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InnerSource at the VA

InnerSource is applying open source software development practices to private code at the VA.

InnerSource Definition

InnerSource at the VA is all about writing software in a modular way, identifying functional overlap between products and services, and sharing code to meet the need of that overlap. There are currently more than 20 InnerSource projects at the VA that meet the core project requirements below.

According to innersourcecommons.org

“InnerSource takes the lessons learned from developing open source software and applies them to the way companies develop software internally. As developers have become accustomed to working on world class open source software, there is a strong desire to bring those practices back inside the firewall and apply them to software that companies may be reluctant to release. For companies building mostly closed source software, InnerSource can be a great tool to help break down silos, encourage internal collaboration, accelerate new engineer on-boarding, and identify opportunities to contribute software back to the open source world.”

VA InnerSource Project Requirements

  • Project must be on github.com
  • Project must be labelled inner-source
  • Project visibility must be set to internal
  • Project must be considered reusable code
  • Project must contain a README.md and a CONTRIBUTING.md

InnerSource Benefits

  • InnerSource generates faster development by allowing the use of ready-made or “off the shelf” components in place of developing everything with custom code.
  • InnerSource practices of sharing code between groups creates higher quality projects by allowing more reviewers with diverse perspectives and use cases to examine, test, and refine the project.
  • Just as with code quality, code security is also improved by having more reviewers.
  • InnerSource creates community among devlopers at the VA who work on different teams and products but have similar roles. This allows networking between these individuals and a collaborative mentorship that improves the skills of both parties.
  • InnerSource promotes the practice of transparency in government where transparency and sharing are approriate.

Examples of InnerSource in Government

InnerSource examples are beginning to become more common in the US Government, so much so that the private sector is noticing the success of its projects. The foremost example of InnerSource in government is Platform One.

Platform One allows users to deploy a DevSecOps Software Factory and start solving software problems with a 90% solution day 1, instead of starting from nothing. Scaling that capability across all military branches of the government is the power of InnerSource. projects are available at the VA, check out the InnerSource Project Portal where you can browse, search, and navigate to each of the InnerSource projects at the VA.

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