The Scrum Guide

What is the Product Backlog?

1. An ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. 2. The single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product.

What are the elements of the Sprint Review?

1. Attendees include the Scrum Team and key stakeholders invited by the Product Owner; 2. The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been "Done" and what has not been "Done"; 3. The Development Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it ran into, and how those problems were solved; 4. The Development Team demonstrates the work that it has "Done" and answers questions about the Increment; 5. The Product Owner discusses the Product Backlog as it stands and projects likely target and delivery dates based on progress; 6. The entire group collaborates on what to do next; 7. Review of how the marketplace, or potential use of the product, might have changed the most valuable thing to do next; 8. Review of the timeline, budget, potential capabilities, and marketplace for the next anticipated releases of functionality or capability of the product.

17.05 How is Incomplete transparency detected?

1. By inspecting the artifacts 2. Sensing patterns 3. Listening closely to what is being said 4. Detecting differences between expected and real results

What does Backlog Management includes?

1. Clearly expressing Product Backlog items; 2. Ordering the items in the Product Backlog to best achieve goals and missions; 3. Optimizing the value of the work the Development Team performs; 4. Ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent, and clear to all, and shows what the Scrum Team will work on next; and, 5. Ensuring the Development Team understands items in the Product Backlog to the level needed.

What is the Scrum Master's service to the Development Team?

1. Coaching the Development Team in self-organization and cross-functionality; 2. Helping the Development Team to create high-value products; 3. Removing impediments to the Development Team's progress; 4. Facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed; 5. Coaching the Development Team in organizational environments in which Scrum is not yet fully adopted and understood.

What are the Scrum Values?

1. Commitment 2. Courage 3. Focus 4. Openness 5. Respect

What are the attributes of Product Backlog items?

1. Description 2. Order 3. Estimate 4. Value 5. Often includes test descriptions that will prove its completeness when "Done"

What is the Scrum Master's service to the Product Owner?

1. Ensuring that goals, scope, and product domain are understood by everyone on the Scrum Team; 2. Finding techniques for effective Product Backlog management; 3. Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items; 4. Understanding product planning in an empirical environment; 5. Ensuring the Product Owner knows how to arrange the Product Backlog to maximize value; 6. Understanding and practicing agility; 7. Facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed.

What is listed in the Product Backlog?

1. Features, 2. Functions, 3. Requirements, 4. Enhancements, 5. Fixes ... that constitute the changes to be made to the product in future releases.

What is the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective?

1. Inspect how the last Sprint went with regards to people, relationships, process, and tools; 2. Identify and order the major items that went well and potential improvements; 3. Create a plan for implementing improvements for the way that the Scrum Team does its work.

What is the Scrum Master's service to the Organization?

1. Leading and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption; 2. Planning Scrum implementations within the organization; 3. Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact Scrum and empirical product development; 4. Causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team; 5. Working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization

What are the characteristics of Scrum?

1. Lightweight 2. Simple to understand 3. Difficult to master

What is the Product Owner responsible for?

1. Maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team, 2. The sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog.

What are rules of The Sprint?

1. No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal; 2. Quality goals do not decrease; 3. Scope may be clarified and re-negotiated between the Product Owner and Development Team as more is learned.

Name examples of how Scrum has been used.

1. Research and identify viable markets, technologies, and product capabilities; 2. Develop products and enhancements; 3. Release products and enhancements, as frequently as many times per day; 4. Develop and sustain Cloud (online, secure, on-demand) and other operational environments for product use; and, 5. Sustain and renew products.

What does the Scrum Framework consist of?

1. Scrum Teams and their associated roles 2. Events 3. Artifacts 4. Rules

What are the four formal events for Inspection and Adaptation?

1. Sprint Planning 2. Daily Scrum 3. Sprint Review 4. Sprint Retrospective

What is the Sprint Backlog?

1. The Product Backlog items selected for this Sprint, 2. Plus the plan for delivering them.

16.03 What does the Sprint Backlog contain?

1. The set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint 2. The plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal 3. A forecast by the Development Team about what functionality will be in the next Increment 4. The work needed to deliver that functionality into a "Done" Increment 5. Includes at least one high priority process improvement identified from the previous Retrospective meeting

17.02 What is an Increment?

1. The sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint 2. The value of the increments of all previous Sprints. 3. A body of inspectable "Done" work that supports empiricism at the end of the Sprint. 4. A step toward a vision or goal. 5. Must be in useable condition regardless of whether the Product Owner decides to release it. 6. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly tested, ensuring that all Increments work together.

What are the characteristics of the Development Team?

1. They are self-organizing; 2. Development Teams are cross-functional, with all the skills as a team necessary to create a product Increment; 3. Scrum recognizes no titles for Development Team members; 4. Scrum recognizes no sub-teams in the Development Team; 5. Individual Development Team members may have specialized skills and areas of focus, but accountability belongs to the Development Team as a whole.

What are the three pillars which uphold every implementation of empirical process control?

