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ScrumRoles

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years ago

Who are the players in the Scrum game?

 

Page references indicate classic definitions from the Scrum Methodology pdf v0.9 (I've edited these very lightly for readability only, not content)

 

Product Owner

  • Manages the Vision: "The Product Owner establishes, nurtures and communicates the product vision. He or she achieves initial and ongoing funding for the project by creating initial release plans and the initial Product Backlog" (p23)
  • Manages the ROI: "The Product Owner monitors the project against its ROI goals and investment vision. He or she updates and prioritizes the Product Backlog to ensure the most valuable functionality is produced first and built upon. He or she refines the Product Backlog over time, and measures success against expenses." (p23)
  • Manages Releases: "The Product Owner makes decisions about when to create an official release. These decisions are made in a manner consistent with the investment vision that has been established for the project." (p23)
  • The person officially responsible for the project. "The Product Owner is the only person responsible for managing and controlling the Product Backlog, and making sure it is visible to everyone". (p165)
  • More discussion at: WhoshouldbetheProductowner

 

Scrum Master

  • "The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that Scrum values, practices, and rules are enacted and enforced. The Scrum Master represents management to the team and represents the team to management." (p166)
  • "The Team Leader, Project Leader, or Project Manager often assume the Scrum Master role. Scrum provides this person with the structure to effectively carry out Scrum’s new way of building systems. If it’s likely that many impediment will have to be initially removed, this position may be filled by a senior manager or a Scrum consultant." (p166)

 

  • At the company, the SM is "responsible" for key control compliance.
    • This does not mean that the SM must do many or most of the key control deliverables.
    • Or even that the SM must organize the details of getting the key control deliverables completed.
    • But, the SM should see that the Team (and/or stakeholders) are taking proper care to do an satisfactory job in complying with key controls.

 

 

Team Member

  • Team Members are dedicated to delivering the product, one iteration at a time.
  • Team Members together promise that they will deliver what they agree at the Iteration Planning Meeting.
  • Team Members may include a variety of skills (as needed by the project): Analysis, Architecture, Design, Coding, Testing, etc.
  • We prefer Team Members to be versatile.
  • More discussion at: WhoisaTeammember

 

  • Can a SM also be a Team Member? (No. No! Do I hear another NO?)

 

Stakeholders

  • These are the variety of people who are not in any of the above roles. They are "involved" or interested in the project, but don't play are major role in "getting it done". However, they can and often do become "obstacles" to success.

 

How to decide if a person is a Team Member or a Stakeholder

  • How much is she dedicated to the project? (Time and emotion)
  • How long will she be doing substantial tasks (Most of the duration of the project, or only for a short time?)
  • How much "real work" is she doing? (Versus just going to meetings to advise.)
  • Does that "real work" directly help produce the product? (eg, most PM work is NOT "real work" by that definition; it is necessary but not direct)
  • Does she attend most standups?
  • Does she have task cards in the iterations?

 

Note: Removing obstacles is essential, but is often NOT done by a Team member. Removing obstacles is typically done by the SM, the PM, or managers.

 

OTHER ROLES

 

"Customer Proxy"

  • We need to talk about this one. I have seen people play a combined customer proxy/BSA role. It worked ok; project succeeded. The official P.O. was not much involved. The customer proxy talked to the P.O. (just the two of them) a lot, and the proxy acted almost exactly like a P.O. Except he also acted like a pig (on the It Backlog, etc) -- as a BSA. I guess I should have (too late now) at least made it clearer that this was unusual -- not typical Scrum. And raised visibility about potential issues -- at least for later.
  • I think this is a slippery slope to some very bad practices. It is very tempting for anyone to think "I think I know exactly what the P.O. wants".

 

Master Coach

  • This seems to be a relatively new term, not explicitly referenced in Ken's materials. How is this role different from (or overlapping with) the Scrum Master role?

 

    • If everyone is ok, I will change this title to Master Coach, which is an experienced SM, who is mentoring apprentices (and regular newly qualified SMs).
    • Does Master Coach not imply that there could be a novice coach? I don't think Scrum typically needs a Coach (I don't mean XP coach, which might be another thing), and that bringing in a Coach implies bringing in an expert - preferably a journeyman or master. This makes the Master redundant to me.

 

Apprentice, Apprentice SM (less preferred...Apprentice Coach)

 

This is not a normal or required role for Scrum. Some clients have asked that new coaches be developed, so this role is normal in many projects at many clients now, but not universal.

 

  • Should the Apprentice have people on the team reporting to them? Does it muddy the waters?
  • is anyone aware of an existing outline of the responsibilities of this role?
    • No, but that never stopped me before...

 

  • 100% dedicated to one project
  • No other duties than to learn and act as an apprentice SM
  • If qualified as a PM, may take 25% of time doing PM duties
  • Does exactly as told by the Mentor (Master SM or Master Coach)
  • Does not ACT as SM of the project, but may do some SM duties (work on the backlogs, organize meetings, etc, etc)
  • May occasionally act in the SM role (eg, lead a standup), but is seen by everyone as a "SM in training" (eg, has even less authority than a SM)
  • Talks endlessly with the Mentor (who is the SM to the Team) about "what's going on now" (eg, learns to observe)
  • Reads, observes.
  • Identifies and works on his own weaknesses

 

  • Unlike others (I expect), I think an apprentice must stay an apprentice for at least one whole project. There are usually two hard parts in flying a plane: take-off and landing.

 

 

Project Manager

  • Seemingly a necessary role at the company, but let's define that role:
    • Obtains resources
    • Removes some obstacles (eg, missing pigs)
    • Manages details of compliance with key controls
    • Produces (or at least can produce) some key controls deliverables. (Often the best person for some key control deliverables, but others are best for some key control deliverables.)
    • Reports to PMO
    • Etc. Well, what is that Etc? I will ask my PMs.

 

  • Is a PM a Team Member or a stakeholder? (More typically the later in my view.)

 

  • How do we feel about a SM also being the PM on the project?
    • I'm ok with that.
    • Jason Bane has said some "larger" projects require an almost dedicated SM (no PM duties for the SM) and, presumably, lots of PM duties for the PM.
    • I'm wondering whether, when the SM role has the PM role split out, there are now 2 people to coach? Esp. if the Coach is (as specified recently somewhere) responsible for key control compliance...

 

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