1. 1 Agile Methodologies in DoD Software By Cynthia Johnson

2. 2 Purpose  Examine history of DoD software development standards  Explore various Agile methodologies  Assess suitability of Agile methods for DoD use

3. 3 History of DoD standards  1978 – Mil-Std-1679  1983 – Mil-Std-1679A  1985 – DoD-Std-2167  1988 – DoD-Std-2167  1994 – Mil-Std-498  1998 – IEEE 12207

4. 4 Agile Programming Methods  In 2001, the advocates of several “light” methodologies got together and created the “Agile Manifesto”  Actually consists of several different methods of software development  Manifesto concentrates on the similarities not the differences.

5. 5 Agile Manifesto   We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:   Individuals and Interactions over processes and tools   Working software over comprehensive documentation   Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.   Responding to change over following a plan   That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

6. 6 Agile Commonalities  Agility  Change  Planning  Communication  Learning

7. 7 Agility  Move quickly but decisively  React to changing situations with speed and grace

8. 8 Change  Change is accepted and welcomed  Traditional methods treat change as the enemy and often try it in the court of the Change Control Board.

9. 9 Planning  When situation is not as planned, this is treated as new information  The plan is changed to reflect the new reality  Traditional methods see this as risk and attempt to get back on original plan.

10. 10 Communication  Face-to-face communication is valued over documentation  Traditional methods treat documentation as main form of communication  This sometimes work but often doesn’t.

11. 11 Various Agile Methods  Extreme Programming (XP)  Scrum  Agile Modeling  Adaptive Software Development  Feature Driven Development  Lean Software Development

12. 12 Extreme Programming  First conceived by Kent Beck in 1990’s when developing a payroll system for Chrysler.  The primary goal is to reduce the cost of change by introducing values, principles and practices.

13. 13 XP values  Communication  Feedback  Courage  Simplicity  Respect

14. 14 Scrum  Began in 1993 at Easel Corporation  Sports oriented- named after rugby scrum.  This is a way to restart the game after an accidental infringement  Small teams are led by a Scrum master  Software is developed in Sprints.

15. 15 Agile Methodologies and the DoD  Some newer projects are experimenting with agile methods at big players  Lockheed-Martin is prime on Army’s Live Training Transformation project (LT2) where Scrum is being used for framework software.

16. 16 Image Problems  DoD contracts generally call for a long list of documentation known as CDRL’s  Many DoD managers see the Agile Manifesto and decide immediately not to try it due to statement “Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation”  Also, most companies will not accept a verbal change over a written contractual obligation.

17. 17 Education is Key  Agile methods do downplay documentation, but don’t exclude it.  Verbal communication is favored, but written is not ignored.  DoD engineers and managers and acquisition managers need to study and understand agile methods before dismissing them.

18. 18 Conclusion  Agile methods are not a magic bullet to solve all software problems.  They have proven beneficial on small and medium sized projects  Each organization and project whether DoD or commercial needs to assess their requirements and choose the best method for them.  Scrum could be right for some, Iterative waterfall for others  Flexibility and knowledge are keys to choosing correct development method.