Seminar: Safe Agile Developments

This 1-day seminar looked at techniques and approaches for managing Agile developments for safety-related systems.  

This seminar was for those introducing or using Agile techniques with safety-related developments, in e.g. Healthcare, Policing, Transport, Government or Defence areas. It was aimed at developers, change managers, safety engineers and project managers. 

Abstracts and Bios

Bill Blackburn, Consultant - Scaled Agile for High Integrity Services

Abstract: This talk explores the application of agile approaches in domains beyond the traditional remit of the safety engineering community, where high integrity is paramount. Agile processes and practices have evolved over the past 30+ years and now encompass a broader scope than just application development, recognising the needs of programme portfolios. Mini-case studies of agile techniques applied across financial services, life sciences and government sectors provide insights into effective approaches and business, technical, and commercial good practices. These studies will demonstrate how agile principles can deliver benefits while ensuring application of product assurance and risk management in line with analysis of criticality.

Bio: Bill has extensive experience across various industry sectors, with a specific focus on regulatory compliance and the delivery of business-critical services. He has expertise in frameworks that comprehensively address organisational risks. Bill offers consultancy services while recognising the value of developing in-house expertise through knowledge transfer, ongoing mentoring, and coaching. He is currently engaged in police and criminal justice programmes both within the United Kingdom and internationally. Bill actively participates in conferences and SCSC events.

Dewi Daniels, Software Safety Ltd - 24 years on from the Agile Manifesto: What have we learned?

Abstract: The talk describes the speaker's experience of applying Agile methodologies over the past 21 years, examines the benefits of Agile software development and discusses some of the common misconceptions concerning Agile methodologies. The talk concludes by examining how Agile methodologies can be applied to safety-critical software development and verification.

Bio: Dewi Daniels is an expert in the development and verification of safety-critical software. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the British Computer Society. He was one of the authors of DO-178C and is currently one of the UK representatives on the IEC 61508 committee.

Fred Heath, Faria Education Group - Can agility and safety coexist?

Abstract: In safety-critical software development, the need for rigorous safety standards often appears at odds with the principles of agility, which emphasize flexibility and rapid iteration. This talk explores whether safety and agility can coexist, dissecting the challenges and opportunities inherent in merging these approaches. By presenting actionable strategies, methods and techniques, Fred will illustrate how careful integration of agile methodologies can enhance innovation without compromising safety. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to reconcile these seemingly conflicting priorities, paving the way for a balanced, forward-thinking approach to software development in safety-critical domains.

Bio: Fred Heath is an accomplished software engineer and product development specialist with 25 years experience in the software engineering world, spanning a wide range of roles, industries and technologies. His technical interests include programming with Ruby and Elixir, Behavior-Driven Development, software engineering practices and agile methodologies. Fred has authored three books on Scrum and on requirements management and enjoys blogging and speaking at technical conferences, locally and internationally. Fred is currently working as a Product Lead in the EdTech sector.

Oumaima Fasih, Functional Safety Engineer & Scrum Master - Bringing Agility to Functional Safety: A Practical Approach Aligned with ISO 26262

Abstract: Agile and functional safety are often viewed as opposites: one thrives on speed and adaptability, the other demands rigor and predictability. But in today’s fast-moving automotive industry, especially with the rise of electrification and autonomous systems, bridging this gap is not just possible, it’s essential. Oumaima draws from real-world experience to reveal how Agile practices can be successfully integrated into ISO 26262-compliant safety development. This will challenge traditional thinking and offer a practical roadmap for teams looking to stay innovative, compliant, and ahead of the curve in the evolving landscape of functional safety.

