Adapting Scaled Agile Framework for Communications
BY JILLIAN GATES
Adapting Scaled Agile Framework for Communications
Like many departments in the federal government, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is adopting and implementing Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe Agile) as part of its journey to modernize its software development processes. As part of the team supporting VA’s effort to modernize its electronic health record (EHR) system to improve care delivery and coordination for more than nine million Veterans across 1,200 sites of care, it was critical for my communications team to understand and implement SAFe Agile.
Communicators are no strangers to adapting quickly to effectively communicate change, but our approach to project management does not typically adhere to traditional disciplines of project management. Even after training and extensive research, I found no clear link between SAFe Agile’s project management principles, internal communications guidelines, and enterprise-wide communications for VA.
I was faced with two questions – why should communicators care about SAFe Agile and how could I make SAFe Agile work for my team?
Why Should Communicators Care About SAFe Agile?
The Scaled Agile Framework notes, “SAFe exists to help organizations build winning software, hardware and cyber-physical products and services by providing a knowledge base of the most effective, proven Lean-Agile practices alongside the learning needed to master them.” SAFe Agile is largely targeted at teams developing products, solutions, or other technology that addresses a business need.
For communications professionals, this translates into a baseline to understand project management across departments. Communicators are often involved in cross-functional campaigns, working with independent teams to render complex topics into accessible campaigns.
These independent teams also usually have independent managers, all with their own management styles – implementation of SAFe Agile gave my team a baseline of understanding for how all of the teams managed their projects and processes, allowing us to better interpret the materials and timelines provided to us and enabled us to align our communications plans to project and team goals.
For my team, understanding of how SAFe Agile project management works led to more strategic collaboration, a shared understanding of goals across departments, and faster delivery of campaigns. This knowledge is critical to quickly deliver succinct, valuable communications products to our stakeholders.
How I Made SAFe Agile Work for My Team
Development Cycle = Agile Communications Cycle
We adapted our development and review cycle to mirror SAFe Agile development schedules. Our Agile Communications Cycle allowed the team to produce, evaluate, and adapt materials on an ongoing basis in line with project cycles. SAFe Agile also includes regular feedback loops to assess what worked and what didn’t. This iterative process helps communicators have a baseline to assess their products to ultimately improve quality.
PI Planning = Project Tracking
Like many SAFe Agile projects, Jira is at the forefront of our project tracking. Our Kanban board provides a structured way to manage work and align priorities, similar to how an editorial calendar organizes content planning. We harness our Jira Kanban board to lead our weekly Task Prioritization meeting, using the platform to showcase and organize our work. The Kanban and SAFe Agile principles give us a baseline to track success, adhere to timelines, and eliminate overlapping efforts.
Essential Ceremonies = Improved Meeting Structure
While the structure of SAFe Agile ceremonies works for many development teams, it did not work well for communications projects which require adaptability and flexibility. However, understanding the SAFe Agile ceremony schedule allows my team to identify where their participation was critical to understand the project team’s communications needs, understand their deadlines, and produce proactive communications materials.
SAFe Glossary = Speaking the Language
A unified project management structure helped my team understand project team processes and procedures. Speaking the language of SAFe Agile also helped us translate the complex topics they discussed into digestible communications products and campaigns in a way that we could trust our stakeholders, who have also adopted SAFe Agile, could understand.
Final Thoughts
While the link between SAFe Agile and communications wasn’t immediately clear, communicators can use the structure to understand how development teams work, how they communicate internally, and ultimately influence how we communicate about their work.
Communications is no longer a back-end function. We’re strategic partners who need a seat at the planning table, and understanding and implementing SAFe Agile along with our project partners helps us earn that seat. By adopting SAFe Agile principles and integrating them into our communications practices, we can meet the SAFe Agile – and client – goal to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement that ultimately benefits Veterans and health care providers alike.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORStrategic communications and change leader Jillian Gates drives transformation with clarity, collaboration and heart. At Artemis, she leads VA initiatives that modernize care delivery, streamline operations and elevate the Veteran experience.