Agile Coaching
Federal Client
Challenge
Modernization of a Legacy Information Exchange System
The federal client’s legacy information system required modernization to meet evolving compliance, public health, and interoperability demands across localized, and federal systems. As the modernization effort launched, several organizational and delivery challenges surfaced:
- Inconsistent or absent Agile practices across development trains.
- Unclear sprint goals, lack of transparent reporting, and undefined team roles.
- Disconnected teams working in silos—particularly across API, UI, and data layers.
- No decision-making framework, resulting in delays, rework, and analysis paralysis.
- Low engagement and confusion during Agile ceremonies.
- Resistance to change during transition from legacy workflows to Agile systems.
The federal client needed a comprehensive solution that aligned people, processes, and technology.
Solution
OmniVista Consulting led a full-scale transformation initiative combining enterprise Agile coaching and organizational change management (OCM) to improve delivery velocity, team alignment, and system modernization outcomes.
Agile Transformation
- Stood up Agile frameworks for five delivery trains (CORE, ESP, Federal Reporting, DMS, Method Registry) using a SAFe-aligned structure.
- Introduced two-week sprint cycles, backlog refinement cadences, and cross-train coordination through Scrum of Scrums and Sprint Reviews.
- Delivered three Program Increment (PI) Planning events, incorporating over 100 prioritized stories with full stakeholder engagement.
Organizational Change Management (OCM)
- Launched change readiness sessions and created customized working agreements per team.
- Led 1:1 coaching and mentoring for Train Leads and Agile Facilitators to develop leadership capacity.
- Embedded a feedback and learning system via Community of Work forums to continuously iterate and adapt Agile processes.
- Defined and clarified new roles across trains using a standardized Roles & Responsibilities playbook.
Governance & Decision-Making
- Introduced the COIN Framework (Context, Options, Impact, Next Steps) to resolve prioritization bottlenecks.
- Established a train-wide Capacity Planning and Velocity Model to inform work-in-progress limits and team pacing.
- Created alignment mechanisms between product and technical leads, including regular Architecture Syncs and prioritization check-ins.
Agile Delivery Enablement
- Rolled out a sprint dashboard strategy using Jira and Confluence, increasing transparency and ownership.
- Expanded test automation frameworks, specifically for Site Visits and Violation scenarios.
- Coordinated AWS, Postgres, and Camunda deployments across Dev, Scan, and UAT environments.
- Enabled delivery of key integrations such as the Metabase prototype, Electronic Sample Portal (ESP), and Method Registry milestones.
Results
Impact Area | Result |
Agile Cadence | 100% of teams adopted standardized sprints; cycle time reduced by 30% |
PI Planning | 3 events completed; 100+ stories aligned across all trains |
Team Velocity | Increased to 80%+ predictability, enabling data-driven planning |
Decision-Making | COIN framework helped unblock 30+ backlog items and accelerate throughput |
Collaboration | Cross-train blockers reduced by 40% via Scrum of Scrums and Joint Reviews |
Automation | Over 80 automated test cases created; regression confidence improved |
Security & Infrastructure | Resolved 12+ critical AppScan issues, enhanced environment configurations |
OCM Adoption | Over 60 staff onboarded with defined Agile roles and working agreements |
Leadership Readiness | 5 Train Leads coached on facilitation, prioritization, and Agile ceremonies |
Core Practices & Tools
- Agile Coaching & PI Planning Facilitation
- SAFe-Inspired Agile Ceremonies
- Organizational Change Management (OCM)
- COIN Decision Framework
- Jira & Confluence Dashboards
- DevOps Alignment: AWS, Camunda, Postgres
- Automated Regression Testing & SOPs
Conclusion
This engagement showcased OmniVista Consulting’s strength in bridging technical transformation with cultural change. By embedding Agile processes, empowering leadership, and instilling a structured change approach, the federal client gained the visibility, velocity, and confidence required to modernize one of its most critical systems.
The initiative now stands as a federal model for how Agile and change management, when delivered in tandem, can transform legacy delivery environments into adaptive, outcome-focused ecosystems.