Presented at the GTEC 2016 conference in Ottawa on November 3 by PwC Canada in collaboration with BC Pension Corporation. Abstract: Exploring the definition of agile then answering key questions with respect to the use of agile within government and the real life implications through the use of a case study, closing with overall thoughts and recommendations on beginning the agile journey.
2. GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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Setting the context: understanding Agile
What do government organizations need to understand before using Agile?
Case study: British Columbia Pension Corporation
Lessons learned in enterprise Agile
How can you embark on your Agile journey?
Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile
for digital government
Laurie Desautels
Director Digital
Part of the PwC network
11/03/2016
3. PwC
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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Audience poll:
Who has been involved in an
Agile project in government?
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4. GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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Agile is an umbrella term referring to the
core Agile software development values,
principles and practices, as well as the
collection of techniques, tools,
methodologies and frameworks that
support or guide their application.
Setting the context: what is Agile?
1
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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 Manifesto
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6. PwC
Methodologies have evolved as the rapid pace of technology change
drives projects to deliver value to the business at a faster pace.
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1. Fowler Software Design (FSD)
2. Dynamic systems development method
(DSDM)
3. Extreme Programming (XD)
Source: https://
projectleadershipwaterloo.wordpress.com/2011
/05/16/project-management-methodologies/
Highlystable
Highchange
Waterfall
High collaboration
Low collaboration
Agile-Scrum
PMI
Agile-XP3
Agile-Lean
Agile-DSDM2
Agile-FSD1
Rapid Application
Development (RAD)
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7. PwC
The 2015 State of Scrum Report says that 95% of organizations
surveyed use Scrum in combination with other practices.
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Agile Practices in Use
– ScrumAlliance, State of Scrum 2015
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8. PwC
Many organizations are embracing Agile techniques.
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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83%
Daily
Standup
82%
Prioritized
Backlogs
69%
Iteration
Planning
79%
Short
Iterations
74%
Retrospectives
“More than 39% of the respondents practiced Kanban
within their organizations, up from 31% in 2014.”
Source: VersionOne, 10th State of Agile Report
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9. PwC
The language of Agile, or how do I sound like I know what I’m
talking about.
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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Daily
Scrum
Sprint
2 – 4 weeks
Sprint
Planning
Potentially shippable
product increment
Sprint Backlog
Sprint Demo &
Retrospective
Product Backlog
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10. PwC
The Product Backlog tells the story of the functional, non-
functional and experience requirements.
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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“As a member, I want to see a list of
purchasable gaps in service, so that I can
consider a purchase.”
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11. PwC
How do you define Minimum Viable Product?
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Image source: http://www.heroes-corp.com/site/go-live-with-the-minimal-viable-product/
Product Vision
Minimum Viable
Product
Iteration
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12. PwC
Are we done yet? The Definition of Done (or DoD) in Agile.
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Source: http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2015/07/02/definition-done-why-it-matters/
And another really good story on DoD: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/definition-done-anshika-misra
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13. PwC
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Use of Agile Management Tools
60%
51%
33%
28%
24%
18%
18%
16%
14%
10%
7%
5%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
Microsoft Excel
Atlassian/JIRA
Microsoft Project
VersionOne
Microsoft TFS
Google Docs
HP Quality Center/ALM
Vendor Y*
In-house/home grown
Bugzilla
IBM Rational Team Concert
LeanKit
Pivotal Tracker
ThoughtWorks Mingle
Target Process
CA Clarity Agile
Vendor X*
HP Agile Manager
Axosoft
No tools at all
Hansoft
Source: VersionOne, 10th State of Agile Report
Notes: Previously vendors “X” and “Y”
requested not to be identified in the State of
Agile Report. Respondents were able to make
multiple selections
And it’s not just about Agile project management
tools but tools that support agility in the build,
test, and deployment of technology.
With collaboration at the heart of the Agile manifesto, the tools you
use should to facilitate and enhance collaboration.
