Agile paper

1. Taking the first step
to agile digital services
0207 602 6000 mbailey@caci.co.uk @CACI_Cloud
Digital Delivered. Now for Tomorrow.

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1. Background & Summary
The Government’s Digital by Default agenda has changed the way IT and digital services are created, tested
and deployed. While the quality, usability and security will always be vital, agility is everything. And this is
exactly what the Government’s Digital by Default agenda requires.
Transforming your business by introducing new digital services can seem a daunting process. Not to mention
delivering these services based on an ‘agile’ methodology. But do you know what agile is? And why do you
need to adopt this approach? Importantly, how do you put together an agile project team and where do
you find the right suppliers? The questions no doubt seem endless. But the main problem can often be the
misconceptions about agile itself. Only when you get to grips with this, can you start to think about putting a
plan in place. But before we can do that, we need to be clear about what agile actually is …

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An agile project is about creating fast
iterations of products based on the
feedback of real users.
2. So what is ‘agile’?
So what is agile and what does a typical agile
project entail, for the government agency, the
supplier and the users?
An agile project is about creating fast
iterations of products based on the feedback
of real users. It means regularly releasing
small pieces of functionality; constant
communication between team members,
and using equipment that displays progress
being made by your team.
Government Digital Service
Agile is a collection of frameworks that support a
team to build software iteratively. Key roles such
as product owner and scrum master guide the
project by prioritising scope and by maintaining
focus on team goals. Key distinctions from other
methodologies include; working software over
extensive documentation, adapting to change
and feedback after iterations (known as sprints),
team improvement (via retrospectives) and
real-time progress (via burn-down charts and
information radiators).
The Government Digital Service design manual
recommends agile as the methodology to use for
building government digital services. This requires
dedicated resource from government staff as
it recommends that the customer covers roles
such as product owner who then need access to
subject matter experts as required. If a supplier
is part of the project then they are required to
become part of a co-located team - collaboration
is an essential part of agile, involving daily stand-
ups and joint working to develop the product.
A user focused approach is also essential to
capture the requirements to build early alpha
and beta releases. These provide valuable
insight and will lead to the best possible
experience for the user.

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3. Dispelling the myths
Now we’re clear on what ‘agile’ is, what are the
main misconceptions?
Many advocates represent an agile approach as
being the ‘silver bullet’ of delivery when in fact
it is simply an alternative approach that offers a
different set of pros and cons to other project
methodologies. It should be remembered that a
methodology is only as good as the practitioners
and stakeholders who are delivering within it.
During our engagement on projects over the
past few years we have come across some of the
following popular myths …
3.1. Speed is the true value
Agile projects have been proven to achieve higher
productivity than other methodologies and, by
frequently reporting on progress and delivering
smaller objectives along the way, they give the
perception of pace.
However, the true value associated with agile is
more profound. Agile brings the close alignment
of business and user needs together through
collaboration, combined with a programme’s
ability to respond to change. Consequently, agile
has a much greater success rate in delivering a
solution that the user actually needs and wants
to use. Feedback from users and customers
continually support this. Even well run traditional
Waterfall methodologies can suffer when project
goals change and if the scope is committed to
much earlier in the delivery process. Agile delivers
what the users want.
3.2. Quality of the software suffers
Many may believe that agile puts software
delivery over and above documentation as the
true indicator of progress, which is taken by many
to illustrate a lack of control and quality.
However, quick delivery of software that actually
works, and the avoidance of mountains of
documentation with an extensive test phase,
does not mean that quality has to suffer. Agile
digital delivery undertakes testing in parallel to
development, using behavioural specifications
aligned to business value. This actually produces
fully tested software early and regularly for
review and approval. These specifications
become automated, leading to higher productivity
when new features are added. Test coverage
is comprehensive on an agile project if applied
correctly. What’s more, since it does not follow
as a sequential activity, testing under the agile
methodology saves project time.

