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SAFe® for Government offers a proven set of success patterns that public sector organizations can implement to achieve better outcomes in solution development. By adopting the values, principles, and practices of SAFe® Lean-Agile, government agencies can benefit from the foundations of Lean and Agile thinking, which have already shown higher success rates than traditional waterfall methods in the private sector. 

While implementing SAFe® in government programs has led to similar positive results, it is important to acknowledge that unique challenges must be addressed in Lean-Agile Transformations within government agencies. To help navigate these challenges, SAFe® for Government provides specific recommendations and best practices tailored to the needs of government organizations. 

By following these guidelines, government agencies can successfully overcome obstacles and reap the benefits of Lean-Agile Transformation.

Is it necessary for the government?

Adopting Lean-Agile and DevSecOps practices is rapidly gaining momentum among government leaders who oversee the development of large and complex systems for citizens, government personnel, and warfighters. There are several internal and external forces driving this shift, including 

• The need for mission agility, 
• Impact of digital Transformation, 
• Increasing citizen expectations, 
• The rise of social media. 

Government agencies must manage limited resources and funding while delivering solutions that provide the most value to citizens, which is not necessarily profit-driven.

Governments can be viewed as large and complex non-profit organizations that require an efficient and effective operation to achieve success. To meet these requirements, government agencies must focus on 

• Mission agility, 
• Modernizing outdated systems, 
• Adopting an Agile organization, 
• Promoting a growth mindset within their workforce. 

However, traditional approaches to developing and sustaining modern technology-based capabilities have proven insufficient in the last 60 years. Although Agile practices have shown promise, they do not provide enough support for large and complex government systems.

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) offers a solution for government agencies. SAFe® provides a framework that enables organizations to manage and coordinate the work of multiple teams to deliver complex solutions efficiently and effectively. 

SAFe® is built on Lean and Agile principles and provides a comprehensive set of practices and tools for managing complex systems. By adopting SAFe®, government agencies can achieve greater mission agility, enhance their ability to meet citizen expectations, and modernize outdated systems while fostering a culture of growth and innovation within their workforce.

Challenges associated with SAFe®

While growing interest is in adopting Lean-Agile practices and SAFe® in the government sector, several challenges hinder widespread adoption. These include:

• Negative experiences with past Agile implementations, 
• A rigid governance and lifecycle policies focused on waterfall methods, 
• A lack of experience with Agile and Lean contracting practices among acquisition professionals, 
• A project-oriented mindset instead of a focus on continuous value flow, 
• Long acquisition life cycles lead to significant waste and delays in delivering value, 
• A lack of a common enterprise Lean-Agile framework leads to limited program synergy.

Although these challenges may seem similar to those commercial companies face, the unique organizational context, culture, and governmental authorities in the public-sector environment set it apart. 

Government acquisition processes and laws aim to promote fairness, but they can also create bureaucracy and delay unlike anything experienced in the private sector. Unlike commercial organizations driven by a competitive market and profit motive, government agencies must navigate politically charged annual appropriations processes to secure funding. As a result, even defining and measuring the concept of "value" in government technology programs can be challenging.

Overcoming these challenges requires a nuanced approach that accounts for the unique needs and constraints of government agencies. For instance, efforts to implement Agile practices should be accompanied by Education and training programs addressing resistance to negative experiences. 

Success stories

The U.S. government used to rely on traditional, long-term development practices. However, the troubled launch of the Healthcare.gov website in 2013 exposed weaknesses in these methods and sparked an interest in more modern, Agile approaches. 

Since then, the government has made significant progress in adopting Lean-Agile and DevOps practices, with the percentage of federal IT projects using Agile or iterative processes growing dramatically. Two new government agencies, 18F and U.S. Digital Services were created to attract industry talent and help bring modern practices to federal IT programs. 

They provided resources like the Digital Services Playbook and TechFAR Handbook to help government leaders modernize development practices and adjust the acquisition process to support Agile contracts. The number of government-authored resources on Agile adoption has since grown significantly, as has the number of published success stories of federal programs getting better results after their Transformation to Lean-Agile practices. 

The Department of Homeland Security has made Agile the traditional standard for software development. Congress is also directing increased training in Agile and authorizing the modernization of acquisition practices to support Agile through legislation like the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Conclusion

Lean-Agile and DevSecOps practices are gaining momentum in government as leaders seek to improve mission agility and modernize their technology capabilities. However, widespread adoption is hindered by several unique challenges, such as government procurement practices and a culture deeply entrenched in project-oriented thinking. Despite these obstacles, the government has made progress in adopting Agile practices, partly driven by high-profile failures of traditional development methods.

Reference 

1. https://scaledagileframework.com/government/