Working in the UK government was like being part of an all-action, secret-agent spy movie involving dragons, zombies, and superheroes. Here are the slides from my experience report, presented at XP2017 in Cologne, explaining why.

1. Agile in the UK
Government
…an infiltrator’s secrets
Produced and directed by Nick Tune (@ntcoding)

3. @ntcoding

4. @ntcoding

5. @ntcoding
= ???? x 1.3 Million
(annual tuition fees)
Photo credit: Ralphy Daly, https://www.flickr.com/photos/92269745@N00/4612732045

6. GO GO GDS!

7. @ntcoding
GDS want to…
“transform the relationship
between citizen and state”

9. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE?

10. Transformation Royale
#1

11. @ntcoding
Government departments
were locked into big IT
contracts and outsourcing

12. @ntcoding
Government Departments
were so scared of doing the
wrong thing, they changed
nothing.

13. @ntcoding
“If you want to spend money on a digital
or technology service, you may have to
get approval from the Government Digital
Service (GDS).

14. @ntcoding
GDS Service Standards - User Needs
1. Understand user needs
2. Do ongoing user research

15. @ntcoding
LESSON LEARNED
Discovery is equally as important as
execution.
Get your whole organisation involved in
user research.

16. @ntcoding
GDS Service Standards - ‘Agile’
3. Have a multi-disciplinary team
4. Use agile methods
5. Iterate and improve frequently

17. @ntcoding
GDS Service Standards - Tech
6. Evaluate tools and systems
8. Make all new source code open

18. TIME FOR YOUR GDS ASSESSMENT!
Image: HBO

19. GDS ARE HERE TO PROTECT US
Image: HBO

20. @ntcoding
LESSON LEARNED
Approval processes CAN help introduce
agile… if done right.
Especially in large, rigid organisations
with no immediate pressure to change.

21. The Frontend is Not
Enough
#2

22. WATERFALL AND OUTSOURCING CAN’T DIE
Image: Gene Page/AMC

23. @ntcoding
Digital
IT

24. @ntcoding
“Programmers are a liability. The industry
is moving towards generic rules engines
and BPM tools
[that don’t need programmers].

25. ABORT
MISSION!
Image: Universal Pictures

26. @ntcoding
“You can’t be half agile
Mike Bracken
@mtbracken

27. @ntcoding
“It should be something which goes
beyond just a front end website redesign.
It shouldn’t be just lipstick on a pig
Paul Shetler
@paul_shetler

28. @ntcoding
LESSON LEARNED
You have to focus on end-to-end lead
times to enable business agility.
Senior managers must understand this
and be incentivised to achieve it.

29. Patience Never Dies
#3

30. @ntcoding
Don’t confuse worry of
change with resistance to
change

31. @ntcoding
LESSON LEARNED
Everyone can help lead change.
Lead with patience and you will recruit
allies for your transformation.

32. From Leadership with
Love
#4

33. @ntcoding
Successful transformations
have agile leadership at all
levels

34. SHOULD YOU
BECOME A
TRANSFORMATION
SECRET AGENT?
YEAH!
Image: New Line Cinema

35. “We had 10 teams. We analyzed the
bottlenecks. We ended up with 3 cross-
functional teams. Lead times improved
massively”
- Anna Dick, Coop Digital

36. Image: Columbia Pictures

37. @ntcoding
Thank You!
@ntcoding
ntcoding
ntcoding.co.uk/blog
ntcoding.co.uk/workshops