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Developers are self-managing, which means that they decide how much work they can do in a Sprint, and how they will do it1. They manage the Sprint Backlog, which is the plan for how the Developers will achieve the Sprint Goal, and the single source of truth for the work to be done in the Sprint2. The Developers create and update the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint as more is learned[3][3]. The other options are not managed by the Developers, but by the Product Owner or the Scrum Team as a whole. The Product Owner is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product4. The Product Owner also decides when to release the product, based on the value, risk, and stakeholder feedback5. The Scrum Team collaborates on inviting the stakeholders for the Sprint Review, which is an event where the Scrum Team and the stakeholders inspect the product Increment and adapt the Product Backlog. The Scrum Team also decides the Sprint length, which is the time-box within which the Scrum Team delivers a product Increment.

References:

1: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 6

2: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 10

[3][3]: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 10

4: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 6

5: Managing Products with Agility, Scrum.org, accessed on December 16, 2023

: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 13

: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 9

The Scrum Team is a self-managing unit that organizes its own work and delivers a valuable product1. The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers2. The Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint[3][3]. If a Developer is having conflicts with other team members that affect the delivery of the Increment, the Scrum Team is responsible for resolving the issue and deciding whether to remove the Developer from the team or not. The Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the hiring manager do not have the authority to remove a Developer from the Scrum Team, as this would violate the principle of self-management4.

References:

1: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 5

2: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 6

[3][3]: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 9

4: Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework, Scrum.org, accessed on December 16, 2023

The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus a plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal1. The Sprint Backlog is a forecast by the Developers about what functionality will be in the next Increment and the work needed to deliver that functionality into a “Done” Increment1. The Sprint Backlog makes visible all the work that the Developers identify as necessary to meet the Sprint Goal1. The Sprint Backlog can include any items that the Developers deem necessary to achieve the Sprint Goal, such as user stories, tasks, use cases, tests, or others. The Sprint Backlog is a plan with enough detail that changes in progress can be understood in the Daily Scrum1.

References:

The Scrum Guide, section 3.3. Sprint Backlog

Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I) Learning Path, section 2.2. The Product Owner and the Sprint

Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I) Sample Questions, question 11

Scrum is a framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products. Scrum defines three roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Developers. Scrum does not have any other roles or titles, such as “tester”, “analyst”, “designer”, or “architect”.

The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team who are accountable for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. The Developers are responsible for planning and executing the Sprint Backlog, designing and building the product functionality, testing and improving the product quality, and delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Developers work closely with the Product Owner to understand and clarify the Product Backlog items, provide feedback and estimates, and suggest improvements and innovations.

The Developers are responsible for quality, not just for programming. Quality is not something that can be added or verified after the product is built. Quality is something that must be built into the product from the start, by following good practices, standards, and principles. Quality is also something that must be inspected and adapted continuously, by applying feedback loops, testing methods, and improvement actions.

The Developers are not divided into sub-teams or sub-roles based on their skills or specialties. The Developers are a cross-functional and self-organizing team that has all the skills and capabilities needed to create a valuable product Increment. The Developers collaborate and coordinate their work as one unit, without any hand-offs or silos.

The Developers may have different backgrounds or expertise, such as testing, analysis, design, or architecture. However, these are not separate roles or responsibilities in Scrum. They are part of the collective accountability and responsibility of the Developers as a whole. The Developers may perform different tasks or activities based on their skills or preferences, but they are all equally responsible for delivering a high-quality product Increment.

References:

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Developers: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-developer-in-scrum

Quality: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/quality-scrum-value

The Scrum Master should talk to the IT manager and explain that progress in Scrum comes from inspecting an Increment at the Sprint Review. This is because:

The Scrum Team is self-managing and does not need to report to anyone outside the team1.

The Sprint Review is an event where the Scrum Team and the stakeholders collaborate on the product and inspect the Increment2.

The Increment is a concrete and usable outcome of the Sprint that provides a measure of progress and value delivery3.

The IT manager can attend the Sprint Review as a stakeholder and provide feedback on the product and the process4.

References:

Scrum Guide, page 7, section “The Scrum Team”

Scrum Guide, page 13, section “Sprint Review”

Scrum Guide, page 10, section “Increment”

Scrum Guide, page 14, section “Sprint Review”

The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team who are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. The Developers are accountable for organizing and managing their work. Only the Developers can decide how to perform the work during the Sprint1. The Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done during the Sprint Planning event. This is often done by decomposing Product Backlog items into smaller work items of one day or less. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Developers. The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus a plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal1. The Developers are responsible for creating and maintaining the Sprint Backlog1. The Developers are not accountable for selecting the Product Owner, reporting productivity, or any other activities that are not related to creating a Done Increment that meets the Sprint Goal123. References:

Scrum Guide

What is a Developer?

Who Determines How Work Is Performed During The Sprint?

[What is Sprint Planning?]

The amount of the Sprint Backlog that must be defined during the Sprint Planning event is enough so the Developers can create their forecast of what work they can do. This is because:

Sprint Planning is an event where the Scrum Team plans for the upcoming Sprint. The purpose of Sprint Planning is to align the entire Scrum Team around a common goal and a plan for delivering an Increment that meets that goal.

The Developers are accountable for creating a Sprint forecast, which is a selection of Product Backlog items that they intend to work on during the Sprint. The Sprint forecast should be realistic, achievable, and valuable.

The Developers are also accountable for creating a plan for how they will deliver the selected Product Backlog items as a “Done” Increment. The plan may include tasks, dependencies, risks, estimates, or other information that helps them organize and manage their work.

The amount of the Sprint Backlog that must be defined during Sprint Planning may vary depending on the context, complexity, and uncertainty of the product development. However, it should be enough so that the Developers can create their forecast of what work they can do and have a clear direction for the first few days of the Sprint.

Other options, such as just enough to understand design and architectural implications, the entire Sprint Backlog being identified and estimated by the end of Sprint Planning, or just enough tasks for the Scrum Master to be confident in the Developers’ understanding of the Sprint, are not valid answers as they do not reflect what must be defined during Sprint Planning or what is required for creating a Sprint forecast.

References:

[Scrum Guide], page 14, section “Sprint Planning”

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section “Developers”

[Scrum Guide], page 15, section “Sprint Backlog”

[Scrum Guide], page 14, section “Sprint Planning”

Scrum

the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team that is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint. 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 work1. The other options are not characteristics of the Daily Scrum, as it is not facilitated by the team lead, it does not consist of the Scrum Master asking the team for status, it is not held first thing in the morning, and it is not free form and designed to promote conversation234.

1: What is a Daily Scrum? | Scrum.org 2: What Is the Daily Scrum? | A Guide to the Daily Event - Scrum Alliance 3: What is Daily Scrum? | VivifyScrum 4: Daily Scrum | Definition and Overview - ProductPlan

Scrum

The two primary ways a Scrum Master helps a Scrum Team work at its highest level of productivity are by facilitating Scrum Team decisions and by removing impediments that hinder the Scrum Team12. The Scrum Master is a facilitator and a coach, helping the team remove impediments and facilitating team decisions12. This enables the team to focus on their work and maintain their productivity12.

The Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog and ensuring that the value of the work the Scrum Team performs is understood by everyone involved. The Product Owner is the only person who can cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the stakeholders, the Development Team, or the Scrum Master1. A Sprint can be cancelled before the Sprint time-box is over. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the stakeholders, the Development Team, or the Scrum Master. A Sprint would be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. This might occur if the company changes direction or if market or technology conditions change. In general, a Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances. But, due to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense1. References:

Scrum Guide

Sprint Cancellation

Can Scrum Master cancel a sprint?