How do Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) impact Agile and DevOps Teams in the DoD?

Many large organizations that support work in the Department of Defense (DoD) are functionally organized into groups. A typical organization supporting DoD may include groups for program management, systems engineering, software development, test, and operations. Because of the separation we may not see the direct impact of the WBS has on Agile and DevOps teams. I hope to provide insight into how the wrong WBS can stop your Agile and DevOps initiatives in their tracks.

We are in exciting times where many government organizations are moving from Waterfall to Agile and DevOps lifecycles due to the increasing need for adaptability, shorter lead times, higher quality, and reduced cost of ownership. The stakeholders within the DoD ecosystem are setting up Agile teams, investing in automation, shifting test left, and providing transparency into delivery. However, the traditionally requested WBS is sabotaging our efforts to deliver value to the warfighter faster.

How is possible that the WBS has any bearing on what our Agile and DevOps teams are doing? The WBS is simply an artifact containing a hierarchal deconstruction of the project or product. If you consider many organizations that support the DoD are functionally based, the natural tendency is to use a functionally based WBS. A functionally based WBS contains elements such as program management, systems engineering, software development, and test.

Agile and DevOps lifecycles require cross-functional not functional teams. Teams oriented around the value stream to delivery. The functional WBS forces cost data and delivery metrics by function as opposed to by product, which pushes teams apart, creates handoffs and incentivizes functional artifacts over products resulting in longer lead times, increased defect levels, and increased cost due to rework and specialization.

There is a simple solution to this problem, the next time your organization utilizes Agile and DevOps Lifecycles. Take the time to educate program management and finance on the impact of the WBS on technical product delivery. Provide them tools needed to build a product oriented WBS. The change will allow the intended results of Agile and DevOps to become a reality enabling your teams to get value into the hands of the warfighter at record speeds.