Some notes from "The Scrum Guide" November 2020

SCRUM
1. a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems
2. Scrum is simple
3. Scrum wraps around existing practices or renders them unnecessary
4. Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where
  1. 1. A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
  2. 2. The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
  3. 3. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
  4. 4. Repeat
SCRUM THEORY
1. Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking
  1. Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed
  2. Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on the essentials
2. Scrum pillars
  1. Transparency
    1. low transparency
      1. decisions that diminish value
      2. increase risk
  2. Inspection
    1. frequently
    2. to detect potentially undesirable variances or problems
    3. Scrum events are designed to provoke change
  3. Adaptation
    1. as soon as possible to minimize further deviation
3. Scrum Values
  1. Commitment
    1. achieving the Scrum Team goals and to supporting each other
  2. Focus
    1. the work of the Sprint to make the best possible progress toward these goals
  3. Openness
    1. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders are open about the work and the challenges
  4. Respect
    1. respect each other to be capable, independent people
  5. Courage
    1. to do the right thing, to work on tough problems
4. Trust
SCRUM TEAM
1. three specific accountabilities within the Scrum Team
  1. Developers
    1. the people that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint
      1. Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog
      2. Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done
      3. Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal
      4. Holding each other accountable as professionals
  2. one Product Owner
    1. is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team
    2. is accountable for effective Product Backlog management
      1. Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goa
      2. Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items
      3. Ordering Product Backlog items
      4. through the inspectable Increment at the Sprint Review
      5. Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood
    3. the entire organization must respect their decisions
  3. one Scrum Master
    1. is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide
    2. is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness
    3. The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team:
      1. Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality
      2. Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done
      3. Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress
      4. Ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox
    4. The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner:
      1. Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management
      2. Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items
      3. Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment
      4. Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed
    5. The Scrum Master serves the organization:
      1. Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption
      2. Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization
      3. Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work
      4. Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams
  4. no sub-teams or hierarchies
    1. focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal
2. cross-functional
  1. the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint
3. self-managing
  1. decide who does what, when, and how
4. is responsible for all product-related activities
  1. are structured and empowered by the organization to manage their own work
5. typically 10 or fewer people
  1. too large
    1. multiple cohesive Scrum Teams
      1. each focused on the same product
      2. share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner
SCRUM EVENTS
1. The Sprint is a container for all other events
  1. Events
    1. regularity
    2. minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum
    3. at the same time and place
    4. All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal
2. The Sprint
  1. ideas are turned into value
    1. fixed length
      1. one month or less
      2. too long
      3. the Sprint Goal may become invalid
      4. risk may increase
  2. During the Sprint:
    1. No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal
    2. Quality does not decrease
    3. The Product Backlog is refined as needed
    4. Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned
  3. to forecast progress
    1. burn-downs
    2. burn-ups
    3. cumulative flows
    4. do not replace the importance of empiricism
  4. could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete
    1. PO
3. Sprint Planning
  1. initiates the Sprint
    1. work to be performed
    2. created by the collaborative work
    3. may also invite other people
    4. to discuss the most important Product Backlog items and how they map to the Product Goal
  2. Topics
    1. Why is this Sprint valuable?
      1. PO
      2. how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint
      3. Team
      4. define a Sprint Goal
      5. is valuable to stakeholders
    2. What can be Done this Sprint?
      1. PO
      2. Developers
      3. select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint
      4. may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence
      5. past performance
      6. upcoming capacity
      7. Definition of Done
      8. more confident in their Sprint forecasts
    3. How will the chosen work get done?
      1. For each selected Product Backlog item, the Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done
      2. decomposing Product Backlog items into smaller work items of one day or less
      3. How
      4. Developers!!!
  3. the Sprint Backlog
    1. The Sprint Goal
    2. the Product Backlog items
    3. the plan for delivering them
  4. is timeboxed
    1. a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint
    2. shorter for shorter Sprints
4. Daily Scrum
  1. to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary
  2. 15-min
    1. the Developers
    2. if the Product Owner or Scrum Master are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog
    3. focus and improve self-management
      1. WHY?
  3. improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making
    1. eliminate the need for other meetings
    2. Developers often meet throughout the day for more detailed discussions about adapting or re-planning the rest of the Sprint’s work
5. Sprint Review
  1. inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations
    1. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed
    2. attendees collaborate on what to do next
    3. The Product Backlog may also be adjusted to meet new opportunities
  2. a working session
    1. avoid limiting it to a presentation
  3. The Sprint Review is the 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.
  4. is timeboxed
    1. a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint
    2. shorter for shorter Sprints
6. Sprint Retrospective
  1. to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness
  2. The Scrum Team inspects
    1. how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Don
  3. The Scrum Team discusses
    1. what went well during the Sprint
    2. what problems it encountered
    3. how those problems were (or were not) solved
    4. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible
      1. may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint
  4. is timeboxed
    1. a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint
    2. shorter for shorter Sprints
SCRUM ARTIFACTS
1. represent work or value
  1. maximize transparency of key information
  2. transparency and focus against which progress can be measured
    1. For the Product Backlog it is the Product Goal
    2. For the Sprint Backlog it is the Sprint Goal
    3. For the Increment it is the Definition of Done
    4. to reinforce empiricism
2. Product Backlog
  1. is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product
  2. Product Backlog refinement
    1. the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items
      1. add details
      2. description
      3. order
      4. size
      5. The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing
      6. attributes
      7. vary with the domain of work
  3. Commitment: Product Goal
    1. describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against
      1. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog
      2. The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team
    2. A product is a vehicle to deliver value
      1. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users or customers
      2. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract.
3. Sprint Backlog
  1. is composed of
    1. the Sprint Goal (why)
      1. is created during the Sprint Planning
    2. the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what)
    3. actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how)
  2. a plan by and for the Developers
    1. real-time picture of the work
  3. Commitment: Sprint Goal
    1. the single objective for the Sprint
4. Increment
  1. a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal
    1. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increment
    2. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable
  2. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.
  3. Commitment: Definition of Done
    1. a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product
    2. The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born.
Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful
Changes 2017-->2020
1. A little more prescriptive
  1. to return Scrum to the minimum sufficient framework
2. One team focused on one product
  1. The goal is to eliminate the concept of a separate team
    1. Product Owner
    2. Team
    3. One Scrum Team focused on a common goal, with three different areas of responsibility: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers
  2. Self-management is more important than self-organization
3. Product Goal
  1. to focus Scrum Team on a broader goal
    1. Each Sprint should bring the product closer to the final Product Goal
  2. For Product Backlog there is Product Goal, For Sprint Backlog is Sprint Goal, for Increment is DOD
4. Sprint Planning. Three Questions
  1. WHY???
  2. WHAT?
  3. HOW?
5. General simplification of the language for a wider audience
  1. remaining references to IT work
The Scrum Guide
1. In English
  1. https://www.scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2020/2020-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf
2. In Russian
  1. https://www.scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2020/2020-Scrum-Guide-Russian.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3ScSmMoY6je1KuQv1wi2ODsW_ytT71B59spaMN1bdIQhyyauuBqujagfY