The federal government has begun making significant strides in the monumental task of shifting Software development methodologies from traditional waterfall development to a more modern agile development methodology. While this road will continue to be a long one, there are pockets of excellence in DoD, CMS, and the VA (just to name a few). As much as this transition requires both culture change and resources on the government’s part, it is also highly dependent on a new breed of government contractors that are nimble, highly motivated, tech-savvy, and of course agile.
Within this community of agile vendors, there are a few different disciplines that are collectively aiding the transition. These disciplines can be thought of as doing, advising, and teaching. Within GovShop, these disciplines have been identified as Agile Development, Agile Coaching, and Agile Training.
- Agile Development – The development vendors bring highly capable devops talent and solutions ranging from full stack development to specialized skill sets (e.g., front-end, design, security).
- Agile Coaching – Agile Coaches enable Government Product Owners and development teams in the adoption of best practices and navigating the challenges of cultural change.
- Agile Training – Finally, Agile training can take many forms, but at its core, involves teaching practitioners how to implement agile development methodologies. One such example is the USDS DITAP training program, which teaches (and certifies) contracting officers and specialists on how to use current regulations and policies to acquire modern software development services and modern IT solutions.
You can hear a much more in-depth discussion by checking out the Public Spend Agile Webinar which we recently held to discuss the Agile market and how to buy Agile.
Within GovShop, we have profiled dozens of companies that are providing Agile development services in one form or another. You can check out the entire list here.
While the overall population of these vendors continues to grow, some of the early trailblazers are not only helping the governments’ transition but also leading the way in representing themselves in the GovShop Marketplace:
- Agile Trailblazers – Agiletrailblazers utilize the Lean & Agile approach in providing “Digital Transformation” services, agile software development, and agile training
- Agile 6 – Agile Six Applications is a CVE certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Computer Software Small Business
- (SDVOSB) headquartered in Chula Vista, CA. Agile Six offerings include Human-centered design, digital service playbook, application development, gamification and simulation, and cybersecurity
- Vertical Apps – VerticalApps is an Agile transformation consultancy for the United States Government. They work with federal agencies to achieve their mission by modernizing systems and technology.
- Skylight – Skylight is a HUBZone digital government consultancy based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Their mission is to make government work in a digital world using design, technology, and procurement.
You can check out our webinar, content about the market, and see the full set of Agile vendors profiled on GovShop online.
