Ep. 221 Measuring what matters: Evaluating Success in Complex Federal Software Projects

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We all know the quote from Peter Drucker, "If you can measure it, you can manage it." It's pretty easy to apply when throwing a javelin but difficult when measuring success in complex software development projects.

Today, we sat down with Jeff Gallimore, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and founder of Excella. He brings with him decades of experience collaborating with teams on successful federal projects.

We start by noting the fallacy of using one metric to measure success. While completing the initiative on time might make an agency administrator happy, that will change rapidly if compliance is not achieved, and scaling will break the system into pieces.

Jeff has seen breakthroughs using a framework called DORA, DevOps Research and Assessment). The key metrics are deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and failed deployment recovery time.

These metrics, now part of Google, are research-based and predictive of IT and organizational outcomes.

They emphasize the importance of a holistic approach, avoiding single-metric focus, and the role of leadership and culture in fostering high-performing teams