top of page
image (5).png

Abstract Submission Form for DOE LACE Agile Conference

Abstract Submissions

DOE LACE Agile Conference 2026

​

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 1st  and 2nd, 2026

​

KCNSC North Building – Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) Kansas City, MO

NSE Banner1.png

Topics for 2026 Include
 

  • Agile Practices and Methodologies

    • Agile 101, Agile Manifesto, Scrum, Kanban, and best practices

    • Scaling Agile in large organizations (hybrid/scaled approaches)

    • Tailoring Agile frameworks to fit mission, product, and program needs

    • Agile culture and sustained adoption

​

  • Stakeholder Engagement and Leadership Buy-In

    • Building and sustaining leadership support for Agile transformations

    • Stakeholder engagement strategies (especially in matrixed environments)

    • Change leadership: enabling managers, sponsors, and champions

    • Addressing resistance and aligning expectations across organizations/sites

​

  • Tools and Technology Enablement

    • Effective use of Jira (planning, visualization, metrics, and workflows)

    • Using GitLab effectively in engineering environments

    • Connecting toolchains (e.g., Jira + GitLab + test/verification workflows)

    • Agile and emerging tech: AI, cloud, quantum (where it helps and where it doesn’t)

​

  • Cross-Site Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing (DOE-wide)

    • Patterns for cross-site coordination and shared delivery rhythms

    • How sites are implementing Agile: what worked, what didn’t, and why

    • Communities of practice, reusable assets, and shared resources across the DOE

    • Practical mechanisms to reduce “reinventing the wheel”

​

  • Change Management and Overcoming Challenges

    • The human side of adoption: roles, behaviors, and habits that make it stick

    • Common barriers (process, governance, culture) and how to address them

    • Lessons learned from hybrid Waterfall/Agile implementations

    • Sustaining momentum after initial rollout

​

  • Training and Role Development

    • Product Owner mentoring, requirements discovery, and value definition

    • Developing teams: working agreements, healthy execution, and improvement

    • Coaching models and building internal Agile capability

    • Resources for teams new to Agile and teams seeking maturity​​

​

​

  • Success Stories and Case Studies

    • Agile success/failure stories from real DOE work (sanitized as needed)

    • Case studies: delivery outcomes, metrics, and “what we’d do differently”

    • Guest speakers: Agile in hardware, manufacturing, and high-rigor contexts

    • Applied examples (e.g., prototyping, advanced manufacturing/3D printing)

​

  • Agile in Non-IT and High-Rigor/High-Consequence Environments

    • Agile beyond software: engineering, manufacturing, operations, and R&D

    • Applying Agile in high-rigor workflows (including governance constraints)

    • Patterns for integrating verification/validation and quality requirements

    • What “Agile” means when the cost of rework is high

​

  • Strategic Planning and Scaling

    • Program/portfolio-level planning and alignment (cross-team/cross-site)

    • Readiness for future Programs of Record and ND demonstrators using Agile

    • Establishing consistent implementation patterns and shared governance

    • Building capacity: how people can help and how to engage the DOE LACE

​

  • Innovation and Emerging Trends

    • Future directions in Agile and what’s changing (and what’s not)

    • Innovation practices that support faster learning and delivery

    • Practical experimentation frameworks (pilots, A/Bs, rapid learning cycles)

​

  • Organizational Practices and Efficiency

    • Finding information fast: knowledge management, reusable templates, “single source”

    • Improving visibility and flow on complex/disorganized efforts

    • Collaboration practices that improve throughput across teams and sites

​

  • Specific Agile Processes (Deep Dives)

    • Story writing, backlog refinement, sprint planning, and review patterns

    • Better sprint reviews and stakeholder involvement

    • “Why/How” history and evolution of DOE LACE (for shared understanding)

Submission Guidelines

​

Tell us what you would like to share in 500 words or less. Abstracts are due by May 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT with notification of acceptance/rejection no later than June 15, 2026.

​

All presentations must be UUR.

​

SESSION FORMATS AVAILABLE FOR 2026: You can choose from four different presentation types:

​

  • Traditional Presentation: 30 minutes total (20 minutes presentation, 10 minutes Q&A)

  • Birds of a Feather: 30 minutes total (Discussion by all attendees facilitated by a presentation leader)

  • Lightning Presentation: 10 minutes total (Short briefing on a topic, designed to rapidly share information)

  • Fireside Chat: 30 minutes total (Informal facilitated conversation between a few people rather than a formal presentation)

  • ​

Also include:

​

  • Bio about you (1000 characters or less)

 

Please complete the form below. If the form is not loading or you would prefer to complete the form in a new window, use the alternate link provided by the conference organizers.

Submission Form

image (5).png
bottom of page