Local Governments often carry the “bureaucracy” moniker and are generally considered slow and unresponsive. Yet, people expect and should experience prompt outcomes from their local governments. Transforming to Agile offers the foundation for governments to be more responsive to citizens and deliver higher quality services more often. Working with each other, collaborating with customers, responding to change and accountability are common to both Agile and government alike. One can easily connect Agile with Local Government based on these principles, however, putting Agile into practice at a Local Government is a different story altogether.

1. Tim Nolan, Collin County,Texas

2.  Agile was coined in
2001 by software
development leaders
• Agile Manifesto
 Iterative
 Time-Boxed
 Deliver Working
Software
 People-based not plan-
based
 Popular Methodologies:
• Scrum, Kanban, XP
2

3.  Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
 Working software over comprehensive documentation
 Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
 Responding to change over following a plan
3Source: AgileManifesto.org

4. 1. Rapid delivery
2. Welcome changes
3. Working software is
delivered frequently
4. Working software is the
principal measure of
progress
5. Sustainable development
6. Daily co-operation
between business and
developers
7. Face-to-face conversation
(Co-location)
8. Projects are built around
motivated individuals,
who should be trusted
9. Continuous attention to
technical excellence and
good design
10. Simplicity
11. Self-organizing teams
12. Regular adaptation
4Source: AgileManifesto.org

5. 5
Source: IT-Xynergy.com

6. ROLES
CEREMONIES
 Product Owner
 Scrum Master
 Development Team
 Sprint Planning
 Sprint Review
 Sprint Retrospective
 Daily Scrum
 Refinement Session
6
ARTIFACTS
 Product Backlog
 Sprint Backlog
 Sprint Burndown
Source: Scrum.org

7. 7
Easy to understand
Difficult to implement

8.  Requirements
 Design
 Implementation
 Testing
 Deployment
 Maintenance
 Agile = rapid delivery
 Loopy, not linear
 Often at the same time
8

9. 9

10. PEOPLE OBJECTS
 Prioritized To-Do list
 Wall space
 Sprint Info
• Team name
• Duration
• Ceremonies
 Index cards
 Tacks …can’t for get tacks
10
 Identify roles
 Scrum Master
 Product Owner
 Scrum Team
 Schedule Ceremonies
 Daily Scrum
 Sprint Planning
 Sprint Review
 Sprint Retrospective
 Story Refinement
Source: Scrum.org

11. 11

12. 12
April
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
1 2 3 4 5
Sprint 01 Ends
Sprint 01 Review
Sprint 01 Retro
Sprint 02 Planning
Start Sprint 02
8 9 10 11 12
Sprint 03 Refinement
15 16 17 18 19
Sprint 02 Ends
Sprint 02 Review
Sprint 02 Retro
Sprint 03 Planning
Start Sprint 03
22 23 24 25 26
Sprint 04 Refinement
29 30
Sprint 03 Ends

13. 13

14.  As a <role> I want <goal/desire> so that
<value>
 As a PIO I want an updated image rotator for
each sub-site that is also displays responsive
design so that I can click an image for the
related feature story.
 Acceptance: Must be responsively designed
and to the delight of PIO
14

15. Planning poker
Fibonacci sequence
15

16. Release Planning
Look Ahead,
Forward
Estimates for 2-3
Sprints
Points “in the Oven”
16

17. 17
• Prioritize Backlog
• Develop Stories/Tasks
• Acceptance Criteria
• Estimate Effort

18. 18

19. What did I do yesterday?
What am I doing today?
What is in my way (impedances)? 19

20. 20

21.  Discuss Story Status
 Acceptance Criteria
Met
 Close/Split/Bounce
Stories and Tasks
 Demos
 Quick Meeting
21

22.  Good, Bad, Ugly
 Sprint Starfish
• Keep doing
• Stop doing
• Start doing
• More of
• Less of
 Be Better than the Last
Sprint
 Continuous Improvement
 No Management or
Customers!!!
22

23. 23

24. 24

25. 25

26. More work than expected – Management
Visualize Progress – Customers
Focus - Team
26

27.  Don’t let perfection
be the enemy of
good
 “Next Sprint”
 Clear & Concise
direction
 Daily praise &
gratification
 Completing work
daily
 Daily progress
27

28. 28
Tim Nolan, Collin County,Texas
tnolan@co.collin.tx.us
972.548.4588
nolantim
@plotboy
TimNolan3