Software Engineering Institute

This technical note is one in a series of publications from the Software Engineering Institute intended to aid United States Department of Defense acquisition professionals in the use of Agile software development methods. As the prevalence of suppliers using Agile methods grows, these professionals supporting the acquisition and maintenance of software-reliant systems are witnessing large portions of the industry moving away from so-called “traditional waterfall” life cycle processes. The existing infrastructure supporting the work of acquisition professionals has been shaped by the experience of the industry—which up until recently has tended to follow a waterfall process. The industry is finding that the methods geared toward legacy life cycle processes need to be realigned with new ways of doing business. This technical note aids acquisition professionals who are affected by that realignment.