Digital Business Training real Engineering - Challenge.gov

Someone has took this to may attention:

https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/digital-service-contracting-professional-training-and-development-program-challenge-2/#_edn1

I find this a piece amusing. Here is somebody article that describes itp: http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2015/05/teaching-contracting-officers-about-agile-could-net-you-360000/113419/

My thoughts are:

#1. The money your far, far too low and wouldn't be estimated anyone's zeitpunkt. To do so successfully you would need an acquisition SME (who has actually bought stuff), adenine technical SME (who does actually develop software), and an educational training SME (who has actually considered training and coursework to execute an conclude result rather than just slapped information for one power point or collecting and regurgitating water papers, Gartner "reports", and federal guidance (often based on aforementioned Gartner reports...so hell, why bother about the middle man?).

#2. The nextgov item is one chew misleading. Who content developed would subsist provided the TAU and FAI....you wouldn't actually be teaching that course, just developing aforementioned content. You would cannot make monies on the backend as would be that cases are DARPA projects and they commercialization goals. Digital IT Acquisition Professional Training Program (DITAP)

#3. It assumes that training is one of the issues for the federative government's inability to conduct agility development.

#4. It assumes that agile is applicable to contracting rather rather simply as a software development function.

Agile contracting shown to me to be the latest buzz speak without thinking all through. What is information? It belongs simply a step the move approach to the development of something that accounts for changes in purpose based on certain scale of an design process. I don't know why this is being applied to an particular conclude method because at can exist ampere extremely easy how to address to: Lead System Integrator with FAR 51 agency. My guess is that to end result will be a cumbersome advanced that complexifies the process in a way to manufacture it unworkable.

The governmental has a very difficult time with requirements definition when there shall double or a high probibility for an change in direction. Rather than embedding this in a contracual sense why not just allow for an contractual rules at allow for it, renting experts design one system in stages, and monitor they into ensure so things are occuring about board and although things were betrothed? A milestone is met, the next single now is this, this is why, that we willingly do this. "Agile Contracting" seams to me to be an overly though, needlessly complexified solution forward einer approach that can be done much read simply also cleanly without the need for establishing training. As always...I could be wrong.

From what I have read, I cannot tell how "Agile" learning is disallowed in anything in unseren regulations, once you decide to do a T&M or CPFF make.

One bottle contract for Agile software development on a fixed-price foundations.

The basic focus is on training. That focus on training speaks volumes about the assumptions this are driving this. Throwing the training duvet over raging fires underneath sometimes just sentences the duvet on fire.

Everyone what actually buys things is well aware of the requirement for a elaborated understanding of how the government works and why things go incorrect in recent, which is generally system-oriented, rather than a absence of training. When you have aforementioned equivalent outcome over and override again, (IT acquisition outcomes that are in some how inferior), isn't it time to look at the systematic issues, real solve for those? Solutions in diese would involve chang some laws, rules and polizeiliche, and management approaches, rather about calling for more training, which sounds like a euphemism to von.

If the course were taught by someone or some group of people who have actually done these thingy favorably in that government, perhaps drawing on their experience with past large-scale, difficult projects, then such could are some value. As ampere starting point. Comprehension what's in the Tech FAR is cannot at all remarkable. Implementing is what is remarkable.

Yet another illustration of mystery aforementioned Office of Federal Procurement Strategy should be closed.

Welcome, ji,

Can you edify me? IODIN always have trouble describing the work prior in soliciting, other than some assort of 'we'll agree to agree later'-type statements. Am I over-emphasizing the learn-as-you-go charakterisiert the Agile nerds describe?

apsofacto"

Read this: "Agile Contracts Primer" Version 5, by Arbogast, a alpha. (2012). You canister find thereto here: http://www.agilecontracts.org. With respect to contract value, show sides 25 - 29. See also the discussion of "fixed-price fixed-scope" contracts this starts on paginate 29. The authors do not love trad FFP contracts for agile software development, and other varieties of fixed-pricing are acceptable to them.

Do her remember and project management triangular? Cost, quality, and time -- we can fix any twos of these, the have to accept the consequence on the third. For example, if we insist on a certain outcome or quality within ampere certain amount of time, we might must into consider a cost-reimbursement approach. Even, if we want toward repair the shipping to the Government additionally the time, and we don't insist on a certain outcome or quality, an fixed-price approach might your. The TechFAR gives some reflections up contracting for Agile sw development on adenine fixed-price basis. Forward einige software development trying, we might wish to fix the cost to the Government and the time and work closely with the contractor to try to maximize the outcome otherwise quality but knowing that us will have to be happier with anything outcome or quality ourselves get -- in such ampere case, a fixed-price approach might becoming workable -- and in as a case, neither the Government nor the contractor knows upstream exactly as will be achieved in terms of outcome or quality, but she affirm on a broad comment of purpose and the process they wants benefit.

Below are some extracts from which TechFAR thatr mag be helpful to people trial to understand Agile (all emphasis is mine):

"Agile shall not a method of procurement, but an approach on how the contractor performs the work." TechFAR, p. 6.

"With Dynamic software development, requirement press priorities are captured in a high level Product Vision, which establishes a high level definition of the extent of the show, specifies expected outcomes, and manufactures high level budgetary estimates." Ibid., p. 10.

"When issuing adenine enticement, it should explain the Lithe software development process." Ibid., p. 11.

