ML21167A042

M210622B: Slides - T. Gerton - Building an Agile Federal Government

ML21167A042
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Issue date:	06/22/2021
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M210622
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BUILDING AN AGILE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BRIEFING TO THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION TERRY GERTON NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT AND CEO June 22, 2021

NAPA History and Structure 2

Established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations.

Chartered by Congress in 1984 to provide non-partisan expert advice Unique feature is its 900+ Fellows--including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, and public administrators.

The Academy helps government leaders at all levels address their critical management challenges through in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, Congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and online stakeholder engagement.

Under contracts with government agencies, some of which are directed by Congress, as well as grants from private foundations, the Academy provides insights on key public management issues, as well as advisory services to government agencies

The Agile Government Center 3

Established in November 2019 when NAPA announced the Grand Challenges in Public Administration Joint Academy-IBM Center for the Business of Government Effort Intended to serve as the hub of a network bringing together governments, non-profits, foundations, academic institutions and private sector partners to assist in:

Developing and disseminating agile government principles Developing and disseminating case studies of agile in government settings Providing assistance to those who want to adopt and implement agile to provide public goods and services that fully meet customer needs and build public trust FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Agile Is a New Management Paradigm 4

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

10 Principles of Agile Government 5

Mission is extremely clear A critical focus is on and widely accepted iterating and learning.

Top priority is customer Innovative tools and or end-user satisfaction working approaches that Staff members are facilitate innovation and empowered. support problem solving are used.

Individuals operate within a focused set of networks. Solutions are designed and implemented based on data.

Small teams do work in multiple short periods of Outcome-based metrics for time. success are established and tracked.

Risk is identified and addressed early.

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Implementation Issues and Challenges 6

Lack of Knowledge/Understanding of Agile Cultural and Behavioral Barriers to Agile Implementation Lack of experience with empowered, cross-functional teams Risk aversion and lack of tolerance for changes in course Regulatory and Procedural Barriers to Agility Contracting/procurement Hiring Oversight Budgeting FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Federal Agile Project 7

With sponsorship from the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust and the Project Management Institute, the Academy:

Conducted thought leadership on how the federal government can become more agile Developed a white paper that is an agenda-setting document and practical guide for policymakers, including:

Identification of issues and challenges with agile Development of innovative solutions and recommendations Laying the groundwork for any needed legislative and administrative changes Providing input into to the Administration in 2021 as it develops the Presidents Management Agenda https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/napa-2021/studies/increasing-the-agility-of-the-federal-government/Agile_Gov_whitepaper_v4.pdf FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

8 Questions/Comments FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

A New Paradigm--Examples 9

U.S. Air Force Kessel Run United States Digital Service

• Delivered useful combat capabilities to the

• 166 successful projects using agile over the past military while managing and updating the Air 6 years Force software acquisition process.

• Collaborated with VA, CMS, DHS, HUD, DOJ

• The first project (Jigsaw) saved approximately among others

$12 million a month in fuel costs.

• USDS collaborated across different VA offices

• KR claims to save over $13 million and 1,100 and collected input from service members to man-hours per month using agile methods. increase customer satisfaction by 30% on VA.gov The World Bank

• Africa/transportation pilot: saved 27,000 hours0 days <br />0 hours <br />0 weeks <br />0 months <br /> of work producing a project appraisal document

• South Asia/health pilot: Reported more efficient work streams among team members

• Europe and Central Asia pilot: optimized time and effort of senior executives during the loan review process

10 Principles of Agile Government 10 Mission- Extremely Clear and Widely Cross Functional Teams-Accepted Empowered, Highly Skilled, Diverse Metrics for Success- Outcome Innovation- Rewarded and Focused, Evidence Based, Easily Roadblocks Removed Tracked Persistence- Continuous Customers- Participate, Design, Experimentation and Learning from Iterate, Continual Feedback Success and Failure Networks- Used to Leverage Evidence Informed Solutions-Customers and the Public Foundation for Designing and Implementing Policies and Programs Speed- Essential for Quality Outcomes, Regulatory Consistency, Organization Leaders- Give and Managing Risks Permission and Assume Risks FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Study Recommendations 11 Recommendation Action Steps To the maximum extent feasible,

• Agile should be a cornerstone of the agile should become the Presidents Management Agenda.

preferred operating model across

• Agile should be incorporated into existing the federal government. Cross Agency Priority (CAP) Goals to ensure that agile management is used whenever appropriate for organizations, programs, and projects.

• GSA OGP should assign or establish an organizational unit designed to assist federal departments and agencies with their agile management journey.

• PMC should coordinate across its member agencies to develop and facilitate the implementation of strategies for accomplishing agile-related goals.

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Study Recommendations (Contd) 12 Recommendation Action Steps Agile methods of management and

• Department and agency leaders seek out, support, and publicize agile programs, projects, and management operations should be championed approaches already existing within the agency.

inside federal departments and

• Leaders and managers assess their organizations agile agencies and incorporated into as readiness & take steps to increase it.

many of their activities as possible.

• Leaders and managers ensure that staff members assess their individual readiness for participating in an agile endeavor & take steps to increase their individual readiness.

• Leaders and managers encourage and support agile management practices throughout their organizations:

• Empower team members;

• Encourage collaboration and discouraging siloed behavior;

• Provide support as leaders, managers, and staff members start down the agile management path;

• Actively participate in the agile management process

• Reinforce the idea that agency actions, processes, and procedures should enhance the experience of customers/end users.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Study Recommendations (Contd) 13 Recommendation Action Steps Key barriers to agile functioning

• OMB, GSA, and OPM work together to identify within the federal government the most significant government-wide statutory and should be identified and regulatory barriers to making agile management an expected way of doing business at the agency appropriately addressed within the and program levels, not just IT projects.

nations checks-and-balances

• Departments and agencies identify the most political system and legal significant organizational-specific statutory and framework. regulatory barriers to agile functioning.

• Departments and agencies take steps to remove or mitigate unnecessary non-statutory regulatory impediments to agile functioning.

• President work with Congress in 1st 2 years on needed legislative reforms.

• Federal leaders engage the auditing community to get as much buy-in from them as possible on new agile approaches.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Study Recommendations (Contd) 14 Recommendation Action Steps Agile approaches, successes, and

• The federal management councilswith support challenges should be highlighted from GSA OGP and USDSestablish agile across the federal government. communities of practice to support adoption, provide platforms for knowledge sharing, identify lessons learned, and publicize progress.

• GSA OGP agile unit creates playbooks for departments and agencies in a variety of situations to move forward on their agile journey.

• Federal leaders and managers build relationships with federal councils, including the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and others, to encourage and help facilitate the movement toward use of agile principles.

• Federal leaders and managers coordinate with good government organizations as resources and allies in promoting agile management, identifying lessons learned, and developing proposed FOR INTERNAL USEsolutions ONLY to issues and challenges.

Study Recommendations (Contd) 15 Recommendation Action Steps Department and agency leaders

• Agile management incorporated into federal should ensure that readily- training programs and agency/department accessible training opportunities working frameworks across the federal about agile principles and government.

approaches, especially including

• Hands-on opportunities for leaders and management skills, are available. employees to use these new ways of working together should be provided.

• Utilize existing platforms for agile training and instruction & adapt existing IT agile training for broader audiences.

• Connections should be made with universities to encourage them to incorporate agile into their curricula and practical learning experiences.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY