Agile methodology was introduced to the government as a new way to develop software and is now expanding beyond that original intent. The hallmark of Agile is breaking a large project into smaller steps with constant collaboration between the end/business users and the technical development team. This approach was a huge departure from waterfall methodology, where technology was not introduced into a system until it was completely finished and was based on a static set of requirements. The changes in how we as a society use technology and the government’s need to modernize how they do business made Agile the right choice for most modernization projects, whether software is being developed or just simply used.
While an Agile approach makes sense to implement, doing so is not always easy. Contracts need to be written and measured differently to account for the iterative releases, rather than a singular release at the completion of the contract. Perhaps the most difficult shift has been changing the long-standing risk averse mindset of government teams. In Agile processes, failure is accepted as inevitable and is used as a lesson for the next iteration. Agile is no longer a novel way to implement technology, it is being woven into processes that extend far beyond IT teams.
Agility From the Top Down
The Biden Administration’s 2022 Federal Workforce Priorities Report included a priority of building an agile workforce. It defines agility as building a “growth mindset” for adopting organizational change. Doing so means taking small steps and communicating what is working (and what is not) along the way–the same principle as Agile software development.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has served as an example of a successful agile shift. They needed to modernize 88 IT applications and integrate them with other systems. They created cross-functional solution teams that worked within Agile processes to make sure the changes to systems met the business needs. This introduced the concept of continuous learning and “forced” people to really examine what processes were working and which ones were holding projects back. They also created “playbooks” to standardize how databases would be transformed and how best to migrate data. These playbooks are now available to agencies across the government to use in their modernization efforts.
Putting Your Money Where the Agility Is
The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is a great example of how government budgets are adapting to Agile development. TMF allocations are tied to phased delivery based on specific milestones. But for the entire workforce to become agile, budgeting has to change beyond singular contracts or funds.
Government budgets are annual affairs that result in a big lag between investment and completion. Success is measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – massive goals that are measured at milestone points in a project. Instead, for an agile approach Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) may be a better measuring tool. OKRs translate big, strategic priorities into more specific goals across the length of a project.
For example, to measure improvements in customer satisfaction, instead of using an annual aggregate KPI, such as an index score, the agency could set an objective to streamline the process of starting a business. They could set a key result of reducing the number of steps from 20 to 12 or decreasing the average time required to issue a license from one month to 10 days.
Check out these resources for more on how agility is being integrated into government processes today:
- Building a Culture of Innovation in Government (white paper) – This brief shares insightful findings from the workshop series covering how our government can build and foster a culture of innovation over the next 20 years. It also addresses how to measure progress and engage key stakeholders in the process.
- Reducing Insider Risk Through Continuous Vetting (white paper) – Learn what experts at the roundtable shared about the challenges and successes of implementing robust and agile continuous monitoring processes, and necessary components of an effective insider risk program.
- App Modernization at Scale (white paper) – In a recent roundtable discussion, federal experts discussed challenges and opportunities with modernizing applications at scale. Panelists shared various strategies to achieve application modernization at scale, including adaptive maintenance, APIs, and event-driven software development solutions.
- Adapting to Change: Evolving Government in the Digital Age (white paper) – Government IT is in the midst of a rapid evolution. As technology accelerates and constituent demands increase, agencies face multifaceted challenges, including rapidly changing technology and an increased threat of cyber attacks. In a recent roundtable panelists representing various federal agencies discussed the opportunities and challenges facing government agencies in this era of transformation.
- ICMA Annual Conference (September 30-October 4, 2023; Austin, TX) – This event brings together local government leaders and staff to discuss current issues challenging the local government management profession and to identify meaningful solutions.
- MSSN CTRL (October 5-6, 2023; Arlington, VA) – This event focuses on innovative practices and how they are changing the way security has been traditionally practiced for the past decade. The conference aims to provide deep technical training and hands-on sessions that will equip attendees with the right methods and tools to protect their organizations or customers.
Discover more insight into agile in government on GovWhitePapers and GovEvents.
