2017 the Information Systems Group (ISG) approached the programs we supported with a simple question, “How are we doing?” The responses surfaced opportunities for improvement:

1. Speed of delivery
2. Quality of delivery
3. Communications
4. Transparency

At that time we made a conscious decision change our delivery model from a phase-gate waterfall approach to a model that was much more agile.

We started changing the culture in ISG and challenging our processes to ensure they provide value and help us deliver for our stakeholders. We also started collaborating with our stakeholders more frequently throughout the development process. We started to require short feedback loops and increased transparency.  

This CCSQ Agile Handbook outlines behaviors and practices we expect to take place in our agile way of working. It includes strategic themes that are important to CCSQ. roles and responsibilities in our agile organization, and procedural standards for managing work items to support enterprise metrics, and guidance on meetings & ceremonies.

Lastly, the handbook includes helpful resources for individuals trying to understand how CCSQ is delivering solutions in an agile manner.  It talks about how we approach scaling our agile practices for large programs and how we try to reduce overhead on smaller programs.

By no means have we mastered agile, and we are continually striving to get better, but this handbook is a reflection of where CCSQ is on our agile journey. Our hope is that the content hereafter helps individuals understand how CCSQ delivers the solutions for our user community and what our expectations are for CMS employees and contractors alike. As we continue to grow and learn, this handbook will continue to evolve.

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