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3.3. Agile doesn’t support governance
All organisations have an approach to project
governance covering a wide spectrum, from light
touch to incredibly formal. Many see agile as weak
in this area due to its less formal approach. Strong
or excessive governance doesn’t guarantee a
good delivery.
Within agile, the product owner and scrum
master have essential roles and a number of
critical reporting objectives. Sometimes, however,
especially within larger organisations, certain
governance approaches better suit a project
management role, following PRINCE 2 for
example. A project management layer is fully
compatible with agile as long as the essential
roles are able to fully focus on their areas of
responsibility. Agile does not negate governance.
3.4. High risk compared to
other methodologies
All projects need to manage risk and a fluid
approach, incorporating feedback and re-aligning
objectives as the project progresses, is seen
by some as ‘out of control’. In practice, a key
advantage of a fluid agile approach is that issues
can be identified early in the process. This is
because working software is produced from
the very first iteration. Every iteration has a set
scope to focus on, where risks are monitored on
a daily basis so that appropriate actions can be
taken immediately and further iterations shaped
accordingly.
Agile brings the close alignment of
business and user needs together
through collaboration, combined with a
programme’s ability to respond to change.

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A typical government project will include a number of stakeholders responsible for ensuring that their needs
are represented and that they receive the appropriate priority. This is understandable as the wrong product
will have major time and cost implications for a department. Care needs to be taken that these combined
project demands do not have an adverse effect on the delivery because focus on core features is often lost
leading to over engineered solutions. The actual users are also affected as the experience is often pushed
towards the business drivers rather than balanced with user needs.
An agile project is collaborative and empowers the business to play an active part in the design and
development of the final product. It supports stakeholder confidence through regular reviews, while
allowing the team to focus on goals. It accommodates useful processes such as usability testing due to its
responsiveness to change and iterative approach. But it’s no slave to internal reporting process either. It’s a
great choice for delivering a digital service designed to accurately fit your business and customer needs.
For guidance on how to start building digital services, visit Gov.uk’s Service Manual website.
4. Building an agile digital service - Summary
and recommendations

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5. CACI
We know how to build world-class user-centred services, quickly and efficiently and have a proven delivery
record in helping Government put services online.
Our expert agile delivery and DevOps teams specialise in the development, maintenance, support and 24/7
managed services, including cloud services. We’ve done this for Government at BIL2, BIL3 and BIL4 levels
for over 12 years. Our approach combines the highest level of expertise, professionalism and innovative
technology, with a pace and energy that consistently delivers beyond expectations.
Our close-knit teams of multi-skilled professionals waste no time applying commercial sector skills, and
timeframes, to even the most complex digital challenges. We work collaboratively to define the best project
and management structure to ensure the user, and their needs are at the heart of every process and every
stage. From discovery to iterative design, technology choices and continuous delivery, we are 100% aligned to
create a user-focused experience that’s rewarding and engaging. Our approach aligns with business value by
working closely with our customer and we test solutions with real users to make sure our service is great to
use.
From a standing start we can, and have, delivered successful digital services in weeks.
Digital Delivered. Now for Tomorrow.

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Glossary of terms
Term Description
Agile
A project delivery methodology based on iterative development, adaptive planning
and is responsive to changes based on regular reviews with users and stakeholders.
Alpha and Beta
releases
Early versions of software to test with real users. Feedback will be analysed and
provide recommendations for future iterations.
Burn down charts
Graphical representation of work left to do versus time.
Information
radiators
Visual display to show progress.
Product owner
A defined role in agile, responsible for managing the wish list of user stories or
features known as the product backlog.
Retrospective
Chance for the agile team to discuss the completed sprint and to suggest
improvement for future sprints.
Scrum master
A defined role in agile, responsible for removing any issues in the way of team goals
and ensures the agile process is followed correctly.
Sprint
An agile project is broken down into different stages, called ‘sprints’. These typically
last 2-4 weeks.
Sprint Review
Demonstrate the product to key stakeholders at the end of the sprint. Sometimes
referred to as ‘Show & Tell’.
Stand-up
The team will get together briefly, each team member will report progress, plan for
the day and any issues that prevent their targets from being completed.
Waterfall
A project delivery methodology that generally follows a linear process of completing
design first, followed by development and ends with user acceptance testing.
For further information and advice, please contact Mark Bailey:
020 7602 6000 mbailey@caci.co.uk @CACI_Cloud