Page 20 - FCW, May 30, 2016

BY DAN CHENOK AND JOIWIND RONEN
Agile techniques can improve program management and outcomes — and enhance agency success
GOVERNMENT
In the past several years, the government has taken cues from industry about the value of adopting an agile approach to software development. The Obama administration has established offices across government to help agen- cies implement agile practices, including the Office of Management and Budget’s U.S. Digital Service, the General Servic- es Administration’s 18F program and agency digital services teams.
In 2012, IBM’s Center for the Busi-
ness of Government published “A Guide to Critical Success Factors in Agile Delivery,” which put agile con- cepts in context for government lead- ers and stakeholders. Recently, many agencies and programs have adopted or expanded the use of agile as a tech- nique to improve management practices and program outcomes more generally.
With the coming change in adminis- trations, solidifying agile as an effective and go-to approach would help strength- en the management of programs, both
now and in the future. Agency leaders can and should use agile management to help drive progress in IT and program delivery by breaking large governmen- tal processes into iterative components that involve key stakeholders.
That approach accelerates processes and improves the quality of the solu- tion — just as agile software develop- ment takes advantage of continuous delivery and user feedback to produce demonstrable value for users at lower implementation risk.
16 May 30, 2016 FCW.COM