Agile in Action at the World Bank
In just three months, the World Bank developed a flagship initiative—the Human Capital Project—that normally would have taken at least a year to launch. Agile at scale enabled a cross-functional team to work in iterative ways, quickly incorporating feedback and changes. The project—intended to accelerate investments in people for greater equity and economic growth—has inspired 77 countries to commit to creating new programs for investing in human capital. Within the World Bank, the experience—and success—has sparked a wider shift to an agile mindset. After the COVID-19 crisis hit, the organization delivered more than 100 projects in just ten weeks—work usually delivered in a one- to two-year period.