Note: On January 1, 2021, Public Knowledge, LLC merged with the Center for System Integrity (CSI) and the Center for the Support of Families (CSF), formerly part of SLI Government Solutions (SLI), to form Public Knowledge®. This merger united three leaders in management consulting, enhancing expertise, and expanding services. CSI adds IT consulting capabilities in project oversight, quality assurance, and security assessments, while CSF brings proven strategies to improve service delivery systems for children and families. Together, Public Knowledge® focuses on Programs, People, and Systems to deliver impactful solutions nationwide.

United States – July 26, 2017 – SLI Global Solutions is pleased to announce that we have developed and rolled out a significant upgrade to our SpARC (SLI Protocol for Agile in a Regulated Context) methodology. SpARC 2.0 is a set of in-depth, integrated Scrum and Agile-based best practices, approaches, risk artifacts, quality assurance (QA) checklists, and process guidelines that have been specifically developed to assess, monitor and support Agile development projects

Based on lessons learned from current engagements, SLI has refined and enhanced our methodology. In the SpARC 2.0 release:

The core SLI Agile Process Guidelines (23) have been updated with significant additions to the following areas:

• Process Management
• Sprint Management
• Meeting Management
• Management Support
• User Story Management

Upgraded metrics for application to Agile or iterative development projects, streamlined and improved to provide better measurements that serve as an early warning system to potential development issues or risks. As applications are being developed, the SpARC protocol provides a metrics-based focus for the computations needed to manage multiple work streams in iterative development projects.

These features have been developed on top of the core benefits provided in SpARC 1.0, which enable project teams to:

• Successfully anticipate and manage potential project risks that can arise when working with an Agile/SCRUM process.
• Apply a multi-dimensional approach to check the maturity of the project’s Agile methodology.
• Incorporate accepted Agile manifesto/lean development standards into the assessment of project progress.
• Have a Road Map to monitor and report on the progress and quality aspects of the project.

SpARC 2.0 has been deployed most recently on the Oregon State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) Guidewire Replacement Project. For this project, SLI is focused on Quality Assurance reviews of Integrated Project Management Plans, the Project Business Case, and the System Integrators’ Statement of Work to ensure alignment with industry best practices and the specific requirements of SAIF’s Agile approach. The SAIF project is seeing significant benefits in terms of timely, accurate, and focused assessments of project progress, processes, and deliverables, including Agile Sprint plans and the review and assessment of Agile ceremonies and development progress. SpARC is being used to measure the software development progress rate (known as velocity in Agile) during each Sprint and is helping to ensure that the process exists to complete any outstanding User Stories from the prior Sprint.

In today’s world, technological changes happen every second. At SLI, we keep up with those changes so you don’t get left behind. SLI is focused exclusively on delivering the most advanced quality assurance and consulting solutions on the market for government entities.

About Public Knowledge®

Public Knowledge® is a national management consulting firm focused on Programs, People, and Systems. We exist to help our clients solve tough problems and thrive in complex environments. For more than 30 years, we have helped our clients achieve their goals by understanding their needs and objectives as a foundation for our problem-solving process. Our goal is to provide our clients unparalleled service and act as their catalyst for change. Learn more by visiting pubknow.com.