7.4.3 Embedding Agile Practices within a Plan-Driven Hierarchical Project Life Cycle

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and its clients have historically used a structured, plan-driven approach to provide continuity, direction, and control to large, multi-year programs. Projects within these programs vary greatly in size, complexity, level of maturity, technical risk, and clarity. On a recent program one of our clients employed hierarchical requirements methodologies for technology development projects, with complex interfaces and tight project schedules, which necessitated frequent end-to-end product demonstrations throughout system development. In response PNNL embedded Agile engineering practices into the plan-driven project life cycle to benefit from the Agile principle of delivering frequent, interim, and functioning products regularly throughout the project's period of performance. This paper describes the application of those Agile practices on a large command and control system development effort. It discusses how the project team benefitted from both the plan-driven project execution and the rapid prototyping, integration, and client feedback made possible with the implementation of Agile practices. Furthermore, this paper discusses the tools and implementing mechanisms used to transition between each methodology.