Skip to content

Exercises "Roles in Scrum"

Summary

Here you will find the definitions of the most important terms from this chapter.

Product Owner

He is the representative of the customer or the stakeholders. In his position, he is responsible for the product and therefore for the Product Backlog (i.e. he is the manager of the Product Backlog). He

  • develops the Product Goal and shares and communicates the Product Goal.
  • is responsible for creating and ordering Product Backlog Items.
  • communicates the Product Backlog Items.
  • ensures that everyone understands the Product Backlog.
  • is responsible for the transparency and visibility of the Product Backlog.
  • can stop a Sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes invalid.

Scrum Master

He creates an agile environment within the company and thereby enables Scrum. As a contact person for the Developers, his responsibilities include:

  • Coaching team members to work in a self-managed and cross-functional way.
  • Supporting the Scrum Team in producing Increments that meet the Definition of Done and that add value to the final product.
  • If the Scrum Team is hampered, removing the impediments.
  • Responsible for ensuring Scrum events are held in a way that is positive, productive and within the time box.

If required, he supports the Product Owner in defining the Product Goal, managing the Product Backlog or integrating stakeholders into the project.

Developers

The team members (e.g. developers, engineers, architects, etc.), who, together with the Scrum Master and Product Owner, form the Scrum Team. They are responsible for

  • creating a plan for each sprint, the so-called Sprint Backlog.
  • ensuring the quality of the increment. To achieve this, they adhere to the Definition of Done (DoD).
  • adjusting their plan to get closer to the Sprint Goal each day.
  • holding each other accountable as experts.

Definition of Done (= DoD)

A list of activities or criteria that have to be performed or met so that the User Stories in any one iteration can be defined as done.

Increment

An Increment is the goal of each Sprint. With each Increment, the Product Goal gets a little closer. An Increment is a tested, usable, or saleable partial result. The Commitment to the Increment is the Definition of Done. All work that does not meet the Definition of Done is not considered an Increment.

Meetings in Scrum (= Scrum Events)

Meetings in Scrum projects take place in a fixed sequence, they are also time-boxed to increase effectiveness.

These include:

  • Backlog Grooming or Backlog Refinement Meeting
  • Sprint Planning
  • Daily Scrum
  • Sprint Review
  • Sprint Retrospective

Test yourself

Answer the following questions independently. Please take your time and think carefully about what you would answer before revealing the solution.

Which are the three roles in Scrum?
  • Product Owner
  • Scrum Master
  • Developers
What are the tasks of the Product Owner?

The Product Owner is the manager of the Product Backlog and is responsible for ensuring that the customer's ideas are incorporated into the project. Additional tasks are:

  • Being responsible for the (potentially deliverable) return on investment, the ROI, and for the economic success of the product.
  • Developing and communicating the Product Goal.
  • Creation of the entries of the Product Backlog, if necessary in the form of User Stories.
  • Prioritisation and communication of the Product Backlog entries.
  • Representation of and communication with stakeholders.
  • Developing the Sprint Goal together with the Developers.
  • Answering any questions from the Developers during the Sprint.
  • Acceptance of the Increments.
  • Decide whether to continue or end the Sprint.
What are the tasks of the Scrum Master?

The Scrum Master supports an organisation in introducing and implementing Scrum. He is responsible for promoting and practising Scrum as a framework. He makes sure that everyone involved understands and can follow the theory, procedures, rules and values of Scrum. The Scrum Master's task is to act as a "servant leader". The Scrum Master is responsible for the effectiveness of the Scrum Team by keeping organisational impediments and external disruptions of the workflow away from the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master ensures that everyone involved within the Scrum Team understands the Product Owner's task expectation.

Tasks of the Scrum Master related to the Product Owner:

  • Assisting the Product Owner in the formulation of the Product Goal, the definition of Product Backlog entries and, if applicable, the User Stories.
  • Support at all Scrum Meetings.
  • Assistance with the prioritisation of entries in the Product Backlog.
  • Support and, if necessary, coaching on how agility and empirical approaches can be practised.
  • Establishment of techniques for effective management of the Product Backlog.
  • If desired: promoting collaboration with stakeholders.

