In recent years, organizations across both the public and private sectors have faced challenges such as budget constraints and rising costs. Reports indicate that 2025 will close with 300,000 fewer federal workers. To adapt in this environment of uncertainty, agencies and enterprises alike must look for new ways to remain effective. Traditional approaches often fall short, but agile ways of working provide proven strategies for navigating limited resources and organizational change.
Agile isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a practical response to the very real challenges that modern organizations face in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. Agile practices empower teams to work more efficiently and cost-effectively, and provide flexible models that work well in both the business world and the government sector.
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Agile Methods at Work in Agencies
A powerful example of the potential of agile methods in agencies can be seen in a case study of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where an organizational transformation led to significant improvements in workflow.
According to Jamie Holcombe — USPTO CIO from 2019-2025 — before embracing agility, USPTO faced many of the same issues that often plague large bureaucratic organizations, including tightly coupled teams and outdated processes. The patent and trademark application and review processes were slow and cumbersome, leaving stakeholders frustrated. In a world that increasingly demands speed and innovation, USPTO recognized that it needed to change — fast.
Under Holcombe’s leadership, USPTO adopted agile behaviors and approaches to address its challenges and transform its environment, a significant move for a government agency. Holcombe encouraged teams to shift from project management to product management, creating dedicated product teams and appointing product owners. A key change was moving responsibility from IT managers overseeing projects to product owners making critical business decisions.
One early win from this transformation was the development of a new patent search tool. By adopting a product-based mindset, USPTO’s teams focused on continuous improvements to this tool, dramatically reducing time to market and increasing its utility for patent examiners and applicants.
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Cross-Functional Teams Address IT Challenges Faster
Then-CIO Holcombe recognized an opportunity to enhance how USPTO delivered value by shifting from a project-based approach to a product mindset. Rather than work coming to a stop once a project was considered complete, teams would continue to evolve and iterate on products. This ongoing focus ensures they deliver continuous value to both internal teams and external stakeholders, such as patent applicants, in ways that adapt and grow with changing needs.
One of the most significant changes at USPTO was the creation of cross-functional teams. By breaking down traditional silos and bringing together diverse skill sets, teams tackled challenges more quickly and effectively. Empowered to make their own decisions, these teams reduced bottlenecks and made faster, more informed decisions. This autonomy significantly improved productivity.
Before the agile transformation, Holcombe saw that USPTO teams were tightly coupled, which led to inefficiencies and redundancies. Introducing product owners and cross-functional teams boosted collaboration and transparency. Yes, structural change is tough for large organizations, but agile allowed USPTO to decouple dependencies and streamline processes. With self-organizing teams driving the effort, workflows became more adaptable and able to scale with agility to meet evolving needs.
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Resilient, Adaptive Teams
USPTO’s agile ways of working demonstrate that agility isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix. It’s a mindset that empowers organizations to build resilient, adaptive teams that create real, lasting value for the public.
By embracing agile principles, government agencies can navigate uncertainty, tear down silos and continuously level up the services they provide. It’s all about supporting a culture of agility that drives progress and adapts with the times.