1. Transparency 2. Inspection 3. Adaptation.

What questions are answered in Sprint Planning?

1. What can be delivered in the Increment resulting from the upcoming Sprint? 2. How will the work be achieved?

What is an example of questions asked during the Daily Scrum?

1. What did I do yesterday that helped the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal? 2. What will I do today to help the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal? 3. Do I see any impediment that prevents me or the Development Team from meeting the Sprint Goal?

How do Scrum Teams deliver products?

1.Iteratively 2.Incrementally 3.Maximizing opportunities for feedback

Who does the scrum team consist of?

1.Product Owner 2.Development Team 3.Scrum Master

What is contained within The Sprint?

1.Sprint Planning 2.Daily Scrums 3.The development work 4.The Sprint Review 5.The Sprint Retrospective

What is the definition of Scrum?

A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.

18.01 What is the definition of "Done"?

A shared understanding of what it means for work, or an Increment, to be complete.

What are the Scrum Artifacts?

A tangible by-product produced during product development such as the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and potentially shippable product Increment.

What is a Sprint Review?

An informal meeting (not a status meeting) to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed, and to elicit feedback and foster collaboration.

17.03 Why is Artifact Transparency important?

Artifact Transparency, and the perceived state of the artifacts, are necessary to: 1. Optimize value 2. Control risk.

16.01 How are product goals Monitored?

At any point in time (but at least at every Sprint Review) the Product Owner tracks the total work remaining, and compares this to work remaining at previous Sprint Reviews, to assess progress toward completing the projected work by the desired timeframe. This information is made transparent to all stakeholders.

17.01 When is Sprint progress monitored?

At any point in time during a Sprint, the total work remaining in the Sprint Backlog can be summed, but the likelihood of achieving the Sprint Goal is projected at least every Daily Scrum.

What is meant by Cross-Functional?

Cross-functional teams have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team.

Who decides how the chosen work will get done in The Sprint?

Development Team decides how it will build this functionality into a "Done" product Increment during the Sprint. The Development Team self-organizes to undertake the work in the Sprint Backlog, both during Sprint Planning and as needed throughout the Sprint.

What opportunities do Scrum Events create?

Each Scrum Event is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt something.

What is Empiricism?

Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is known.

What is meant by Focus?

Everyone focuses on the work of the Sprint and the goals of the Scrum Team.

What should the size be of the Development Team?

From 3 to 9 members. Optimal Development Team size is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint.

What is meant by Adaptation?

If an inspector determines that one or more aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits, and that the resulting product will be unacceptable, the process or the material being processed must be adjusted.

18.03 Who creates the definition of "Done"?

If the definition of "Done" is part of the development organization's conventions, standards or guidelines, all Scrum Teams must follow it. If "Done" for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team must define a definition of "Done".

When are Inspections most beneficial?

Inspections are most beneficial when: 1. Diligently performed by skilled inspectors, 2. At the point of work.

What is The Sprint?

It is the heart of Scrum, a time-boxed event of one month or less, during which a "Done", useable, and potentially releasable product Increment is created.

16.04 What is the need for the Sprint Backlog?

It makes visible all the work that the Development Team identifies as necessary to meet the Sprint Goal.

What happens if the Development Team determines it has too much or too little work?

It may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. The Development Team may also invite other people to attend to provide technical or domain advice.

16.05 Who can modify the Sprint Backlog?

Only the Development Team can change its Sprint Backlog. It belongs solely to the Development Team.

How can a Sprint be cancelled?

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.

What is the team model in Scrum designed to do?

Optimize: 1. Flexibility 2. Creativity 3. Productivity

What is meant by Commitment?

People personally commit to achieving the goals of the Scrum Team.

What is performed on Product Backlog items of interest for the upcoming Sprint?

Product Backlog items that will occupy the Development Team for the upcoming Sprint are refined so that any one item can reasonably be "Done" within the Sprint time-box, and are deemed "Ready" for selection in the Sprint Planning.

What is performed during Product Backlog refinement?

Product Backlog refinement is the act of adding: 1. Detail, 2. Estimates, 3. Order ... to items in the Product Backlog. Items are reviewed and revised.

What are Scrum Events used for?

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

What is meant by Respect?

Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people.

Where might we find Scrum where it affects our daily lives?

Scrum has been used to develop software, hardware, embedded software, networks of interacting function, autonomous vehicles, schools, government, marketing, managing the operation of organizations and almost everything we use in our daily lives, as individuals and societies. Scrum's utility in dealing with complexity is proven daily.

Where has Scrum proved especially effective?

Scrum proved especially effective in iterative and incremental knowledge transfer and is now widely used for products, services, and the management of the parent organization.

What is meant by Inspection?

Scrum users must frequently inspect Scrum artifacts and progress toward a Sprint Goal to detect undesirable variances.

What are the traits of the Scrum Team?

Self-organizing and Cross-functional.

What is meant by Self-organizing?

