Working through the agile phases.
Posted on:The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) has been at the forefront of promoting agile methodologies through its work across the public sector. As Mike Bracken, former Executive Director of GDS, says:
Taking inspiration from this philosophy, the data.govt.nz team tested the agile cycle to deliver a revamped open data platform in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
(Re)Discovery: unearthing user needs
The journey began with a comprehensive discovery phase, consolidating feedback and research since data.govt.nz’s inception as an idea. This process culminated in a discovery paper in early 2016, which laid the groundwork for addressing user pain points.
Alpha: Embracing ‘failure’ as a learning path
The alpha phase focused on rapid prototyping to answer critical questions about platform selection, integration, and potential costs. As the GDS Service Manual suggests:
The team’s ‘failures’ during this phase were valuable insights that guided the decision to proceed with a vanilla CKAN rollout for beta testing.
Beta: Committing to robust testing
The beta phase marked a significant milestone, allowing for open engagement with the community. Pia Waugh, with her extensive experience via work with the Australian government, provided invaluable expertise during this stage. Beta represented a wider commitment and a more robust testing of the proposition.
The team adopted core agile principles, including:
- Delivering a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Iterative building and testing
- Continuous refinement based on user feedback
Looking ahead
As the team is on the cusp of launching the MVP, the future looks positive for data.govt.nz based on initial feedback. This journey exemplifies how agile methodologies, when applied thoughtfully, can drive innovation in government digital services.
For more information on agile in government, visit the GDS Agile Delivery guide.