The September 2025 Tech Talk was presented by Linda Parker Gates
Abstract
This talk describes the application of Agile principles to strategic planning. It explores how applying balanced Agile values — such as prioritizing individuals and interactions, delivering tangible results, fostering customer collaboration, and embracing change — can enhance the effectiveness of strategic planning processes without becoming merely reactive. By integrating Agile techniques, organizations can make their strategic planning more adaptive and responsive to evolving environments in the moment and in the long term.
About the Presenter
Linda Parker Gates is a senior engineer at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Carnegie Mellon University, where she leads the Software Acquisition Pathways Initiative. She specializes in strategic planning, change management, technology transition, and performance excellence, supporting numerous government organizations in developing and adopting improvement strategies. Ms. Gates is the principal investigator for the SEI’s Artificial Intelligence Robustness (AIR) research and transition project.
Ms. Gates is the author of the multi-part SEI blog series on Agile strategic planning, as well as the SEI technical report Strategic Planning with Critical Success Factors and Future Scenarios: An Integrated Strategic Planning Framework. She has also hosted numerous podcasts and webinars on strategy and acquisition topics. She serves on the board of directors for the International Association for Strategy Professionals (IASP), where she led the Government Community of Practice from 2019-21. She chaired the IASP Global Conference in 2022-24 and served as a judge for the Goodman Award for Excellence in Strategy. In 2024, she was awarded the IASP’s Janice Laureen Award for Outstanding Service. She has served as a senior examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Ms. Gates holds a bachelor of arts degree from Denison University, where she served as an at-large member of the Alumni Council from 2021 to 2024, and also holds a Master of Architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
