A data analysis of agile development in the us federal government. The techfar handbook for procuring digital services using agile processes, has recently been developed to highlight the flexibilities of the federal acquisition regulation. How agile development can benefit federal projects digital. Agile software development in federal agencies 3040 williams drive, suite 610, fairfax, va 22031. Salient federal solutions and agilecraft copresenters for webcast scaling agile for federal agencies teaming up to address governance, collaboration, and transparency in an agile world solving. Ask around and youll learn that agencyagile has been quietly changing the way organizations like ours work.
But to partner successfully, public officials have to be ready to learn the language of agile. Accordingly, gao was asked to identify 1 effective practices in applying agile for software development solutions and 2 federal challenges in implementing agile development techniques. Department of commerce, has adopted agile development principles to help government, communities, and the technology industry build highimpact, datadriven. The case study explores the benefits and opportunities of leveraging agile for enterprise development. Despite its hype, agile it practices cant yet flourish in the federal government, the u. That said, if a contract does not effectively support agile software development e. Im happy we brought them into gtb, where their pragmatic, handson training and insights into new ways of working are helping us be an even better partner for our clients. Mar 27, 2020 adopting some of the principles that have become the hallmark of agile software development is a good start. Insight was named a strong performer in the forester wave. Precises software development methodology features a cmmi level 3, sdlcaligned agile development process, mature sprint practices, an effective user engagement model, and a proven application development automation framework.
It can be done under existing procurement regulations and within contracting officers existing authority. Agencyagile better, faster, happier the gold standard for. Agency used agile development and private sector knowhow to finish its longdelayed digital case management system. To complete this program, we designed and implemented a hybrid waterfall agile development methodology that is based on having two development process. Many federal agencies are applying agile in pocket test pilots, and small teams are starting to experiment with the methodology, said tim hoechst, cto of agilex, an information services company specializing in agile development. Jun 11, 2018 legislative direction moving federal agencies toward incremental development in their software initiatives is beginning to take hold, and agile development methodologies have been a key driver of that success, according to an agency cio, a leader in government it modernization, and an industry executive assisting agencies in agile adoption. Federal agencies encountered problems implementing agile practices that are typical in commercial software development firms. Mar 04, 2020 they would let those programs break free from the color of money strictures that were originally designed for military hardware, but make little sense in the context of the agile software development model dod aspires to embrace. Programmatic responsibilities center on the development of workflow applications designed to increase the efficiency of agency business processes. Federal agencies reported that their cios had certified 62 percent of major information technology software development. Improving government outcomes through an agile contract. So when federal agencies talk in terms of yearslong tech procurement timelines, the chance that these projects remain innovative let alone effective begins to fizzle.
To reduce the risk of such problems, the office of management and budget omb recommends modular software delivery consistent with an approach known as agile, which calls for producing software in small, short increments. With proven benefits in the private sector, federal agencies are understandably eager to apply the agile approach to their own projects. An industry practice guide for agile on earned value. Advanced global intelligence learning environment agile. We figure we trimmed out about 70% of software agile s techniques and replaced them with agency friendly techniques. Over the past three years, a small, dedicated team of federal innovators has been steadily transforming the way government agencies apply. Agile is an ic collaborative learning environment that encourages the sharing of learning tools and solutions experts throughout the community are working together to deliver relevant, timely and cost. How the fbi proves agile works for government agencies after almost a decade of mismanagement and waste at the fbi, its cio turned the agency s maligned case management implementation into an. Devops, agile development cut through federal agency s red tape. I consult with a variety of knowledgework businesses including many digital agencies helping them improve their operational processes. Federal agencies that attempt to adopt agile through one or.
In this post well show you how to create a complete solicitation in hours, not months, using our agile contract format. Going agile can break down the silos that exist between and within agencies. Agile is a term that can be applied to software development or project. Versionones allinone agile platform helps government and public sector programs at all levels scale their agile initiatives faster, easier, smarter. Agile has been used by a number of federal agencies. Agile implements the needed method by focusing on small, frequent capability releases, working software.
Agile for state government separating myth from reality can state agencies be sucessful with agile methodologies. Often, agencies find that they must adopt a whole new way of working to engage in. A small number of large organizations are trying to understand how to scale the use of agile. Agile which consists of change in four key dimensions leadership, people, structure, and process as important to sustain agile adoption 9. Agile has emerged as the leading industry software development methodology, and has seen growing adoption across the dod and other federal agencies. Agencies delivering it capabilities 20 days faster by using agile, omb says. Aug 24, 2016 in the past couple years, pockets of the federal government have tried to promote agile software development, a process in which customers and coders work closely on small chunks of larger tech. Agile software development in federal agencies actiac. Bringing greater agility and top talent to government agencies. Digital technology has given federal and state governments the means to fulfill their missions with greatly increased productivity. The rules gap of course, government procurement has a language of its own as wellthe federal acquisition regulation in the us federal government, defense federal. Im happy we brought them into gtb, where their pragmatic, handson training and insights into. One example is the general services administration s.
