams need social contracts because:
Teams need to own their practices
and standards to have commitment
to them
People invariably forget their
agreements over time
Team members also come and go
over time
Anyone can ‘enforce’ the contract by
pointing out deviations, as it is a
collaborative task
It helps build the unique character of
the team and creates a shared
sense of identity
It contributes to a safe working
environment giving people the power
to have conversations about
behaviours considered inappropriate
IS IT ALWAYS THE SAME?
No, change it as required – it’s an
agreement, not a straight-jacket and
as new team members come on board it may need
to change
WHERE SHOULD IT BE PUT?
Ideally, teams have it as a Big Visible Chart in their team/project area so everyone can see it
and it can serve as a reminder to the team.
REFERENCE:
You can find more information on social contracts at : http://www.noop.nl/2010/02/make-a-social-contract-with-yourteam.html; and http://www.infoq.com/news/2009/12/social-contracts
Check out our short video on Social Contracts on YouTube. It complements this Help Sheet: http://www.youtube.com/user/
AgileAcademyAus#g/u
Source: Agile Academy Website http://www.agileacademy.com.au/agile/about_agile