Initiate phase, as defined in A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK™ Guide), is applicable to the following:
- Portfolios, programs, and/or projects in any industry
- Products, services, or any other results to be delivered to stakeholders
- Projects of any size or complexity
The term “product” in the SBOK™ Guide may refer to a product, service, or other deliverable. Scrum can be applied effectively to any project in any industry—from small projects or teams with as few as six team members to large, complex projects with up to several hundred team members. Ludo King for PC
A brief Overview of The Initiate Phase in Scrum
It is recommended that the Scrum Team and those individuals being introduced to the Scrum framework and processes focus primarily on the mandatory inputs, tools, and outputs; while Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and other more experienced Scrum practitioners strive to attain a more thorough knowledge of the information in this entire chapter. It is also important to realize that although all processes are defined uniquely in the SBOK™ Guide, they are not necessarily performed sequentially or separately. At times, it may be more appropriate to combine some processes, depending on the specific requirements of each project.
The Initiate phase processes and their objectives are listed below:
Create Project Vision—In this process, the Project Business Case is reviewed to create a Project Vision Statement that will serve as the inspiration and provide focus for the entire project. The Product Owner is identified in this process.
Identify Scrum Master and Stakeholder(s)—In this process, the Scrum Master and Stakeholders are identified using specific Selection Criteria.
Form Scrum Team—In this process, Scrum Team members are identified. Normally the Product Owner has the primary responsibility of selecting team members, but often does so in collaboration with the Scrum Master.
Develop Epic(s)—In this process, the Project Vision Statement serves as the basis for developing Epics. User Group Meetings may be held to discussappropriate Epics.
Create Prioritized Product Backlog—In this process, Epic(s) are refined, elaborated, and then prioritized to create a Prioritized Product Backlog for the project. The Done Criteria is also established at this point.
Conduct Release Planning—In this process, the Scrum Core Team reviews the User Stories in the Prioritized Product Backlog to develop a Release Planning Schedule, which is essentially a phased deployment schedule that can be shared with the project stakeholders. The Length of Sprints is also determined in this process.
