US Department of Defence and the History of Waterfall Delivery

TL;DR; The US Department of Defence has moved away from traditional waterfall delivery and now requires lean-agile approaches in its procurement rules, recognizing that agility is essential for complex, high-stakes projects. This shift is now mandated, not just recommended, showing that even large, regulated organizations can make the change. Development managers should reconsider stage-gate processes and focus on enabling real agility rather than clinging to outdated controls.

Published on 8 June 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/mlGmtc4ZqJM

For years, the US Department of Defence was the poster child for waterfall delivery. Locked gates, stage-based approvals, and delivery dates that existed more on paper than in production.

But now? The DOD has effectively banned waterfall by rewriting its procurement rules to favour lean-agile delivery.

They’ve acknowledged what many in our industry already know: that agility isn’t optional when the stakes are high, the domain is complex, and success can’t wait five years.

This isn’t theory. It’s law. And if the DOD can shift, what excuse do the rest of us have?

If you’re still dragging delivery through stage gates, ask yourself: are you enabling agility or just maintaining the illusion of control?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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