PSM1
Scrum is free and offered in this Guide. Scrum’s roles, events, artifacts, and rules are immutable and although implementing only parts of Scrum is possible, the result is not Scrum. Scrum exists only in its entirety and functions well as a container for other techniques, methodologies, and practices.
3 Pillars
-
TIA
Inspection
-
Scrum users must frequently inspect Scrum artifacts and progress toward a Sprint Goal to detect undesirable variances
Inspections are most beneficial when diligently performed by skilled inspectors at the point of work
Adaption
The process / material being processed must be adjusted if an inspector determines that one or more aspects of the process deviate outside acceptable limits
-
Transparency
-
Those performing the work and those inspecting the resulting increment must share a common definition of “Done”
-
Events
-
Info
Each event is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt something. They have been specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection.
-
Failure to include any of the evens results in reduced transparency and a lost opportunity to inspect and adapt
All events have a maximum, time-boxed duration. They don't have to take the maximum amount of time. Events may end as soon as the purpose of the event is achieved, ensuring the appropriate amount of time is spent without allowing waste in the process
-
3 Artifacts
-
Product, Sprint Backlog Increments
-
#3 of 3 - Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus a plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal.
The Sprint Backlog is a forecast by the Development Team about what functionality will be in the next Increment and the work needed to deliver that functionality into a “Done” Increment.
The Sprint Backlog makes visible all the work that the Development Team identifies as necessary to meet the Sprint Goal.
To ensure continuous improvement, the Sprint Backlog includes at least one high priority process improvement identified in the previous Retrospective meeting.
The Sprint Backlog is a plan with enough detail that changes in progress can be understood in the Daily Scrum.
The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint. This emergence occurs as the Development Team
works through the plan and learns more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal.
As new work is required, the Development Team adds it to the Sprint Backlog. As work is performed or completed, the estimated remaining work is updated.
When elements of the plan are deemed unnecessary, they are removed.
-
The Sprint Backlog is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Development Team plans to accomplish during the Sprint, and it belongs solely to the Development Team.
Sprint Backlog: The Product Backlog items selected for this Sprint plus the plan for delivering them
#1 of 3 - Increment
At the end of a Sprint, the new Increment must be “Done,” which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s definition of “Done.”
The Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints.
An increment is a body of inspectable, done work that supports empiricism at the end of the Sprint. The increment is a step toward a vision or goal. The increment must be in useable condition regardless of whether the Product Owner decides to release it.
Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly tested, ensuring that all Increments work together.
Artifact Transparency
If artifacts are transparent, decisions to optimise value and control risk have sound basis. If they are not transparent, these decisions may be flawed. As a result value may diminish and risk may increase.
-
Scrum Team
-
3 Roles
Product Owner
-
-
-
One person, not a committee
For the PO to be successful, the entire organisation must respect his or her decisions
-
-
Scrum Master
-
-
Helps those outside the Scrum Team understand which of their interaction with the Scrum Team are helpful and which aren't, and helps everyone change these interactions in order to maximise the value created by the Scrum Team
Duties
to the Product Owner
-
-
-
• Causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team; and,
• Working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization.
to the Development Team
-
-
-
• Facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed; and,
• Coaching the Development Team in organizational environments in which Scrum is not yet fully adopted and understood.
to the Organisation
• Ensuring that goals, scope, and product domain are understood by everyone on the Scrum Team as well as possible;
-
-
-
-
• Understanding and practicing agility; and,
-
-
Development Team
A team of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of 'Done' product at the end of each Sprint
-
-
-
Characteristics
They are self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality
Development Teams are cross-functional, with all the skills as a team necessary to create a product Increment
Scrum recognizes no titles for Development Team members, regardless of the work being performed by the person
Scrum recognizes no sub-teams in the Development Team, regardless of domains that need to be addressed like testing, architecture, operations, or business analysis
Individual Development Team members may have specialized skills and areas of focus, but accountability belongs to the Development Team as a whole
Size
3 - 9 people (not including the PO and SM - unless they are also executing the work of the Sprint Backlog)
With fewer than 3 people the interaction and productivity gains decrease. Smaller teams may also encounter skills constraints leading to the team being potentially unable to deliver a releasable increment
More than 9 people would require too much coordination. Large dev teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful.
-
-
-
Sprint
-
Duration
-
Once a sprint begins, its duration is fixed and cannot be shortened / lengthened
-
Within a sprint, a 'Done', useable, and potentially releasable product Increment is created.
-
Sprints contain the development work, plus the four events (planning, daily scrum, review and retro)
During a Sprint
-
-
Scope may be clarified and re-negotiated between the Product Owner and Development Team as more is learned.
-
When a Sprint's horizon is too long, the definition of what is begins built may change, complexity may rise, and risk may increase.
-
Sprints limit cost risk, and enable predictability by ensuring inspection and adaption of progress toward a Spring Goal at least every calendar month.
Cancelling
A Sprint can only be cancelled by the Product Owner. Though he/she may do so under the influence of Stakeholders, Dev Team or SM
-
A Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances. But, due to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense.
Tasks
When cancelled, any completed and 'Done' Product Backlog items are reviewed. If part of the work is potentially releasable, the Product Owner typically accepts it.
All incomplete Product Backlog Items are re-estimated and put back on the Product Backlog. The work done on them depreciates quickly and must be frequently re-estimated.
Sprint cancellations consume resources, since everyone regroups in another Sprint Planning to start another Sprint. Sprint cancellations are often traumatic to the Scrum Team, and are very uncommon.
Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog.
-
-
The Sprint Goal gives the Development Team some flexibility regarding the functionality implemented within the Sprint.
The selected Product Backlog items deliver one coherent function, which can be the Sprint Goal.
The Sprint Goal can be any other coherence that causes the Development Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.
As the Development Team works, it keeps the Sprint Goal in mind. In order to satisfy the Sprint Goal, it implements functionality and technology. If the work turns out to be different than the Development Team expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of Sprint Backlog within the Sprint.
-
The Sprint Goal is an objective that will be met within the Sprint through the implementation of the Product Backlog.
-
-
Definition of Done
Although a Definition of Done may vary significantly per Scrum Team, members must have a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete, to ensure transparency. This is the definition of “Done” for the Scrum Team and is used to assess when work is complete on the product Increment.
The definition of done guides the Development Team in knowing how many Product Backlog items it can select during a Sprint Planning
If the definition of "Done" for an increment is part of the conventions, standards or guidelines of the development organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum.
If "Done" for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “Done” appropriate for the product.
If there are multiple Scrum Teams working on the system or product release, the Development Teams on all the Scrum Teams must mutually define the definition of “Done.”
As Scrum Teams mature, it is expected that their definitions of “Done” will expand to include more stringent criteria for higher quality.
New definitions, as used, may uncover work to be done in previously “Done” increments.
Any one product or system should have a definition of “Done” that is a standard for any work done on it.