Agile TransformationAgile in the government environment

BIO

GR

AP

HY

About Gerry Robinson

• Gerry Robinson is an information technology professional with diverse experience in almost every facet of IT. He is currently a leader at NCS Technologies and Cognitive Insights, focused on IT Strategy, BRM, IT Corporate Communications, Call Center Optimization. He has led teams in application development, cloud, and infrastructure projects.

• Corporate Faculty at Harrisburg University.

• Executive Council at BRM Institute.

• Author of three books on technology, IT leadership, and business and IT convergence.

• Creator of the mobile app “The BRM Playbook.”

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/techbuzzkillgr

2016 2015

2014

Quote

“I am aware of exactly one successful company wide Agile transformation in the

Fortune 200.”

- Geri Schneider Winters, Author of Applying Use Cases: A Practical Guide and Why Agile is Failing at Large Companies

NASCIO 2017 Survey CIO Priorities

1. Security and Risk Management

2. Consolidation Optimization

3. Cloud Services

4. Budget, Cost Control, Fiscal Management

5. Legacy Modernization

6. Enterprise IT Governance

7. Data Management and Analytics

8. Enterprise Vision and IT Roadmap

9. Agile and Incremental Service Delivery

10. Broadband and Wireless Connectivity

2010 to 2017 comparison

20101. Budget and Cost Control

2. Consolidation

3. Shared Services

4. Broadband and Wireless Connectivity

5. ARRA

6. Security

7. Transparency

8. Infrastructure

9. Health Information

10. Governance

20171. Security and Risk Management

2. Consolidation Optimization

3. Cloud Services

4. Budget, Cost Control, Fiscal Management

5. Legacy Modernization

6. Enterprise IT Governance

7. Data Management and Analytics

8. Enterprise Vision and IT Roadmap

9. Agile and Incremental Service Delivery

10. Broadband and Wireless Connectivity

Increase in Business Agility

• Advent of Cloud

• Constituent change in service expectations

• Business feeling empowered to go their own way more often

Agile Manifesto 2001

Agile Core Values

The four core values of agile software development as stated by the Agile Manifesto emphasize:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

• Working software over comprehensive documentation.

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

• Responding to change over following a plan.

Agile Principles

Benefits of Agile

• Realize value sooner through incremental releases

• React more quickly to organizational needs

• Quality

• Can lower costs of development

• Attracts Talented Developers to Projects

• Business Engagement/Customer (constituent) satisfaction

Agile Focus vs. Waterfall

• The Methodologies Solve Different Problems in their Focus

• Waterfall is designed to solve the problem of “are we delivering projects on time and on budget”.

• Agile is designed to solve the problem of “are we delivering the right product”.

Government’s Agile Landscape

Natural Fit for Government

• Large IT departments

• Development needs

• Custom processes requiring custom development

Things to Consider

• Standardized Methodology

• Centralized Administration Across Departments

• “Color of Money”

• Predictable change in leadership

• Built-in process overhead

The Process

• Standard Commonwealth Deliverables for projects

• ~20 deliverables as a standard• a. New IT Project Exceeding $250,000

Agencies shall request OA/OIT approval • b. For all IT projects that exceed $1 million,

agencies shall obtain and assign a project manager and provide OA/OIT notification of the project manager.

• c. OA/OIT shall review & approve all IT project requests for projects that exceed $250,000.

Government Procurement Rules

• Competitive Procurements

• Objectively Scored

• RFP Process

• IT RFPs generally structured as projects

• FIXED PRICE relationships with contractors • Functional Requirements Document

• Technical Requirements Document• Software Design Document

Documentation and Sequence is Built-in

Common Agile Transformation Paths

• Hire Agile Coaches

• Do one agile project to prove methodology, then transition

• Implement infrastructure including continuous delivery and devops

• Convert to methodology through vendors

Agile Transformation Beginnings

Finding the Agile Transformation Flashpoints

• All organizations have pockets of Agile friendly practices

• Look For Areas that can implement:• Continuously Maintained

Prioritized Work Package Queues

• Regular Demonstrations of Functional Solutions

• Incremental Delivery of Solution

Continuously Maintained Prioritized Work Package Queues

Key Definitions

• Work Package: Small, independent, testable, pieces of work.

• Queue: Ordered list

• Continuously Maintained

Places to look

• Maintenance Contracts

• Integration Platforms

• Internally Supported Systems

Start Implementing

• Choose a product steward

• If no product steward available, work with project managers

Regular Demonstrations of Functional Solutions

Key Definitions

• Progress showcases through demonstrations

• Work package oriented (in other words building the user story into the waterfall project)

• Work package is complete, works, and has been tested.

Places to look• Projects that can integrate regular

demonstrations as milestones

• Projects with high level business requirements

• Large projects with higher risk on requirements clarity

Start Implementing

• Plan ahead

• Don’t surprise teams with demonstration requirements

• Work package definition is integral

Incremental Delivery

Key Definitions

• Release software into production in steps

• Minimum of two

• Three to Four optimal

Places to look• Large projects with diverse business

units affect

• Front office and back office projects

• Projects with clearly segmented functional modules

Start Implementing

• Choose a project

• Start with two increments

• Include an early phase for high level requirements and architecture

Organizational Transformation Practices

Foundational Agile Practices

• Architecture and Vision

• Design by Contract

• Framework, Studs, and Mock Objects

Architecture and Vision

Key Definitions

• Architecting Solutions for easier change

Places to look

• New Systems or New Process Areas

• Large modification projects

• Systems that interface with integration hubs

Start Implementing

• After choosing project, proactively design architecture

• Create an Architecture Guild

Design by Contract

Key Definitions

• Divide work into pieces, then for each piece describe precisely what it needs to start its work (the inputs) and what it provides when it finishes (the outputs).

Places to look

• New systems

• Projects or contracts with distributed teams

Start Implementing

• RFPs

• Work Package Design Standards

• Be very clear on quality and performance

Frameworks, Studs, and Mock Objects

Key Definitions

• Methods to allow for earlier testing or to simplify testing

Places to look

• Grouped systems by maintenance contract

• Grouped systems by integration hub

Start Implementing

• Analyze work and project to ensure proper fit

• Involve architecture guild or team

The Agile Practices

Other Agile Best Practices

• Colocation

• Dedicated Teams

• Generalizing Specialists

• Agile Metrics

• Continuous Delivery

Structure Workflow for Agile

• Organize communities around capital assets

• Create guilds for specialties

• Organize careers around goals, not positions or levels

• Properly incorporating remote workers

• Organize work into releases

• Agile infrastructure

Agility Transformation Checklist

• Assess current talent pool for agile knowledge

• Assess Legacy Technologies

• Assess Business Stakeholder Investment Capability

• Assess Tools

• Review Backlog

• Dynamic Capacity

• Review Contracts with Vendors (i.e. outcome based can get in the way of agile implementation)

Questions