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What do government organizations need to
understand before adopting Agile?2
Gert du Preez
BC Technology Leader
11/03/2016
15. PwC
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10/27/2016
“Agile is a silver bullet” and other common misconceptions about Agile
Agile projects
are chaotic and
involve little
planning.
Agile lacks risk
management and
is inherently
risky.
Agile does not
value decision
making
governance or
accountability.
Agile is only used in
tech start-ups and small
software development
shops.
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16. PwC
Agile development focuses on the short-term, potentially at the
expense of the long-term.
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Source: Forrester, Agile-Plus-Architecture: Embrace the Oxymoron, 2015
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17. PwC
Architecture looks to the longer term, potentially becoming
irrelevant.
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Image Source: Eugene Woronyuk
Source: Forrester, Agile-Plus-Architecture: Embrace the Oxymoron, 2015
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18. PwC
Sustainable agility requires both agile development and enterprise
architecture.
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Source: Forrester, Agile-Plus-Architecture: Embrace the Oxymoron, 2015
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19. PwC
What benefits do organizations consistently report that they
receive from Agile?
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Source: VersionOne, 10th State of Agile Report
85%
Increased team
productivity
84%
Improved project
visibility
87%
Ability to manage
changing priorities
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20. PwC
Although it is a leading indicator for success – you do not need a
team of Agile experts to attain benefits.
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Leading Causes of Failed Agile Projects
46%
41%
38%
38%
38%
36%
34%
30%
30%
28%
27%
25%
5%
Company philosophy of culture at odds with core agile values
Lack of experience with agile methods
Lack of management support
Lack of support for cultural transition
Inconsistent agile practices and process
External pressure to follow traditional waterfall processes
Ineffective management collaboration
A broader organizational or communications problem
Unwillingness of team to follow agile
Inability to continuously prioritize work
Insufficient training
Ineffective collaboration
Don’t know
Source: VersionOne, 10th State of Agile Report
Note: Respondents were able to make multiple selections
“[…] even novice project
managers with less than
six months’agile
experience already
achieved better results
than those using the
traditional waterfall
methodology”
- Marnewick & Van Wyk, 2016
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21. PwC
Agile presents unique opportunities
for the public sector.
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Reduces the risk
profile of large, multi-
year programs.
Inexperienced teams
are still able to reap
some of the benefits of
Agile as long as they
adhere to Agile
practices
(Van Wyk &
Marnewick, 2016)
It is the best answer
for rapid software
delivery and is the key
enabler of digital
transformation.
(Forrester 2015)
Resilient to
political transitions
due to its adaptive
and incremental
approach.
Able to deliver
solutions that meet
changing and
diverse stakeholder
needs.
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of leaders emphasized
that the public service needs to
become less risk averse to be Agile
– Canada's Public Policy Forum & PwC Canada, 2015
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23. PwC
While there are risks to using Agile within the public sector, they
are not unsurmountable.
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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A culture of
risk aversion
Potential impact
to citizens
Agile literacy Rigid structures
and processes
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24. PwC
Iteration, innovation, and collaboration doesn’t necessarily make
all end-products better. When NOT to use Agile.
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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When
definition,
not speed, is
key to
success
When
definition,
not speed, is
key to
success
When
updating
legacy
systems
When
updating
legacy
systems
When there is a
very clear
picture of what
the final
product should
be
When there is a
very clear
picture of what
the final
product should
be
When large
volumes of
regulatory and
compliance
documentation
is required
When large
volumes of
regulatory and
compliance
documentation
is required
When
stakeholders will
no have the
ability to change
the scope of the
project once it
has begun
When
stakeholders will
no have the
ability to change
the scope of the
project once it
has begun
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25. PwC
The Silver Tsunami
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Case Study
3
British Columbia Pension Corporation
Online Retirement
Kevin Olineck
VP Member Experience
11/03/2016
26. PwC
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25,400
College
AS OF
AUGUST 31
2015
309,500
Municipal
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015
5,300
WorkSafeBC
AS OF
MARCH 31
2016
119,100
Public Service
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
92,800
Teachers’
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015
552,100Total
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27. PwC
Citizens prefer to interact with government online.
