Agile is an approach to software development in which software is developed incrementally and is continuously evaluated for functionality, quality, and customer satisfaction. Agile can reduce the risks of funding a program that fails or produces outdated technology.
GAO’s Agile Assessment Guide was released for comment in 2020, and the guide presents federal auditors and others with best practices to assess the adoption and use of Agile in federal agencies and elsewhere. The federal government is planning to spend at least $90 billion on major IT investments in FY 2021. It has struggled in this area. The government’s management of IT acquisitions and operations remains on our High Risk List.
Page 251 lists the names of those who made significant contributions to the Agile Guide, including Laura Bier, now owner and CEO of The Transformation Playbook. The contributors, representatives from across industry and government, attended and participated in numerous working group meetings, provided text and graphics, submitted comments, and hosted research site visits. Laura welcomed the GAO team to CGI’s regional center of excellence in La Fayette, Louisiana, showing them how low-cost support for inside the beltway customers can deliver value and be effective.