Agile Resources - FAQs

Compared to traditional waterfall projects and systems support in FAS, the Agile-at-scale methodology provides faster, flexible and continuous feedback. These are all elements that are requirements to support future DevOps environments where FAS will be releasing software on demand while also providing greater transparency and quicker real-time status reporting. Agile methodologies also enable teams to be more transparent and collaborative in the development process, allowing teams to address issues early and incrementally as they arise rather than addressing them after new project increments are released.

Agile methods and project management best practices, such as Scrum and Kanban, enable:

• iterative software development
• easier scaling of initiatives across the enterprise
• identification of dependencies
• reduction of risk
• ability to quickly adjust direction based on lessons learned and customer feedback
• enhanced prioritization & ability for product & technical leads to shift and pivot as needed
• facilitates partnership and supports functional roles across FAS and GSA IT

Agile software development refers to software development methodologies based on the concept of iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams. You can read more about Agile basics and better understand how GSA enables agile practices by exploring the GSA Tech Guide on Agile.

Agile practices are guided and motivated by the four core values listed below. It is only by believing in these values that cultural change is possible.

• Unity ‒ Individual and team interactions take precedence over processes and tools. Strategic, mature processes and tools matter, but without clear communication between people in the business (i.e., those bringing requirements forth) and people in development (i.e., individuals that will work on the specifications), it will be impossible to develop a clear understanding of the requirements. If requirements aren't clear, the final product may not align with customer expectations.
• Simplicity ‒ Agile supports focusing on required documents, instead of what often becomes superfluous documentation, such as specifications, design documents and approvals. Because a lot of documentation can and has historically contributed to delayed delivery, in Agile we create "User Stories." User Stories are essentially prioritized to-do lists based on client wants.
• Transparency ‒ In Agile, the customer is engaged with the development team throughout the process, providing input and feedback regularly. We don't wait until the job is done in order to circle back with the customer for feedback.
• Adaptability ‒ Changes are traditionally considered as an expense due to the sometimes extensive rework required. In Agile, priorities can be shifted periodically and changes can be incorporated into an upcoming iteration. Agile makes change a valuable variable, not an inconvenient expense.

The FAS organization embraces Agile core values in delivering incremental value to its modernized solutions. FAS is executing one of GSA's three Strategic Goals for fiscal years 2018 through 2022: Improving the way Federal agencies buy, build, and use technology (see page 27 in the [FY 2018 - FY 2022 Strategic Plan](https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/GSA%20FY%202018-2022%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20FINAL.pdf) to read more about this specific goal). For instance, GSA's 18F began offering an assisted acquisition service for customers needing expert advice on development requirements and managing acquisitions for Agile software development projects under $10M. You can read more about this service in [GSA's Federal Marketplace Strategy Summer 2020 Release](https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/fas-initiatives/federal-marketplace-strategy/federal-marketplace-fmp-strategy-releases/federal-marketplace-fmp-strategy-summer-2020-release).