I like to think of values as something you must have, and can't change. Principles on the other hand are something you should have and might have, but can change if it becomes necessary. The 4 values of the agile manifesto are core values that form the cornerstone of agile, in other words, if one pillar falls, the whole structure falls. The 12 principles thrive in a company where they want business values to align with software development. They may change, or get added to, but they are there to compliment the core values. Saving Changes...
I will agree with Sante's explanation. Agile manifesto are the core values/ pillars and principles to me are the elaboration or more specifics or explanations of these core values translated in a project / business environment. Saving Changes...
The principles describe more the practical enablers to strive for the values. The more you bring the principles to life in your organization the closer you get to the core values. Saving Changes...
to build on what the others have said, the principles will help to guide your approach to agile delivery, but if your organization hasn't truly embraced the values, you will just be "doing" agile.
If I had to put a hierarchy on it, it would be values first and foremost, then you should aspire to follow as many of the principles as possible and finally common practices should be assessed for fit and value and only then utilized.
I would like to differ in my opinion. Agile manifesto or the 4 values derive from the agile principles and not the other way around. http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html clearly states "Principles behind the Agile Manifesto". The key words here are "Principles" and "behind".
Let us look at the meaning of these words.
"Principle" : a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour or for a chain of reasoning.
"behind" : at the back (of):
This means that the stated 12 principles are the fundamental building blocks on which these values are built upon.
I am open to criticism and I would like to learn about diverse opinions.
