For over 15 years, INSEE has embraced agility. But over time, a major challenge emerged: how to fully integrate the business side into agile practices and give Product Owners (POs) the tools to truly play their strategic role? It is in this context that the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), a public institution under the Ministry of Finance, chose Tuleap.
The challenge: professionalizing the Product Owner role
“We’ve been practicing agility since 2006–2007,” says Fabrice Bloch, Head of the Agile Centre at INSEE. “But we quickly ran into a gap: if we wanted to professionalize the PO role, we needed a dedicated tool.”
Fabrice BLOCH, Agile Coach in the Public Sector & Conference Speaker
Without proper support, it was difficult for business teams to find their place alongside IT. INSEE needed to better equip this collaboration to strengthen its agility and ensure successful project delivery.
Why Tuleap: a solution aligned with public sector values
So, why Tuleap?
- Because it addressed all the identified needs.
- Because it’s available as a community-based open source version — a key criterion for a public administration committed to supporting open software.
- Because it was recommended by teams who were already convinced.
“Tuleap ticked all the boxes for our needs,” explains Fabrice Bloch. “And the fact that it’s open source clearly played a role in our decision.”
Fabrice BLOCH, Agile Coach in the Public Sector & Conference Speaker
The benefits: a stronger dialogue between IT and stakeholders
Since adopting Tuleap, the change has been clear:
A new centre of gravity
The tool helped shift the focus from IT to business.
Better-equipped POs
Tuleap supports awareness of their role and responsibilities.
Richer conversations
Thanks to Tuleap’s features, discussions between technical and business teams have become more meaningful and constructive.
“What’s truly interesting with Tuleap is the conversations it makes possible,” concludes Fabrice Bloch. “Product Owners better understand their role, and we finally have a tool that enables real dialogue.”
Fabrice BLOCH, Agile Coach in the Public Sector & Conference Speaker
The outcome
With Tuleap, INSEE is no longer just “doing agile” — the institute has reached a new level by truly integrating the business side at the heart of its process. A key evolution to continue delivering high-quality public projects with agility and transparency.
Fabrice Bloch
Division Head and Agile Coach at INSEE (the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies)
🎙️ Interview
FB. “Hello, I’m Fabrice Bloch, Head of the Agile Centre at INSEE. INSEE is a public administration, a directorate of the Ministry of Finance. And overall, we’ve been ‘into agility’ since around 2006–2007.”
What were the main challenges before adopting Tuleap?
FB. “As I said, INSEE has been practicing agility since around 2006–2007. The issue we quickly encountered was integrating the business side into agile practices. We realized there was a gap. If we wanted to professionalize the PO role, we needed a tool.”Why Tuleap?
FB. “Because it was a solution that matched our needs. It’s also available as a community-based and open tool, which is important for a public institution committed to supporting open ecosystems. Plus, it came recommended by other teams, and that carried weight.”What has changed since Tuleap was introduced?
FB. “We’ve seen a real shift — the centre of gravity has moved from IT to business. What’s particularly valuable with Tuleap is the kind of conversations it enables. Product Owners gain awareness of their role. And Tuleap really enables that dialogue. That’s what makes it so precious.”
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