Scrum Theory and Principles

The Scrum framework consists of Scrum Teams and their associated accountabilities, artifacts, events and rules as defined in the Scrum Guide.

Scrum Theory and Principles

• Scrum is founded on empirical process theory to deal with the complexity typical to software development.
  • All principles and values of Scrum are based on the fundamental view of software development as creative and complex work.
• Scrum Developers recognize and acknowledge this complexity.
  • They can explain and promote the use of concurrency, self-management and modern, agile software development techniques as an answer to this problem of complexity.
• Scrum theory includes timeboxing, and specific accountabilities, rules, and artifacts.
  • All elements of Scrum complement each other to form a consistent whole.
  • All work is performed in Sprints
  • All base Rules, Events, and Accountabilities are described in the Scrum guide, the acknowledged Scrum body of knowledge.
  • Each part of Scrum ties back to the principles and theory.
• This is foundational knowledge for every Scrum Team member and anyone involved with Scrum.
  • A Professional Scrum Developer works effectively on a Scrum Team within the Scrum framework to deliver Value.

Agile Context

• Agile is still a hot topic, started in the late 70s as an alternative to Lean Six Sigma.
• Agile become popular in the second decade of the 21st Century when Scrum became the de facto Agile delivery framework.
• Nowadays (de nos jours), many projects have a software development component and a software development (sub) team.

Agile and the Scrum framework

• Like most popular Agile frameworks, Scrum started as a software product development approach used by a small software development team to build new products.
  • Scrum remains at the core of most Agile frameworks with the Scrum Master role being the flag bearer of any Agile Team.
  • From the Project Management perspective, the Scrum framework doesn’t handle some important project areas like Financial Management, Procurement, and Risk Management; therefore, a Project Manager is still required.

Agile Project Management

• The term “Agile Project Management” is widely used these days.
  • Although, most of the time, it refers to small software implementation projects.
  • From an Agile Perspective, there are various aspects of a project.

Project Manager or not ?

• The Project Manager needs to acquire or develop new skills and practices that must be used for an adaptive delivery approach.
  • Agile found its way into project delivery with many certifications trying to define various Agile project roles.
  • Most Agile frameworks, such as Scrum, Crystal, and XP, were conceived by developers for a small team of software developers, and the Project Manager role is usually omitted.
  • Unlike some specialized Agile Project Manager certifications, PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP)® remains the benchmark for the Project Manager role with an increased focus on Agile and Hybrid practices but without compromising the predictive knowledge required to manage projects that can’t or won’t use Agile practices.

Project Manager or Scrum Master

• The Scrum Master, seen in some organizations as a replacement of the Project Manager role; various flavors of the ‘Certified Agile Project Manager’; and the standard Project Manager role.

Cross-functional, Self-managing Development

• Developers in Scrum are self-managing.
  • Self-management requires not only the availability of the right development skills, but also collaboration, team commitment, joint problem ownership, shared goals and creativity.
  • The Developer autonomously make all decisions on how to do the work that they have forecast to could complete in a Sprint.

Impact of agility

• You must explore the impact of Agility on Project Management knowledge areas at the Enterprise Level.
  • Traditional Project Management practices can be adapted to support Agility at the Enterprise level for the benefits of Agile adoption.

Agile terms

• Epics :
  • User stories which are not defined and are kept for future sprints, not yet detailed.
• Impediment :
  • The Scrum Team is self-organizing and cross-functional that should not need any outside help.
  • In addition, all team members are accountable for the team’s productivity and they should help their teammates if needed.
  • Therefore, if the Scrum Master could not resolve some problems, she or he can ask her (his) teammates i.e. the Product Owner or the Development Team for help.

Standards

• Scrum Developers work toward company, development and organizational standards.
  • Such standards provide guidance.
  • The Developers decide on the actual implementation, thereby respecting the standards.

More informations for the Scrum PSD certification here.

Updated : 21/08/2021