Scrum guide

Question 1

Purpose of the Scrum guide

Answer 1

to help people understand Scrum
contains the definition of Scrum

Question 2

Risk to change the content of Scrum

Answer 2

Each element serves a specific purpose. Changing it, leaving element or not following the rules covers up pb, limits benefits end potentially make it useless.

Question 3

Scrum definition

Answer 3

Lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.

Question 4

Scrum definition - Role of SM in Scrum

Answer 4

Foster environment where :
- PO orders the work for a complex pb into a Prod Bck
- Sc Teams turns a selection of work into an Increment of value during a Sp
- Sc Teams and stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sp
- repeat

Question 5

Scrum definition - DNA of Scrum

Answer 5

Scrum is simple. It helps to achieve goals and create value. The framework is incomplete (on purpose).
Scrum is buit upon collective intelligence of the people using it rather than detailed instructions.
The rules guide their relationships and interactions.

Question 6

Scrum definition - Scrum and transparency

Answer 6

Scrum makes visible the efficacy of the management, environment, work and techniques, so that improvement can be made.

Question 7

Scrum Theory

Answer 7

Sc is founded on empiricism and lean thinking. Empiricism: knowledge comes from experience and decide based on what is observed. Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on the essentials.

Question 8

Scrum Theory - iterative and incremental

Answer 8

Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to optimize predictability and to control risk. Scrum engages groups of people who have all the skills to do the work and share skills as needed.

Question 9

Scrum Theory - events

Answer 9

Scrum combines four formal events for inspection and adaptation within a containing event, the Sprint. These events work because they implement the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Question 10

Transparency

Answer 10

The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving the work. With Scrum, important decisions are based on the perceived state of its three formal artifacts. Artifacts that have low transparency can lead to decisions that diminish value and increase risk.

Transparency enables inspection. Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful.

Question 11

Inspection

Answer 11

The Scrum artifacts and the progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently to detect problems. To help with inspection, Scrum provides cadence in the form of its five events.

Inspection enables adaptation. Inspection without adaptation is considered pointless. Scrum events are designed to provoke change.

Question 12

Adaptation

Answer 12

If process deviate or if the resulting product is unacceptable, the process being applied must be adjusted. The adjustment must be made as soon as possible to minimize further deviation.

Adaptation becomes more difficult when the people involved are not empowered or self-managing. A Scrum Team is expected to adapt the moment it learns anything new through inspection.

Question 13

Scrum Values

Answer 13

Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living five values:

The Sc Team commits to achieving its goals and to supporting each other.

Focus is on the work of the Sprint to make the best possible progress toward these goals.

Sc Team and its stakeholders are open about the work and the challenges.

Sc Team respect each other to be capable, independent people, and are respected as such by the people with whom they work.

Sc Team members have the courage to do the right thing, to work on tough problems.

Question 14

Scrum values

Answer 14

When the values are embodied by the Scrum Team and the people they work with, the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation come to life building trust.

Question 15

Scrum Team

Answer 15

A unit of small team of people (PO / SM / Devs), no hierarchies. A cohesive unit of professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal.

Question 16

Scrum Team Cross-functional

Answer 16

meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.

Question 17

Scrum Team - Self-managed

Answer 17

meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.

They are structured and empowered by the organization to manage their own work.

Question 18

Sc Team - accountability

Answer 18

The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint.

Scrum defines three specific accountabilities within the Scrum Team: Devs / PO / SM

Question 19

Sc Team - Devs

Answer 19

Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable 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.

Question 20

Sc Team - PO

Answer 20

maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.

Effective Product Backlog management, which includes:

• Dev and communicating the Prod Goal;
• Creating and communicating PBi;
• Ordering PBi; and,
• Ensuring that the Prod Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.

Question 21

Sc Team PO Succeed

Answer 21

For Product Owners to succeed, the entire organization must respect their decisions.

These decisions are visible in the content and ordering of the Prod Backlog, and through the inspectable Increment at the Sprint Review.

Question 22

Sc Team - SM

Answer 22

is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide.

do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.

Question 23

Sc Team - SM accountability

Answer 23

The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness.

They do this by enabling the Scrum Team to improve its practices, within the Scrum framework.

Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.

Question 24

Sc Team - SM serve Sc Team

Answer 24

Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality;

Helping the Sc Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the DoD;

Causing the removal of impediments to the Sc Team’s progress;

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

Question 25

Sc Team - SM serve PO

Answer 25

Helping find techniques for effective Prod Goal definition and Prod Backlog management;

Helping the Sc Team understand the need for clear and concise PBi;

Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment;

Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.

Question 26

Sc Team - SM serve orga

Answer 26

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

Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization;

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

Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.

Question 27

Sc events

Answer 27

Sprint is a container for all other events.

Each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt Scrum artifacts.

These events are specifically designed to enable the transparency required.

Failure to operate any events as prescribed results in lost opportunities to inspect and adapt.

Events are used in Scrum to create regularity and to minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum.

