I sometimes run across legal, regulatory or policy writings that would prove helpful in pursuing modern software development within the Navy and DoD, but it’s not always easy to just point people to the giant PDFs that typically contain these nuggets.
So I setup this small repository and will try to add to it over time.
The FY2018 NDAA included a provision (Section 874) that required between 4-8 software development programs in DoD to be piloted for development using not just “Agile”, but utilizing actual “Agile best practices”. Presumably to prevent project managers or contract officers from simply declaring their preferred method was an agile method, the law forbade seven practices from being used for this pilot.
These seven were:
- Use of Earned Value Management (EVM) or any EVM-like reporting construct. Note: The Defense Innovation Board has proposed measures for reporting on software project cost for agile projects. See Appendix C of the DIB’s SWAP Report Supporting Information (PDF))
- Development of an integrated master schedule
- Development of an integrated master plan (see above)
- Development of technical requirement document
- Development of systems requirements documents
- Use of information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) agreements.
- Use of a software development life cycle methology.
This is a pilot, and Congress may decide to maintain some or all of these requirements for DoD software projects going forward after the conclusion of the pilot. However it would be prudent to assume that if you see these in your software project, that you look carefully for signs of creeping waterfall leaching into your development effort.
Although I post this under my Navy-related personal Github user account, this repository and its contents do not reflect the position of the Navy, the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or any U.S. government agency. -- Michael Pyne