Bio: Oumaima Fasih is a Functional Safety Engineer & Scrum Master at Stellantis with an Engineering  degree and Technical certifications in Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles and Battery Management Systems. Oumaima started her career in automotive steel R&D, before moving to the electric and electronic fields. She specializes in the verification and validation of safety-critical systems, including powertrains for BEV, MEHV and PHEV Projects and sourcing suppliers across Europe, China, and the US on ADAS Domain and OBD, autonomous driving cameras, and radar ECUs ensuring compliance with ISO 26262. As Scrum Master, Oumaima has been instrumental in driving the adoption of Agile methodologies within the Fusa team. She has led the transition from waterfall to Agile, optimizing the development process for high-assurance automotive systems while maintaining rigorous safety standards. Her focus is on aligning safety practices with Agile principles to ensure both adaptability and compliance in safety-critical projects.

Paul Lister, Equiniti - How Agile helps you hit the complexity bullseye

Abstract: Complexity can be the bane of a workers life, not just in terms of production but also in terms of safety. In this talk Paul Lister demonstrates a simple visual way to examine a task's complexity and which Agile methodologies and frameworks can help to reduce it.

Bio: I'm an Agilist. What does that mean ? It means that I want to minimise risk and I want to help others to minimise risk. I've worked in the fintech industry for twenty years as a software developer and manager before going through an Agile transformation. Since then I've been a Scrum master and for the last three years, an Agile coach. I'm honoured to say that I have also become a Certified Scrum Trainer (one of only about 200 in the world) with the Scrum Alliance, allowing me to spread my knowledge, skills and experience to others with certification courses. Having previously worked in traditional workflows like Waterfall, I am able to sympathise with people's problems in that sphere and understand where Agility may help them. Having co-trained and worked with other great coaches has allowed me to understand the true path of Agility and where it can lead teams and individuals to where they want to go.

Núria Mata, Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS - Building blocks for the development of safety-critical automated driving functions in a holistic DevOps approach

Abstract: The development lifecycle of modern vehicles extends beyond production. Highly automated driving functions impose high safety demands that must be fulfilled throughout the entire product lifecycle. The trend is to release automated vehicle functions tailored for specific Operational Design Domains (ODD), with the potential for extensions post-production. This approach facilitates incremental enhancements of functionality and the introduction of new features on demand, thereby enhancing the vehicle's capabilities over time. By adopting a holistic DevOps approach, we address the challenges of preserving intended functionality and ensuring safety in automated driving systems across the complete product lifecycle.

Bio: Núria is the department head for engineering of software-defined mobility at Fraunhofer IKS. She earned her degree in electrical engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and holds a PhD in computer science. With two decades of experience at ETAS GmbH (Bosch Group), she held roles as a software developer, product engineer, and senior consultant, collaborating on projects with vehicle manufacturers and ECU suppliers in embedded software and safety. Since joining Fraunhofer IKS in October 2021, she has focused on designing safety-critical AI systems, establishing best practices for safety assurance, and implementing continuous safety engineering methodologies throughout all phases of design and operation.

Thor Myklebust, Sintef - The AI Act and The Agile Safety Plan

Abstract: The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) introduces rigorous requirements that significantly impact the development and certification of high-risk AI systems. As part of the book, "The AI Act and The Agile Safety Plan," we examine how agile methodologies can effectively align with the stringent safety standards mandated by the AI Act. We introduce a structured approach that integrates functional safety with agile practices across the entire lifecycle of AI systems, ensuring compliance from initial development through to deployment. By closely linking safety plans to safety cases, our methodology offers a practical, adaptive strategy to meet regulatory demands, enabling developers and stakeholders to dynamically respond to technological advancements and evolving compliance obligations.

Bio: Thor is a senior researcher in System Safety at Sintef Digital. His experience is in assessment and certification of products and systems since 1987. He has worked for the National Metrology Service, Aker Maritime, Nemko, and SINTEF. Thor has participated in several international committees since 1988 including as a Member of safety (NEK/IEC 65), the IEC 61508 maintenance committee “generic functional safety”, ISO/IEC TR 5469 “Artificial intelligence — Functional safety and AI systems” stakeholder UL4600 autonomous products and railway (NEK/CENELEC/TC 9). He is co-author of four Springer books (The Agile Safety Case, SafeScrum,  Proof of Compliance and Ai Act and The Agile Safety Plan) and published more than 300 papers and reports.