Introduction and Context

This is document supports the Barcelona City Council Technology Code of Practice, and provides a practical explanation of the Agile transformation concept. It expands on the principles guiding the new leadership at the Municipal Institute of Information Technology (IMI) in terms of technology and innovation: interoperability, agility, reuse, ethics, and open knowledge and technology. These principles and practices stem from the City Council Agile Digital Transformation Plan of September 2017.

It seeks to guide and contribute to implementation by the IMI – in conjunction with the city’s leaders and authorities – of the strategic aim of Barcelona City Council to undertake digital service projects using Agile methodologies. Together with the principle of technological sovereignty and responsible data management, these agile methodologies make up the main aspects of the medium-term outlook on agile digital transformation in the city of Barcelona.

The goal of this document is therefore to provide managers in municipal bodies and the IMI with a basic understanding of agile methods and demonstrate how the agile life-cycle differs from traditional approaches; to explain the IMI agile method and how it will be implemented by integrating it into the framework for new projects and for maintenance of digital services that already exist; and to provide guidelines for managing development projects and maintaining services based on agile methodologies. Generally-speaking, it aims to help encourage and manage this cultural change at the IMI and the units of Barcelona city from a perspective of agile digital transformation.