A practical pragmatic demonstration on how to use Agile in environments where scope and schedule are apparently fixed.

1. AGILE IN HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS
ALASTAIR BROWN, HEAD OF DELVIERY

2. REGULATION
WHAT IS IT?
CONSTITUTES OR CONSTRAINS RIGHTS
ALLOCATES RESPONSIBILITIES
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
SELF REGULATION
CO-REGULATION
MARKET REGULATION

3. REGULATION
WHY?
Influence an Prevent a market
outcome failure
Reach a
Implement
collective desired
legislation
outcome

4. REGULATION
GOALS
THE BUSINESS GOALS // THE REGULATORS
WHAT I NEED IS… GOALS
• high quality • “fixed” scope
• schedule control • fixed schedule
• cost control • specific features
(…but these are usual aspirations,
regulated or not)

5. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS

6. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS
GATED ENTRY
AND EXIT

7. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS
GATED ENTRY
AND EXIT
DOCUMENTATION
REVIEW AND SIGN OFF

8. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS
GATED ENTRY
AND EXIT
DOCUMENTATION
REVIEW AND SIGN OFF
HIERARCHICAL
GOVERNANCE

9. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS
GATED ENTRY
AND EXIT
DOCUMENTATION
REVIEW AND SIGN OFF
HIERARCHICAL
Long Term GOVERNANCE
Detailed Plan

10. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO MY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH NEEDS…
SERIAL PROCESS
GATED ENTRY
AND EXIT
DOCUMENTATION
REVIEW AND SIGN OFF
HIERARCHICAL
Long Term GOVERNANCE
Detailed Plan

11. DELIVERY LIFECYCLE
SO WHAT I NEED IS…

12. DESIRED OUTCOMES
SO WHAT I NEED IS: Cost and schedule control
CONTROL COST AND SCHEDULE
• BACKLOG MANAGEMENT
• SCOPE NEGOTIATION
CONTROL QUALITY
• CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION
• TEST DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
• MEASUREMENT OF COVERAGE, CODE QUALITY

13. DESIRED OUTCOMES
BUT HOW… Agile 101
Focus on Business value
Embrace changing requirements, understand impact
Frequently and regular delivery
Performant motivated teams, provide the tools and remove impediments
High bandwidth interaction between Business people and Developers
Inspect, learn and adapt
Self organisation
Sustainable development pace
Simplicity
Progress Measured by working, delivered, accepted software

14. FIXED SCOPE CONUNDRUM
HOW?
VARY RICHNESS
PRIORITISE

15. FIXED SCOPE CONUNDRUM
USERS AND STAKEHOLDERS
Analyst
CFO
Marketing
Sales
SUD
Customer
Support
Operations
Regulator
CSO

16. FIXED SCOPE CONUNDRUM
USER AND STAKEHOLDER STORIES
… BUT DON’T FORGET THE REGULATOR (OR PROXY)
“As the CSO I would like data to be
separated from the application in a
data vault so that I can comply with
PCI DSS guidelines.
As a WebMaster I would like the user
to fill out a CAPTCHA field so that I
can be sure the user is human and
avoid spam.

17. FIXED SCOPE CONUMDRUM
UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITY OF GOALS
REVENUE GENERATION
REVENUE PROTECTION
COST REDUCTION
COMPLIANCE

18. FIXED SCOPE CONUMDRUM
UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITY OF GOALS
COMPLIANCE
REVENUE PROTECTION
COST REDUCTION
REVENUE GENERATION

19. FIXED SCOPE CONUNDRUM
USE TO HELP PRIORITISE

20. THE CASE STUDY
CONTEXT
LARGE SCALE
– Three projects – 100 staff 18 months
PUBLIC SECTOR
– Social Security domain
SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR
– CMMI Level 5
HISTORY OF BUDGET AND SCHEDULE OVERRUN
– Requirements ambiguity
– Incomplete
– Poor quality
HEAVY QMS DESIGNED FOR WATERFALL

21. THE CASE STUDY
SO WHAT DID WE DO?
PRODUCT OWNER
SCRUM MASTER
SCRUM TEAMS
RELEASE/ITERATION CFD
QUALITY PRODUCT BACKLOG
PRIORITISED BY STAKEHOLDER
BSG CATEGORISATION
HIGH VISIBILITY IMPEDIMENTS
SPRINT VELOCITY
UNIT TEST
RETROSPECTIVES
DEMONSTRATION

22. THE CASE STUDY
WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
SPRINT AND RELEASE CFD
– fed RAG and morning prayers, schedule reviews, change board and improved visibility.
DAILY STANDUPS
– Fed the risk review board
UNIT TESTING
– Became the “sign off” artifact for the sprint
DEMONSTRATION
– Made UAT self fulfilling
PRODUCT OWNER
– Fulfilled the communication plan

23. AGILE IN HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS
REGULATOR ASPIRATIONS
RELIABLE/REPEATABLE OUTCOMES
SHOW ACCOUNTABILITY
DEMONSTRATES DUE DILIGENCE
DELIVER HIGH QUALITY

24. AGILE IN HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS
AGILE CHARACTERISTICS
MANAGED REPEATABLE
DEFINED CONSISTENT PROCESS
QUANTITATIVELY MANAGED
ADAPTIVE AND OPTIMISING

25. AGILE IN HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS
HANG ON….
Level 1 - Ad hoc (Chaotic)
– Typically undocumented process
– Unrepeatable often relying on heroics
– State of dynamic change in an uncontrolled and reactive manner
Level 2 – Managed Repeatable
– Some processes are repeatable possibly with consistent results
– Limited rigour, although processes usually maintained during times of stress
Level 3 - Defined
– Defined and documented standard processes established
– Delivering consistency across the organisation
– Some degree of improvement
Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed
– Use of process metrics allows for control of the process
– Ability to adjust and adapt the process to particular projects without measurable losses
of quality or deviations from specifications
Level 5 - Optimising
– Focus on continually improving process performance through both incremental and
innovative technological changes and improvements

26. AGILE IN HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS
CONCLUSION
Understand your current position and aspirations;
plan and action your first next step, then Inspect
and Adapt
Be as Agile as you are (currently) able; within your
(any) current constraints
Do not assume that your constraints prevent the
implementation of Agile practices
Do not prepare the barrel for the Waterfall

27. ?
ANY QUESTIONS …

28. http://www.valtech.co.uk
http://blog.valtech.co.uk
@valtech
@alastairbrown
alastair.brown@valtech.co.uk