In the past couple years, pockets of the federal government have tried to promote agile software development, a process in which customers and coders work closely on small chunks of. Jan 04, 2016 agile methods help agencies deliver projects and products more efficiently and effectively. The it dashboard contains budgetary data for federal it investments, cost savings associated with data center closures and closure goals, and access to notes and action items produced by the office of management and budget and agencies. While the trend toward increased agile usage, including within the federal government, is undeniable, the pathway towards broad and successful agile. Fast forward to now and government adoption of lean and agile has. In todays global environment rapid change is the new normal with the necessity for efficient technology implementation and alleviation of potential security threats delivering neverending challenges for government agencies. Asrc federal agile decision sciences provides cutting edge engineering, development and analytical systems to tactical decisionmakers. Some of the wider principles of agile software development have also found application in general management e. A number of countries have recommended agile adoption as a way to cut waste, and increase productivity of delayed projects. We leverage our expertise in anomaly detection, modeling.
Agile software development methods have been used in nondevelopment it infrastructure deployments and migrations. State agencies and their federal partners are rapidly moving away from bigbang software. Federal procurement officials are facing agile more and more, particularly in the information technology it arena. Government programs are starting to experience similar results using these same patterns. What agile software development can do for government. Disruptive for any organization, agile adoption is particularly so for federal agencies where waterfall software. Adopting agile in the federal agency environment finally, the paper addresses the unique challenges facing agile adoption in the federal agency setting and pathways to overcoming obstacles and attaining success. Adopting agile mindsets can help agencies ace their fitara.
Agencies that have successfully adopted an agile framework have done so by understanding and overcoming a number of obstacles specific to the public sector. Sentinels turnaround is the latest chapter in that play book. Us department of defense dod is going agile with the help of dr. Experts throughout the community are working together to deliver relevant, timely and cost effective learning solutions to the worldwide workforce. Agile software development in federal agencies federal news. Agile is characterized by close interaction with the users of software. V of software development projects for purposes of risk identification and compliance as more federal agencies move towards agile, they will need to devise agile appropriate methods for evaulating agile.
We stripped software agile down to its core values culture and communication and pretty much chucked the rest. Often, agencies find that they must adopt a whole new way of working to engage in the kind of trustbased, collaborative vendorclient relationship that agile. Applications of agile development practices in government are providing experience that decision makers can use to improve policy, procedure. Officials who have used agile methods on federal projects generally agreed that these practices are effective. Aug 20, 2019 government solicitations to procure custom software are often long and complicated, include many pages of requirements, and can take months even years to write.
Salient federal solutions and agilecraft copresenters for. Agile methodologies and the federal acquisition regulation. It turns out that the first federal organization to use a tech demo for source selection was the general services administrations 18f, for its agile software development bpa awarded in 2015. Agile is an ic collaborative learning environment that encourages the sharing of learning tools and solutions. Tasks are prioritized and completed in short sprints of work usually two weeks in duration. A small number of large organizations are trying to understand how to scale the use of agile throughout the enterprise. Industry, agency leaders praise government move to agile. Advancing government through collaboration, education and action. Effective practices and federal challenges in applying agile methods. The number of additional governmentauthored resources on agile adoption has grown significantly, as has the number of published success stories of federal programs getting better results after their transformation to leanagile practices. But simply by nature, many agile values and practices go against the grain of typical government operations.
Are any federal government agencies successfully implementing. Wait, agile rescued a huge moneypit fiasco of a government project. Devops, agile development cut through federal agency s red tape scrum, waterfall approaches, paired with jenkins, git, chef tools as well as java and spring add up to higher efficiency and better. Digital service delivery an agile software development. Traditional procurement methods for waterfall software implementations lack the flexibility to take advantage of the benefits of time, schedule, and cost that agile software development methods can bring to the federal government. While the trend toward increased agile usage, including within the federal government, is. Oct 15, 2010 what agile software development can do for government. And collaboration doesnt need to end at the federal levelagile projects done in the open provide a way for the public to contribute to.
Dec 11, 2018 five years ago, if i mentioned leanagile transformation to someone from a government agency, id get a contemplative look and sometimes a wry smile. In the past couple years, pockets of the federal government have tried to promote agile software development, a process in which customers and coders work closely on small chunks of larger tech projects, rapidly spinning out and testing prototypes. In the past couple years, pockets of the federal government have tried to promote agile software development, a process in which customers. This a practical impossibility when federal agencies. Jun 19, 2019 over the past three years, a small, dedicated team of federal innovators has been steadily transforming the way government agencies apply open government data. Page 2 gao12681 agile effective practices and federal challenges. Agile methods often require a fundamental shift in the way government agencies think and operate. Agile was definitely on leaders minds but they were skeptical that it could work in a sector thats hamstrung by regulations and a challenging contracting environment. Improving government outcomes through an agile contract format. Not only is agile part of federal cio steven vanroekel s future first initiative, but the government accountability office gao just issued a report on the federal governments use of agile.