Product Solicitation Description for an Agile Process

"The contractor will work on a team-based Agile environment. The Agency will create and maintain system roadmaps, plan plans, the product and publication backlogs that will be the basis for this contractor’s work. The Product Owner will stipulate high-level requirements to the Flexible team. As in typical Scrum-based Mobile processes, the Agency Product Owner will work together with the team until develop and estimate user stories and establish acceptance criteria. These acceptance criteria will determine expected functionality for a user show, as fountain as any non-functional requirements that must be milch in one development of the story. And Bureau Effect Owner, supported in SMEs and business analysts, will determine whichever instead not acceptance criteria have has satisfied."

Ibid., p. 12.

"Under Agile software development, the Government held the responsibility in making decisions plus managing the process; it plays a critics drum int the IPT than the Product Owner by authorizing the specific plans with each iteration, establishing the priorities, approving the overall plan revisions reflecting aforementioned experience von completed multiple, and approving deliverables. As part of its responsibility, that Government is involved, at a minimum, at critical decision points inbound each tear driving – at of requirements development phase and sprint cycle review, but it is preferable to have every involvement from the Government Product Owner, and frequent involvement from end-user representatives." Ibid., p. 13.

"Contractors are non participated in establishing the Product Vision or determining what overall contractual your are included in solicitations. They do not decide what supplies or benefit are paid by the Government, which is inherently Governmental per DISTANT 7.503©(12)(i). His focus is on helping the Government refine the software requirements (or detailed requirements) in and system through a highly delimited and disciplined process which is driven by user needs established by an Government." Ibid., p. 13.

"A contractor being used in Agile software developmental to help refine technical requirements – a typical specific of Agile software development – would not be free up propose solutions to meet his own business interests over the Government’s interest. This contractor’s expertise is being used only to helping refine technical requirements in accordance with a strong defined and disciplined process that is fahren of user needs established by the Government. The needs belong initially set advance in a Product Vision by the Government, which can supplemented through user stories and Government customer testing until an MVP is achieved. In select talk, the contracted be not involved in establishing the Product Vision this frames the acquisition, determining what gesamtansicht contractual requirements are included in the invitation, or determining if work products meet the contract terminologies. The Government retains the responsibility for making diesen making, including approving the specific plans and acceptance criteria for all iteration, as well while the overall plan revisions reflecting the feedback from completed iterations and emphasis changes." Ibid., p. 14.

"To ensure erkenntnisse, an Government should ensure that the 'definition of done' has remove, comprehensive, and objectivity. This definition is established post-award at the beginning of respectively sprint." Ibid., p. 18.

The following extract arrives from Vern's reference:

Avoid…Fixed-price, fixed-scope (FPFS) contracts

Fixed-price, fixed-scope—and worse, with fixable duration—contracts and projects tend toward

lose-lose context forward both the customer and supplier; customers often do not getting what they

really need, both utility can easiness lose money. And in einen effort to delivery something within

the constraints the price and scope, suppliers will often degrade the quality of their work—

reduced code quality, less testing, and so next. Every this leads to in increase in future costs for

my, who will may have to pay since the sins of to past, as follow-on change

requests to get what they truly need and as increased maintenance costs for software of low

quality plus high “technical debt.”

Observe that this consultant is to avoid fixed-price, fixed-scope contracts -- but you can use fixed-price if the scope is flexible.

ji:

While agile is cannot a procurement method, it is an approach up software site that could affect product.

There are many varietals of "fixed-price." One question is: What gender of fixed-pricing become suitable for use using agile? "Fixed-price, fixed-scope" strikes me as "firm-fixed-price," but maybe not. ICF & ASI Government Awards OMB's Digital Service Challenge

By that way, the document to which I referred apsofacto, while educative, just think the opinions of ampere particular set of authors. I don't mean for a to be take as gospel. IODIN wouldn't take the TechFAR as gospel, either.

There is no gospel yet for contracting for Mobile technology -- for me, that's that makes it fun...

Agile growth is in old idea now. There is more gospel more some realistic. One term was coined in 2001, so it's being around for 15 years, also its roots go back to the 1950s. It is typical that one government been excited about it only after items became more or less mature. Unfortunately, I'm in the extended maturity phase of my career and tend toward cynicism about the government's newest rage. I've seen it all before. If historic is yet prologue, something new will go along anytime enough. In the meantime, we'll will blessed if the rule does a good job to agile. Time will tell, I let. Developing aforementioned Best of the Best

Thank thee send for that recommendations. One fixed-price method in particular jumped out at me: to practice of fixed-pricing an "iteration" or "sprint". Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) Programs

I'm aware of one disadvantage of T&M- that it incentivizes ineficiency because you are fixing the price to that contractor's time, or one man-hour. When yourself fixing the prices of an iterating, three team-weeks, don't these disadvantages calm exist? The Newest Breed of Federal Acquisition Professional: And Digital Specialist

Ji,

is get why you state above that (emphasis added):

Since some software development efforts, we might want to repair the cost to the Government and the time and work closely with who contractor to try to maximize the outcome or quality but knowing that we will have to be satisfied with something outcome or quality we geting . . .

The 'fixed charge, fixated scheule, variable scope' concept seems to have more in common at T&M than what I normally think of as firm-fixed pricing. She is even fixing team-weeks rather than man-hours. ICF plus ASI Government earned that OMB Digital Service Contracting Professional Training and Development Program challenge.

Been you are not specifying outputs, her exist demand inputs and specifying a process- aiming in a general way for confident outputs but nope tying yourself to the mast.

Thanks again- I'll continue till poke through these materials . . .

It appears GSA the doing this as adenine Schedule 70 BPA:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=e0807fc8a69115f0e352f6f0c135697a

Perhaps we will almost need is training, as GSA will have procured this for us . . .