Agile
Atlassian
Agile transformation for government IT agency: Adaptavist's blueprint for success
A leading digital solutions provider approached Adaptavist to collaborate with a governmental IT agency that required an iterative framework for managing its digital transformation projects.
As a result of partnering with Adaptavist, the agency has implemented the behavioural changes necessary for a sustainable agile transformation and witnessed notable improvements in team collaboration, productivity, and time to deliver.
Requirements at a glance
- Support a move from waterfall to agile ways of working
- Create a New Ways of Working (NWoW) playbook
- Improve efficiency
- Create a standard Jira workflow and Confluence space
Industry: Government
Tools: Jira, Confluence
Summary
A leading digital solutions provider approached Adaptavist to collaborate with a governmental IT agency that required an iterative framework for managing its digital transformation projects. As a result of partnering with Adaptavist, the agency has implemented the behavioural changes necessary for a sustainable agile transformation and witnessed notable improvements in team collaboration, productivity, and delivery time.
The challenge
The agency's existing waterfall project management approach was no longer suitable or sustainable with the implementation of new agile systems and processes. The organisation needed to streamline its outputs more effectively and efficiently. Tight milestone deadlines and overextended project teams necessitated a better, more sustainable, and intuitive process that the project teams could adopt with minimal impact on their already stretched capacity.
Our approach
Our approach to enhancing the agency's success began with developing a quick-fire agile implementation approach and creating a New Ways of Working (NWoW) playbook. This playbook combined a crash course on agile practices, leveraged the Scrum approach, and incorporated the agency's existing project methodology.
The solution
Developing a tailored methodology
We created a comprehensive NWoW playbook for the ten pilot teams (use cases), providing a clear and structured guide to ensure consistent and efficient processes. The playbook was designed to be user-friendly and accessible, incorporating ongoing team feedback to address their needs and challenges. It allowed regular updates based on practical experiences and best practices and included a detailed process map supported by templates, checklists, and guidelines. Additionally, we developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) that adhered to the agency's mandated standards, using insights from knowledge transfer sessions, the use case onboarding process, and the established NWoW standards to ensure thoroughness and alignment with the agency's requirements.
Ten use case activations
We activated the NWoW playbook with the ten use cases, ensuring the pilot team gained the necessary knowledge and became self-sustainable in using the playbook. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions were scheduled with the team to monitor progress and address challenges. The team received tailored training and resources from Adaptavist, ensuring members could adopt and integrate the NWoW playbook into their daily operations. The success of the activation was measured by the teams' ability to independently manage and execute their projects using the NWoW playbook after the initial activation period.
Knowledge transfer of NWoW framework
We conducted a series of knowledge transfer sessions with the agency's internal support team, utilising real-time use case onboardings, training on the NWoW framework, and real-time coaching. These knowledge transfer sessions ensured that the FAS (Functional Administration Support) team could sustain the NWoW framework independently.
Standardised Jira workflow and Confluence space
We established a standard Jira workflow and Confluence space file structure for new use case onboardings. This ensured consistency and efficiency across all projects.
The results
One of the forerunning teams realised significant improvements within six months of implementing the NWoW playbook, including:
- 47 percent improvement in value delivered (throughput): This increase in throughput reflects the team's enhanced ability to efficiently deliver more value to stakeholders, aligning with the agency's goal of improved outcomes and high-quality solutions.
- 57 percent improvement in time to value (lead time): The reduction in lead time demonstrates the team's accelerated processes and quicker delivery of solutions, a critical objective of the agile transformation.
- 14 percent improvement in quality (escaped bugs): The reduction in escaped bugs indicates an enhancement in the quality of deliverables, showcasing the effectiveness of agile practices in maintaining high standards.
Adoption of agile principles
We focused on cultivating agile principles within the agency, fostering collaboration and productivity for improved outcomes.
Improved collaboration
We prioritised collaboration, wellness, and connection for a positive work environment. Transparent communication with stakeholders was pivotal in informing them about progress and benefits.
Continuous monitoring and metrics for improvement
Continuous monitoring identified areas for improvement and enhanced team effectiveness. Agile performance metrics tracked velocity, quality, and satisfaction.
The foundations for future success
To foster learning, we established agile learning communities that supported development. Behaviours aligned with values, improved collaboration, promoting transparency, implementing metrics, and ongoing learning drove a successful transformation.
The future
By implementing these initiatives, the agency has effectively addressed the challenges associated with adopting agile working methods. The development of the NWoW playbook, the activation of the ten use case teams, and the extended scope for knowledge transfer and SOP development were instrumental in driving the behavioural changes required for a sustainable agile transformation based on the success of the initial pilot teams.
The agency continues to witness notable improvements in team collaboration, productivity, and quick delivery time, resulting in heightened efficiency and effectiveness in delivering high-quality solutions to their stakeholders.