The Scrum Guide

Sprint

All events are contained within the sprint

Sprints are the life of scrum. This is where ideas are turned into increments of value.

Sprints are 1 to 4 weeks

Start next sprint immediately after closing the last one

All of the work necessary to complete a product goal happen in the sprint

Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective

During the sprint quality does not decrease, the Product Backlog is refined as needed scope and may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned. Sprint goal is not compromised.

Predictability is ensured through inspection and adaptation of progress toward a Product Goal during the sprint

Shorter sprints increase learning and adaptation and reduce risk

Sprint progress is forecasted through burn downs, burn ups, and cumulative flows BUT does not replace empiricism.

When the sprint goal becomes obsolete it may be canceled by the product owner.

Scrum Events with in Sprint

Sprint Planning

Lays out the work to be completed in the sprint

The team collaborates about the work and the PO guides the discussion to the most important and most valuable work.

Topic 1 - Why is the sprint valuable?

PO tells how the increment of work will add value

Team collaborates to determine the sprint goal that communicates the value of the sprint to the stakeholders.

Sprint Goal is finalized before Sprint Planning is over.

Topic 2 - What can be Done this Sprint?

Developers discuss what can be pulled into the sprint based on prior velocity and upcoming capacity and the choose items that meet the sprint goal with PO input.

Topic 3 - How will the chosen work get done?

Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done. This done by breaking Product Backlog items into smaller work items of one day or less. Developers are the only ones that determine how to do this. No one else tells them how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments of value.

The Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the plan for delivering them are together referred to as the Sprint Backlog.

Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.

Daily Scrum

Purpose

Inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.

Timeboxed

15 minutes and held at the same time daily to reduce complexity

Goal

progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work. This creates focus and improves self-management.

Improves

Communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings.

Sprint Review

Purpose

Inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed.

Timeboxed

Second to last event of the Sprint and is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.

Review

Scrum team and stakeholders review what was created. Discuss what has changed in their environment. Collaborate on next items. Backlog may need to be adjusted. The sprint review is a working session and should not be limited to a presentation.

Sprint Retro

Purpose

Plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.

inspection

How the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with the domain of work. Assumptions that led them astray are identified and their origins explored. The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.

Identify

The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.

Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. It is timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.

The work or value created

Designed to maximize transparency

The scrum artifacts all have a commitment to ensure they provide information that is transparent and shows progress that can be measured

For the Product Backlog it is the Product Goal.

For the Sprint Backlog it is the Sprint Goal.

For the Increment it is the Definition of Done.

These commitments exist to reinforce empiricism and the Scrum values for the Scrum Team and their stakeholders

Product Backlog

Is a developing, ordered list of requirements of what is needed for the product or feature.

Items that are groomed, and small enough to be completed in a single sprint

Developers are responsible for the work and sizing. The PO helps with the understanding or the requirement to help the Dev's size the unit of work.

Product Goal

This describes the future state of the product

The product goal is in the backlog

The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal.

The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. They must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next.

Product definition

A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users or customers. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract.

Sprint Backlog

Sprint Goal

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why),

The set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what)

Actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).

It is a single objective

The Sprint Goal also creates coherence and focus, encouraging the Scrum Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.

Is a plan by the developers and for the developers

Is the plan of what is expected to be accomplished during the sprint

Is updated as more is learned. should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum.

Increment

Concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal

Work for increment meets definition of done

Formal description of increment that meets the measured quality for the product

Increment is born when DOD is met

The agile way of working means that each feature has to follow steps of design, build and test. So the documentation is created and adjusted per feature.

The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done.

Light weight framework

Scrum master - cultivates environment

The work for a complex problem is ordered into a Product Backlog by the Product Owner

A selection of the work is turned into an Increment of value during a Sprint by the Scrum Team

Results are inspected by the Scrum Team and Stakeholders and adjusted for the next Sprint.

Iteration is repeated

Scrum Theory

Scrum framework defines only the parts necessary to implement Scrum Theory.

Scrum is built through the collective intelligence of those using it.

Scrum Rules

Rules of Scrum guide relationships and
interactions instead of providing detailed instructions for people to follow

Scrum & existing practices

Scrum framework can employ various processes, techniques and methods can be employed. Scrum wraps
around existing practices or renders them unnecessary. The relative effectiveness of current management, environment, and work techniques, are exposed by scrum so that improvements can be made.

Scrum Foundation

Empiricism and lean thinking provide the foundation for scrum

Decisions based on observations through experience is empiricism.

Focusing on the essentials reduces waste and is known as lean thinking

Scrum Approach

An iterative, incremental approach to optimize predictability is employed by Scrum to manage risk

People with a variety of skills and expertise are engaged by Scrum to collectively work together to accomplish goals and share skills

Sprint

The Sprint is an all-inclusive event that contains four formal events for inspection and adaptation.

The empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and
adaptation when implemented at all events enable the Scrum events to work.

Transparency

The developing process requires visibility for both those doing the work and those receiving the work

Decisions are made based on the perceived state of the three scrum artifacts. Low transparency increases risk and diminishes value.

Inspection without transparency is wasteful and misleading

Inspection

Inspection occurs frequently to ensure progress toward the agreed goals. Inspection enables adaptation. Inspection without adaptation is considered pointless. Scrum events are
designed to provoke change.

Adaptation

When deviations outside acceptable limits occur adaptation must happen.

Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage

Proficiency in Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage creates successful use of scrum

Because the Scrum team respects and trust each other to be independent and capable, the team will have the courage to do the right thing. They are open about the challenges to meet the sprint goals.

Scrum reinforces these values

Cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value
each Sprint. They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and
how.

10 or fewer people to ensure better communication

Self - managing, self - directing team responsible for r all product-related activities from stakeholder collaboration,
verification, maintenance, operation, experimentation, research and development, and anything else
that might be required.

Team manages work load and works at a sustainable pace which improves focus and consistency.

Team responsibility - creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. Scrum
defines three specific responsible roles within the Scrum Team: the Developers, the Product Owner, and
the Scrum Master.

Developers

Developers are committed to creating a working, valuable, useful increment each sprint

Developers are always accountable for:
● Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;
● Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;
● Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,
● Holding each other accountable as professionals.

Product Owner

The product owner is responsible for maximizing the value of product produced by the Scrum team.

The product owner is responsible for backlog management Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;
● Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;
● Ordering Product Backlog items; and,

● Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.

Scrum Master

Responsibilities

Establish Scrum as defined in the scrum guide.

Team's effectiveness is influenced by the Scrum Master through enabling the team to improve their practices with in the scrum framework.

Serves

Scrum Team

Guiding the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.

Aiding the Scrum Team in focusing on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done.

Inducing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress.

Guaranteeing that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox.

Product Owner

Assisting PO to find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management.

Assisting the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items.

Facilitating the establishment of empirical product planning for a complex environment.

Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.

Organization

Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption.

Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization.

Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams

Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work