In this session, TfL's technology team talks about their experiences as agile pathfinders, and the elements required to create an environment suited to this new way of working.
3. TfL’s Challenge
• Expected population growth to 10 million by
2030
• Over 20 million trips on London’s roads every
day
• 80% of all trips in London take place on the road
network
3
London is busy...
4. TfL’s Challenge
• London’s buses carry 6.5 million people each
day
• Over 90% of all freight is carried on the road
network
• Half a million road works every year
4
London is busy...
5. TfL’s Challenge
• 100+ organisations can dig up the road
• 33 boroughs + TfL
• 1 National specification – EToN
• Legislative and statutory requirements
5
London is busy...
6. My Team’s Vision
Delivering technology to help London’s Highway
Professionals:
– Manage the public road space
– Reduce Disruption
– Promote safety
– Manage revenue
6
11. Agile in Local Government
• Tech + Process hurdles
• LG = governance / risk management / public
money
• Constraints = our own hybrid version
• Informs future projects
11
Hello governance!
12. Pathfinder Challenges #1
/ AKA / how to procure services for something you
don’t yet fully know or understand
• Detailed plan / payment milestones vs flexibility
to work creatively, explore scope, evolve
understanding
• Fixed Price vs Time and Materials
12
Contract Management
13. Pathfinder Challenges #2
/ AKA / What to expect if you cannot deliver
shippable products every sprint
• Project-specific [environments did not yet exist]
• Challenged concept of ‘shippable product’
• Led to ‘end-of-project-testing-effort’
13
Non-Agile deployment / Environments / Testing
14. Pathfinder Challenges #3
/ AKA / how to sell them the idea that they are
more accountable for success than ever before
• Greater responsibility
• Inherit traditional expectations
• Use of video
14
SME Involvement
15. Pathfinder Challenges #4
/ AKA / how to ensure that ‘this agile stuff’ is as
good as everyone says it is
• Problems are inherent with a disruptive
approach
• Problems encountered may be a symptom of a
wider dysfunction
15
Senior Leadership Backing
16. Pathfinder Challenges #5
/ AKA / Exploring a non-penalty-centric approach
to support agreements
• Punitive approach vs partnership approach
• Kanban / WiP
• Complex model, but a good foundation
16
Application Support Models
17. Pathfinder Challenges #6
/ AKA / delivering change in a ‘generally’ non-agile
environment
• Adherence to a programme can be counter-agile
• Value is in the planning ‘not’ the plan
• We need the agility to change course quickly,
without penalty or waste
17
Project Management vs Agile thinking
18. Pathfinder Challenges #7
/ AKA / how to champion agile values in a
traditionally C&C organisation responsible for
spending public money
• Educate, demonstrate success
• Use stage-planning, not project-planning to
determine overall budgets
18
Budget Planning
20. Final Words
• Embrace Coaching - get help early, and
throughout a new deployment of agile
• Embrace agile values and principles – refer to
these often, use as a sanity beacon
• Embrace the humanity of software development
20
It’s been emotional...