At the program or portfolio level, there is normally a smaller number of requirements/user stories than at the project level. The percentage of user stories with a very tangible value/business need/user impact is normally much lower than on project level. That means that the selection of techniques that are useful at a program or portfolio…
Organizations applying the Scrum framework encourage an open environment and dialogue among employees. Conflicts among Scrum Team members are generally resolved independently, with little or no involvement from management or others outside the Scrum Team. Conflict can be healthy when it promotes team discussions and encourages debates, as this usually results in benefits for the…
Agile and Waterfall are two different methods used in managing a project. Both the methods have their own pros and cons and choosing one model is based on many project-centric factors. Waterfall Method The Waterfall model is a progressive design process which in the software development industry goes through stages such as Conception, Initiation, Analysis,…
How are decisions made in Scrum? In Scrum, decisions are made based on observation and experimentation rather than on detailed upfront planning. Empirical process control relies on the three main ideas of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Transparency Transparency allows all facets of any Scrum process to be observed by anyone. This promotes an easy…
When we talk about any process control, we talk about three elements: Input Process (structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective) Output If inputs and processes are in control and are reliable, we can get reliable outputs (which are generally the case with Waterfall model). The problem arises when inputs and…
User Stories adhere to a specific, predefined structure and are a simple way of documenting requirements and desired end-user functionalities. A User Story tells you three things about the requirement: Who, What, and Why. The requirements expressed in User Stories are short, simple and easy-to-understand statements. The predefined standard format results in enhanced communication among…
The Prioritized Program Backlog plays a very similar role at the program level as the Prioritized Product Backlog does on project level. It identifies the requirements for the program and their priorities. The items in the Prioritized Portfolio Backlog provide inputs to the various Prioritized Program Backlogs and, through Prioritized Program Backlogs, to Prioritized Product…
Selecting appropriate Scrum Master(s) and identifying relevant Stakeholder(s) is crucial to the success of any project. In some projects, there may have been pre-conditions stipulating certain team members and their roles. When there is flexibility in choosing the Scrum Master(s), the following are important Selection Criteria: Problem-solving skills—This is one of the primary criteria to…
The Program Product Owner develops the Program Product Backlog which contains a prioritized list of high level business and project requirements preferably written in the form of large Program Backlog Items. These are later refined by the Product Owners of individual projects as they create and prioritize Product Backlogs for their projects. These Prioritized Product…
The preferred leadership style for Scrum projects is Servant Leadership. This term was first described by Robert K. Greenleaf in an essay entitled The Servant as Leader. Below is an excerpt where he explains the concept: The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious…
