AGL in NextGov: 5 cultural shifts agile brings to agencies

NextGov published an article on a recent roundtable discussion hosted by AGL and GMIS International, showing the cultural shifts that agile processes bring to government.

A panel of public sector leaders with on-the-job agile experience shared their stories and practical advice, concluding that agencies can embrace agile better with these key understandings:

  • Agile is a team sport
  • Relevance is the gold standard
  • Communication over documentation
  • Deadlines don’t mean what you think
  • Government contracts need a makeover

From the article:

In this age of rapidly changing technology, it’s not realistic to define every requirement at the outset. Rather, agencies can move to an agile-oriented contract that insists on rapid response, work being done and delivered every two weeks, and constant communication based on a shared understanding developers and clients will decide together what is needed.

“It takes courage,” Read says, “because you have to make a shift away from the idea of contract negotiation and have faith and trust that if you have a conversation with people who are appropriately skilled, you’re going to be happy with what they produce in that particular time.”

Read the full article in NextGov.

2019-02-19T11:35:36-07:00 February 29th, 2016|Categories: Agile government, AGL News, Press|Tags: , , , , , |

About the Author:

AGL served the government innovation community from 2014 - 2020. It has now broadened its mission and community to form a new organization, Technologists for the Public Good. Learn more and get involved at publicgood.tech.

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