Agile principles and benefits
Discover agile project management principles, uncover benefits and access Digital NSW resources.
Agile is a relatively new way of delivering government services that makes it easier and quicker to build the right thing for users. At the heart of agile is the idea of failing fast, learning quickly and adapting.
For best results, buying teams applying the agile public procurement framework to their buying project should also consider using agile methods in project management.
This page provides some guidance on agile project management principles and methods. If buying teams need further support to apply agile methods outside of procurement contexts, they can refer to the resources linked on this page. They may also be able to consult with agile experts within their agency.
Agile management principles
These principles are based on the Agile Manifesto which highly values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration and responding to change.
- Satisfy the customer – Deliver valuable software early and continuously.
- Welcome changing requirements – Adapt to change, even late in development, to give customers a competitive edge.
- Deliver frequently – Release working solutions every few weeks to a few months, preferring shorter timescales.
- Collaborate regularly – Cross-functional people should work together daily.
- Build around motivated individuals – Give teams the environment and support they need and trust them to deliver.
- Use face-to-face conversation – The most effective way to share information is direct conversation.
- Measure progress by working solutions – A working product is the main measure of progress.
- Support sustainable progression – Teams should be able to work at a constant pace indefinitely.
- Aim for technical excellence and good design – Continuous attention to quality improves agility.
- Focus on simplicity – Maximise the amount of work not done.
- Encourage team autonomy – The best designs emerge from self-organising teams.
- Retrospective – Regularly review how to be more effective, then adjust behaviour.
Benefits of agile approaches
Agile methods can provide a structured way to develop more innovative ICT products, services and accomplish better project outcomes. Click on the dropdown menu below to see how agile methods can help.
Taking time to understand who uses a service and investigating underlying issues before building helps you design a service that meets both user needs and policy goals. Innovation may be reduced if communication becomes harder to manage.
Testing potential solutions directly with users, capturing their feedback early in the design process and being adaptable to change helps with prompt detection of issues and defects. This ensures services are on the right track and will work well for end users, decreasing the risk of missed objectives.
Making small, iterative adjustments as you design and build a service ensures that good ideas are implemented properly the first time and avoids big, costly fixes later.
Encouraging regular collaboration and feedback increases the chances for success through more focused efforts. This leads to increased stakeholder satisfaction, greater transparency and higher quality deliverables.
Focusing on agility and an iterative test and learn approach can result in better alignment between the final solution and the business objectives, ensuring better outcomes and value creation.
Using agile ways of working increases productivity and reduces waste through minimisation of resources while providing structure for greater flexibility and adaptability to change.
NSW Government agile project management resources
To help buyers establish their own agile project management structures, this section summarises information from Digital NSW. It also provides interpretation to help buying teams apply this material to public procurement.
The Digital NSW Digital Service Toolkit includes a section on Agile approach to service delivery. It outlines how the service design and delivery process is an agile approach that helps us put users at the heart of our work.
It adopts defined stages portrayed through a ‘double diamond’. It also explains that agile processes reduce risk around big decisions by "breaking a large risk into smaller, more manageable risks" where the more risky assumptions can be tested early.
The Digital NSW Delivery manual outlines how the Digital NSW delivery process is based on leading practice digital design standards and human-centred design and provides guidance on how to apply an agile delivery approach.