Tasks of the Scrum Master related to the Developers:

  • Promoting the Developer on all issues.
  • Developing the Developers into a successful team.
  • Main task: Identification of disturbances, so-called impediments, as well as ensuring their elimination, so that the Developers can achieve their overall goals.

Other tasks in the Scrum project:

  • Coaching the team to become a "Performing Team".
  • Supporting the self-management of the developers so that they can make and implement decisions independently.
  • Encouraging (interdisciplinary) collaboration.
  • Ensuring that all Scrum events run in an organised manner.
  • Ensuring that all Scrum rules are adhered to.
  • If necessary: Mediating between the Developers and the Product Owner.

Tasks within the company:

  • Communicating the approach, the goals, the content and the mindset related to the agile approach.
  • Appearance as organisational developer and implementation of Scrum in the company, so that the framework conditions are given or, if necessary, improved.
  • Information and coaching of employees, line managers, responsible persons.
  • Assisting all employees and stakeholders in understanding agility as well as empirical approach.
  • Reducing barriers between stakeholders and the Scrum Team.
What are the tasks of the Developers?
  • Creation of the Sprint Backlog (planning basis for each Sprint) and negotiation of the scope of tasks with the Product Owner.
  • Jointly being accountable for the Sprint Goal, i.e. the deliverables of each Sprint.
  • Delivering value and quality by adhering to a Definition of Done (DoD).
  • Creation of utilisable Increments in each Sprint.
Who is the manager of the Scrum Team?

There is no general management in a Scrum project.

How many people are involved in a Scrum Team?

A Scrum Team usually consists of 10 members or less: a Scrum Master, a Product Owner and eight or less Developer.

Is the Product Owner also a Developer?

In practice, the Product Owner can also be a Developer, but this is neither intended nor recommended. If the Product Owner is also a Developer, then he is counted as part of the team of Developers (i.e. as one of the 8 or fewer members).

Why should a Product Owner have the ability to think entrepreneurially?

The Product Owner is responsible for the economic success of the product, so entrepreneurial thinking is an advantage.

Who acts as a servant leader and why is he called that?

The Scrum Master acts as a servant leader. He supports an organisation in introducing and implementing Scrum. He is responsible for promoting and practising Scrum as a framework. He makes sure that everyone involved understands and can follow the theory, procedures, rules and values of Scrum. The Scrum Master's task is to act as a "facilitator". This means that his focus is on moderating, empowering and coaching others so that they can act successfully according to Scrum.

What does the success of the Scrum Master depend on?

The success of the Scrum Master depends on the success of the Scrum Team.

What does it depend on how Scrum is accepted in the organisation?

It depends on the degree to which Scrum as a framework with its requirements and processes is already established in the company. In addition, it depends on the following factors:

  • How hierarchically is the company organised?
  • To what extent can responsibility be delegated effectively?
  • Is there already an understanding of this and is it thus also possible to enable agile, empirical and incremental procedures?
Why is the Scrum Master a change agent?

The Scrum Master is responsible for driving the change in the company towards the agile mindset and the Scrum Framework. That is why he is called a change agent.

What is behind the term 'Scrum of Scrums'?

Larger Scrum projects in which several teams of Developers work in parallel are called Scrum of Scrums.

During which Scrum Events do the Developers have to be present?
  • Sprint Planning
  • Daily Scrum
  • Sprint Review
  • Sprint Retrospective
  • Backlog Refinement
During which Scrum Events does the Product Owner have to be present?
  • Sprint Planning
  • Sprint Review
  • Backlog Refinement
During which Scrum Events does the Scrum Master have to be present?
  • Sprint Planning
  • Daily Scrum (optional)
  • Sprint Review
  • Sprint Retrospective
  • Backlog Refinement (optional)