As Matt and Wayne outlined on 14 April, the work to restore Compass continues. Our focus is to deliver the functionality that was provided by MMS in the first instance (Managing Adult Members, Disclosure & Vetting Processing, Training Records and Reports) as these are the things that you have told us are critical in supporting you in your roles in scouting.
As has been previously described, that scale and scope of the works required to restore a secure portal are not insignificant and we have an extremely detailed plan in place to ensure the technology delivers a safe platform for managing our data online. In order to bring a greater element of confidence that we can deliver what is required with our partners, we have agreed a more agile approach to the way we develop and test the software. As some of you may be aware, the Digital world is built predominantly using Agile software development methods as these processes are often quicker to deliver tools to the users that more traditional ‘waterfall’ methods. Given where we are currently in the project, I felt that an Agile way of working was an appropriate approach to resolving the challenges we face.
I personally have worked using Agile for over 10 years in many different organisations from Global Enterprises through to SME’s and Public Sector, however this approach to working is new to both TSA and our partners.
Our approach to this way of working has been to break down the work required into a long list of specific tasks and plan a series of ‘Sprints’ with our partners that will deliver an agreed number of these tasks during a fixed-time period. At the end of each sprint, the software is delivered to us, tested for security and core functionality and any changes or fixes required are then fed into the next Sprint. We will keep this rolling pattern of Sprint then Test until we have completed all the required tasks to the right level of quality.
We have now completed 2 full sprints to date and the progress we are making is almost exactly in line with where we hoped to be at this stage.
Reports
We are very close to releasing the Reports described by Matt and Wayne below. I would personally like to thank those of you who have contributed your time testing these reports and given us your valuable feedback. The feedback received on the reports has been incorporated and we will be undergoing the final round of testing imminently with a view to going live shortly after.
As I have said in previous Blogs, we need your support in the testing and feedback of the tools and services Compass provides in order to ensure it meets your needs. In the coming weeks I will be making a more formal request for volunteers willing to commit to testing Compass in readiness for its return to service as I believe that your voice is critical to the success of any Digital service we provide.
Again, I would like to apologise for the continued disruption and pressure placed on you by the lack of access to Compass. I believe we have a clear plan to move forward and the right approach to ensure we can deliver what is needed. I thank you for your continued support and patience and will be back in touch shortly with further updates.