Self-organizing teams choose how best to accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the team.

What is meant by Transparency?

Significant aspects of the process must be visible to those responsible for the outcome.

How long is the Sprint Planning meeting?

Sprint Planning is eight hours for a one-month Sprint.

How long is a Sprint Review?

Sprint Review is four-hour meeting for one-month Sprints.

12.02 What is the Daily Scrum?

The Daily Scrum is an internal meeting for the Development Team where they plan work for the next 24 hours.

What is the Development Team?

The Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of "Done" product at the end of each Sprint.

Who conducts the Daily Scrum?

The Development Team is responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum.

16.06 When can the Sprint Backlog be modified?

The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint.

What often times occurs right after the Daily Scrum?

The Development Team or team members often meet immediately after the Daily Scrum for detailed discussions, or to adapt, or replan, the rest of the Sprint's work.

What should be accomplished by the end of Sprint Planning?

The Development Team should be able to explain to the Product Owner and Scrum Master how it intends to work as a self-organizing team to accomplish the Sprint Goal and create the anticipated Increment.

What does the Development Team usually do during Spring Planning?

The Development Team usually starts by designing the system and the work needed to convert the Product Backlog into a working product Increment. Work planned for the first days of the Sprint by the Development Team is decomposed by the end of this meeting, often into units of one day or less.

Who determines how many items should be completed from the Product Backlog?

The Development Team.

15.11 Who is responsible for all estimates?

The Development Team. The Product Owner may influence the Development Team by helping it understand and select trade-offs, but the people who will perform the work make the final estimate.

Who is responsible for the Product Backlog?

The Product Owner

What does the Product Owner do during Sprint Planning?

The Product Owner can help to clarify the selected Product Backlog items and make trade-offs.

What does the Scrum Master do during the Daily Scrum?

The Scrum Master ensures that the Development Team has the meeting and that the Development Team keeps the Daily Scrum within the 15-minute time-box. If others are present, the Scrum Master ensures that they do not disrupt the meeting.

What is the Scrum Master's role in Sprint Planning?

The Scrum Master ensures that the event takes place and that attendants understand its purpose. The Scrum Master ensures that the Scrum Team keeps it within the time-box.

What does the Scrum Master's role during the Sprint Review?

The Scrum Master ensures that the event takes place, that attendees understand its purpose, and that everyone involved keeps it within the time-box.

What is a Scrum Master?

The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team.

What is the Scrum Master responsible for?

The Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. Scrum Master does this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values.

17.04 Who is responsible for Artifact Transparency?

The Scrum Master must work with the Product Owner, Development Team, and other involved parties to understand if the artifacts are completely transparent. The Scrum Master must help everyone apply the most appropriate practices in the absence of complete transparency. This work usually involves learning, convincing, and change.

What is meant by Openness?

The Scrum Team and its stakeholders agree to be open about all the work and the challenges with performing the work.

What is meant by Courage?

The Scrum Team members have courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems.

Who decides how and when Product Backlog refinement is done?

The Scrum Team, however, Product Backlog items can be updated at any time by the Product Owner or at the Product Owner's discretion.

16.07 When does the Sprint Backlog emerge?

The Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint, as the Development Team works through the plan and learns more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal. As new work is required, the Development Team adds it to the Sprint Backlog. As work is completed, the estimated remaining work is updated. When elements of the plan are deemed unnecessary, they are removed.

16.08 What is the Sprint Backlog?

The Sprint Backlog is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Development Team plans to accomplish during the Sprint.

What is the Sprint Goal?

The Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog. The selected Product Backlog items deliver one coherent function, which can be the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal can be any other coherence that causes the Development Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.

What is the Sprint Retrospective?

The Sprint Retrospective is a formal opportunity to focus on inspection and adaptation where the Scrum Team inspects itself and creates a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint.

What is the essence of Scrum?

The essence of Scrum is a small team of people which is highly flexible and adaptive.

18.02 What is the purpose of each Sprint?

The purpose of each Sprint is to deliver Increments of potentially releasable functionality that adhere to the Scrum Team's current definition of "Done."

What is Sprint Planning?

The work to be performed in the Sprint is planned at the Sprint Planning. This plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.

What are Scrum Events designed for?

These events are specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection.

What is the purpose for the rules of Scrum?

To bind together the roles, events, and artifacts, by governing the relationships and interaction between them.

What is the purpose of the Daily Scrum?

To optimize team collaboration and performance by inspecting the work since the last Daily Scrum and forecasting upcoming Sprint work. The Development Team uses the Daily Scrum to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and to inspect how progress is trending toward completing the work in the Sprint Backlog.

16.02 Which forecasting techniques may be employed?

Various projective practices have been used, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows. These do not replace the importance of empiricism. Only what has already happened may be used for forward-looking decision-making.

What happens if a Sprint is too long?

When a Sprint's horizon is too long the definition of what is being built may change, complexity may rise, and risk may increase. Sprints also limit risk to one calendar month of cost.