Optimally, all events are held at the same time and place to reduce complexity.

Question 28

Sc events : The Sprint

Answer 28

The heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value.

fixed length events of one month or less to create consistency. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.

All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal, including Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, happen within Sprints.

Question 29

Sc Event - DURING the Sprint

Answer 29

No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal;

Quality does not decrease;

The Product Backlog is refined as needed,

Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the PO as more is learned.

Question 30

Sc Event - Sprint size

Answer 30

Sprints enable predictability by ensuring inspection and adaptation of progress toward a Product Goal at least every calendar month.

When a Sprint’s horizon is too long the Sprint Goal may become invalid, complexity may rise, and risk may increase.

Shorter Sprints can be employed to generate more learning cycles and limit risk of cost and effort to a smaller time frame.

Each Sprint may be considered a short project.

Question 31

Sc event : Sprint - practices to forecast

Answer 31

Various practices exist to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows.

While proven useful, these do not replace the importance of empiricism.

In complex environments, what will happen is unknown.

Only what has already happened may be used for forward-looking decision making.

Question 32

Sc Event - Sprint Planning

Answer 32

Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint.

This resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.

The PO ensures that attendees are prepared to discuss the most important PBi and how they map to the Prod Goal.

The Scrum Team may also invite other people to attend Sprint Planning to provide advice.

Question 33

Sc Event - Sprint Planning topics

Answer 33

Why is this Sprint valuable?

The PO proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates WHY the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.

What can be Done this Sprint?

Through discussion with the PO, the Devs select items from the Prod Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.

Selecting how much can be completed within a Sprint may be challenging. However, the more the Devs know about their past performance, their upcoming capacity, and their Definition of Done, the more confident they will be in their Sprint forecasts.

How will the chosen work get done?

For each selected PBi, the Devs plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the DoD. This is often done by decomposing PBi into smaller work items of one day or less. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Devs. No one else tells them how to turn PBi into Increments of value.

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

Question 34

Sc Event - Sprint Planning topics WHY

Answer 34

Why is this Sprint valuable?

The PO proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates WHY the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.

Question 35

Sc Event - Sprint Planning topics WHAT

Answer 35

What can be Done this Sprint?

Through discussion with the PO, the Devs select items from the Prod Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.

Selecting how much can be completed within a Sprint may be challenging. However, the more the Devs know about their past performance, their upcoming capacity, and their Definition of Done, the more confident they will be in their Sprint forecasts.

Question 36

Sc Event - Sprint Planning topics HOW

Answer 36

How will the chosen work get done?

For each selected PBi, the Devs plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the DoD. This is often done by decomposing PBi into smaller work items of one day or less. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Devs. No one else tells them how to turn PBi into Increments of value.

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

Question 37

Sc Event - Daily Scrum

Answer 37

The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.

The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team.

To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint. If the PO or SM are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog, they participate as Developers.

The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work. This creates focus and improves self-management.

Daily Scrums improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings.

The Daily Scrum is not the only time Developers are allowed to adjust their plan. They often meet throughout the day for more detailed discussions about adapting or re-planning the rest of the Sprint’s work.

Question 38

Sc Event - Sp Review

Answer 38

The purpose of the Sprint Review is to 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.

During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment. Based on this information, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Backlog may also be adjusted to meet new opportunities. The Sprint Review is a working session and the Scrum Team should avoid limiting it to a presentation.

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.

Question 39

Sc Event - Sp Retro

Answer 39

The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.

The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their DoD. 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.

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.

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.

Question 40

Scrum Artifacts

Answer 40

Scrum’s artifacts represent work or value. They are designed to maximize transparency of key information. Thus, everyone inspecting them has the same basis for adaptation.

Each artifact contains a commitment to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus against which progress 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.

Question 41

Scrum Artifacts - Prod Bck

Answer 41

The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.

Product Backlog items that can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in a Sprint Planning event. They usually acquire this degree of transparency after refining activities. Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.

The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing. The Product Owner may influence the Developers by helping them understand and select trade-offs.

Commitment: Product Goal

The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal.

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.

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

Question 42

Scrum Artifacts - Prod Back > Prod Goal

Answer 42

Commitment: Product Goal
The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal.

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.

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

Question 43

Scrum Artifacts - Sp Bck

Answer 43

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).

The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal. Consequently, the Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum.

Commitment: Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint. Although the Sprint Goal is a commitment by the Developers, it provides flexibility in terms of the exact work needed to achieve it. The Sprint Goal also creates coherence and focus, encouraging the Scrum Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.

The Sprint Goal is created during the Sprint Planning event and then added to the Sprint Backlog. As the Developers work during the Sprint, they keep the Sprint Goal in mind. If the work turns out to be different than they expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint without affecting the Sprint Goal.

Question 44

Increment

Answer 44

Increment
An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable.

Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.

Work cannot be considered part of an Increment unless it meets the Definition of Done.

Commitment: Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.

The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born.

The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review. Instead, it returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration.

If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product.

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.