Users are engaged from the start and throughout the project. Adopting agile in the federal agency environment finally, the paper addresses the unique challenges facing agile adoption in the federal agency. Everyone seems to be talking about agile development. How federal agencies can use agile development to apply open. Based on this experience, here are my top tips for integrating agile methods into the agency. The agency is using agile software development to help keep astronauts safe on the next moon mission. Its a way of working that is iterative, incremental, and highly interactive. An agile approach enables rapid incrementally shippable deliverables and collaborative decisionmaking between the parties. Atlassian helps you drive agile at the team level, while applying the same sustainable principles, practices, and outcomes at other layers of the organization. Agile methodologies and the federal acquisition regulation this is the first article in a 3article series on integrating agile methodologies within the context of the federal acquisition regulation. Theres a lot of talk about how federal agencies can benefit from the best it practices of the private sector.
Streamlining how agencies procure software skylight. If youre not an agency, call us and become one of our easier transformations. A sea change is occurring in the way federal agencies go about software development. As agencies try to adopt agile development practices and modular contracting methods. Through digital transformations, agencies can integrate cuttingedge technologies such as cloud, mobile, artificial intelligence, and automation and modern management practices for instance, agile software development to dramatically improve services and. Leaders must be willing to let go of some control while teams must be willing to step up, collaborate. A playbook from the deloitte center for government insights. Whether youre the market leader or a future disruptor, thriving in the digital era requires agility, no matter your organizations size. Agencies such as dhs, hhs, and gsa indicate that they rely on the agile approach to it development 42%, 49%, and 72% of their software respectively versus a target of 60%. However, government agencies must address unique challenges in lean agile.
Agencies are clumsy in shift to agile development, says gao. Government organizations are increasingly turning to agile methods for software development, but applying them to large it projects can be a. The opportunity project top, housed in the census bureau at the u. The foundations of lean and agile thinking have led to higher success rates versus waterfall methods in software and systems development in the private sector. Why agile is still so hard for the government nextgov. Precises software development methodology features a cmmi level 3, sdlcaligned agile. Federal agency impediment list teams had difficulty collaborating closely.
Agile is an ic collaborative learning environment that encourages the sharing of learning tools and solutions experts throughout the community are working together to deliver relevant, timely and cost effective learning solutions to the worldwide workforce. I think were immature as an industry in really understanding the context in which agile. Harnessing the power of digital in us government agencies. How can government benefit from agile software development techniques. Many federal agencies are contemplating or just beginning to adopt agile software development. We figure we trimmed out about 70% of software agiles techniques and replaced them with agency friendly techniques. The number of additional governmentauthored resources on agile adoption has grown significantly, as has the number of published success stories of federal programs getting better results after their transformation to lean agile practices. Congress has also directed increased training in agile as well as authorizing the modernization of acquisition practices to support agile. Jeff sutherland, one of the inventors of the scrum software development process and ceo of scrum inc dod started a. Accordingly, gao was asked to identify 1 effective practices in applying agile for software development solutions and 2 federal challenges in implementing agile. The agile delivery services marketplace was a federal wide, prevetted pool of vendors who helped agencies use modern agile software development practices to build digital services. Recently, several agencies have applied agile practices to their software projects. The rules gap of course, government procurement has a language of its own as wellthe federal acquisition regulation in the us federal government, defense federal acquisi.
Simplicity the art of maximizing the amount of work not done is essential. In software, agile is a method of software development that is based on iterative and incremental delivery approach that anticipates the need for flexibility into the delivery of the finished product. How the fbi proves agile works for government agencies cio. One agency, the department of homeland security, has made agile the formal standard for software development. The practices generally align with five key software development project management activities. Agencyagile better, faster, happier the gold standard. If you read about how software agile came about, youll realize that it wasnt a big bang. Yes, government agencies can be lean and agile scaled agile. Nov 30, 2017 an agile software development solicitation guide this is part 2 in a series about how to contract for agile software development services. Focusing on data exploitation as a means to compress decisionmaking chains and provide timely and authoritative decision support, our technicaledge solutions bring datadriven analytics to the field. Agile is a term that can be applied to software development or project management. Why agencies are learning to love agile development gcn. Agile in government resources cultural transformation agile acquisition. Devops, agile development cut through federal agencys red.
Lets take a closer look at how agencies can develop core agile principles to make their modernization efforts worthy of an a grade. Thats because they are pretty crazy places, and if you can fix an agency, we believe, you can fix most anything. After all, the point of agile is to focus software development projects on. Both gao and omb are publishing audit and budgeting regulations to govern agile programs. But an agency can hire an agile software contractor with a solicitation thats only a dozen pages, written in an afternoon, using our agile contract format. This is what agile development should look like in the. One agency, the department of homeland security, has made agile the formal standard for software.
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