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Percentage of British Columbians prefer to use
online first to interact with government to obtain
access to services
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28. PwC
The case for change at BC Pension Corporation.
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• My Account members increasing at 25% annually
• Online pension estimates have doubled since
2012
• Retirement applications expected to increase by
more than 80% each year in the next 4 years
• Active and retired members use the web more,
and expect services through online channels
• Members expect a good digital experience
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29. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Current state versus future state vision.
Future
• Members can plan to retire and retire
online using a web platform
• Processes redesigned around the
member experience using Ux best
practices
• Personalized information & secure
messaging to meet member expectations
GTEC 2016 - Beyond waterfall: Lessons learned on Agile for digital government
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Current
• Planning and retirement process is
manually intensive & largely paper-based
• Processes are focused on staff and not end-
users
• Primary mode of communication with
members is generic and via mail
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30. PwC
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10/27/2016
Knowledge transfer must be
individually tailored for the
needs & experience of each
resource.
Knowledge transfer was a critical
success factor.
31. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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Online Retirement Project Outcomes
• Online Retirement met BC Pension Corporation’s
business objectives within 8 months
• Delivered a modern platform with a member-
centric user experience
• Successfully transferred knowledge from external
subject matter experts to internal staff
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32. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Why did Agile work?
Development and delivery velocity of Agile shortened the “Time to
Market” expected by internal and external stakeholders
Agile is founded on human-centred design disciplines and focused
on meeting user needs
Agile’s iterative delivery model enables receiving and incorporating
feedback early and often to meet changing needs of users and
business objectives
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Lessons Learned
4
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34. PwC
Empower Agile teams and roles while ensuring an appropriate
level of oversight and control.
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Ask project executives to visibly
demonstrate their commitment
to Agile values and principles
but first provide them with a clear
understanding of what they’re being
asked to commit to.
Enforce the use of Agile
principles and ceremonies
but do consider the use of non-agile
roles such as a Project Manager to
support alignment to existing project
governance platforms.
Use the project or program
business case to hold the
Product Owner accountable for
their decision-making
but do adjust the business case
development process, existing
templates, and expectations
regarding level of certainty.
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35. PwC
It’s important to strike a balance between ‘must have’ governance
structures and mechanisms with Agile practices.
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Project Status
Blend Waterfall and Agile
reporting methods
Provide context and training
to recipients
Encourage attendance at
Sprint demos – bring the
show to your stakeholders!
Governance Structures
Business Steering Committee
Program/Project Management
Office (PMO) Lite
Architecture Review Board
(ARB)
Documentation
Accept new documentation
formats (e.g. JIRA as a living
product backlog)
Appreciate the public sector’s
obligation to transparency and
accountability as the stewards
of public funds.
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36. PwC
No two organizations, team, or project are the same – make
adjustments to Agile that work for you.
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Workstreams related to areas such as security, architecture,
infrastructure, risk management, change management, and
communication are executed in alignment with Waterfall practices while
the core development and user experience workstreams fully embrace
Agile.
While Agile calls out 3 roles – Product Owner, Scrum Master, Scrum
Team Member (multi-disciplinary) – there is often a need to further
differentiate leadership roles for governance and integration with
enterprise IT.
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37. PwC
The development team was allowed to quickly provision
additional development environments on demand; however,
the production environment remained locked-down.
Recognize that cloud and DevOps are essential accelerators;
however, adjust to meet your enterprise process requirements.
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Embarking on your Agile journey
5
Discuss Agile principles with leadership – be open, honest and frank.
Obtain their commitment – or don’t do it at all.
Empower staff to take risks
without fear of retribution.
Cultivate skills through holistic knowledge transfer program that
includes formal courses, on the job training, coaching and mentorship.
Become comfortable with being
uncomfortable and stay the course!
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39. PwC
Your journey to Agile will take place over many
projects and many years – and first projects will
always be up against the “normal” way of doing
things.
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