Um estudo empírico sobre a adoção de métodos ágeis para desenvolvimento de software em organizações públicas

Abstract

This study reports from an empirical study planned and executed about adopting agile methodologies in public organizations. This study involved a literature review and interviews with four software development teams from two public organizations - large and medium-sized - located in Brazil. Through this method, it was found that agile methodologies could be adopted in public organizations. First, the analysis suggests that a good alternative is to start the adoption of agile methodologies with people willing to change - strongly supported by senior management - working on important pilot-projects. Subsequently, the change will depend on their interaction with other teams, in order to reach the vast majority of the organization; then these people work for the establishment of a learning ecosystem and continuous improvement to not accommodate - consciously or unconsciously - with the first winnings and later with the comfort zone. Second, we found that the benefits of agile methodologies in public organizations are more about people's satisfaction with the result of the work done and how it was achieved. Third, we also found some barriers difficult to overcome in public organizations, including the ingrained use of plan-drive methods, habit of “Big Design Up-Front” (BDUF) and lack of knowledge and experience in agile methodologies. Fourth, we see that agile methodologies is not perceived as a finished process that ends when a particular victory is achieved; on the contrary, it is something that takes place continuously and depends a set of people factors and the environment where it is inserted to achieve new and better results continuously. Finally, we note that the adoption of agile methodologies in public organizations is a way without return, where its practitioners also need to share their experiences and help each other. The main contribution of this research is the development of a set of recommendations for adopting agile methodologies in public organizations, and the systematization of the empirical evidence about this topic.