PURPOSE – SCRUM EVENTS

 PURPOSE – SCRUM EVENTS

There are five events in Scrum. But just going through the motions and having each of the events on the calendar is not enough. To get the most out of Scrum, your team needs to understand the purpose behind each of the five events. 

The Scrum Guide includes the following events:

  • The Sprint
  • The Sprint Planning
  • The Daily Scrum
  • The Sprint Review
  • The Sprint Retrospective

An important feature of all events is the time box. All Scrum events have a time box which reiterates the significance of time.

Unlike the common practice of creating an agenda and then deciding the duration needed to go through all the agenda items, Scrum recommends a time box i.e. fix the time and accommodate whatever can be completed within that time.

Let’s look at each event to discover why they are part of the Scrum framework.

 

The Sprint (Values: Focus)

The purpose of the Sprint is to deliver a Done, usable increment that meets the Sprint Goal.

The Sprint is not a meeting. It’s a container that includes all of the other events.

i.         The purpose of the Sprint is to complete a set of usable deliverables within a timebox which is usually 2 weeks or 4 weeks. While the duration of the Sprint is up to the Scrum team, it cannot be more than 4 weeks. How long should the Sprint be? It should be just long enough to deliver a Done, usable increment and no more. This ensures focus.

ii.              While there is a time box, it does not mean that we cut corners to deliver all the Sprint Backlog items during the Sprint. The purpose of the Sprint is to ensure quality deliverables within a timebox. 

iii.             The purpose of the Sprint is to provide a container which ensures that everything in Scrum happens in the Sprint. Refinement of the Product Backlog for the next Sprint happens during the Sprint. Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and the Sprint Retrospective all occur within the sprint.

iv.           The purpose of the Sprint is to deliver a Done, potentially releasable Increment of valuable product. Hence, there are no special Sprints. There are no “testing” or “release” sprints.

 

Sprint Planning (Values: Transparency, Focus, Commitment, Courage, Openness, Respect)

The Sprint Planning event is the first event of a Sprint. During this event, the Scrum Team decides what Product Backlog items will be delivered during the Sprint and how to make it happen.

The Scrum team creates a goal for the Sprint that describes why they are delivering these Product Backlog items, which provides focus for the Sprint

  1. The purpose of the Sprint Planning is to promote the value of Openness where the team openly discuss what can be done. It promotes the value of Courage as developers confess to what they can do and what they cannot. It promotes Respect where developers work towards the Sprint goal by respecting everyone’s capability and availability. Each developer commits to what they will deliver during the Sprint
  2. The purpose of the Sprint Planning meeting is not just about selecting Product Backlog items; it’s about planning the work of the Sprint. This is an opportunity for the Scrum team to discuss how they will produce the selected Product Backlog items.
  3. The purpose of Sprint Planning is not to plan in detail. The Scrum Team should plan just enough to get started. The plan can evolve during the Sprint as more information becomes known. For example, imagine that a Scrum Team has to deliver the Login screen of the application. At the Sprint Planning meeting, they decide that Raj will design the screen keeping in mind the client needs, Anita will write the code considering all possible scenarios and Kapil will test the functionality. During the Sprint, the team get the information that the brand guidelines have been changed. In response, they add a task to the Sprint Backlog to have Raj coordinate with the Product owner and get the latest brand guidelines. The team made the initial plan at the Sprint Planning event, but the Sprint Backlog emerged over time as the work requirements unfolded.
  4. The purpose of the Sprint Planning event is also to ensure that the planning is done within a timebox of eight hours for a one-month Sprint. This promotes the value of Focus. For a 2-week Sprint, the timebox is 4 hours.

 

Daily Scrum (Values: Transparency, Focus, Commitment, Courage, Openness, Respect)

At the Daily Scrum, Developers monitor their progress towards delivering a Done, usable increment that meets the Sprint Goal, and they plan their work for the next 24 hours.

  1. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to increase the likelihood of delivering a Done, usable increment that meets the Sprint Goal.
  2. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to promote the value of Openness as team members openly share what they have been able to accomplish and where they are lagging behind. It promotes the value of Courage as team members confess to their lack of skill in completing a technical task. It promotes respect where team members accept the shortcomings of others and offer to help and it promotes commitment as everyone commits to what they will accomplish that day.
  3. The Daily Scrum has a timebox of 15 minutes. This serves the purpose of ensuring that the team members share their updates in the most concise manner possible thereby promoting the value of Focus. It’s crucial to respect that timebox.
  4. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is not to resolve issues. It’s a place for the team to identify (but not solve) impediments. In cases where a problem needs additional time to sort out, the necessary people should meet as soon as possible (perhaps immediately after the Daily Scrum) to problem-solve.
  5. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to provide transparency to the entire Scrum team and therefore to other stakeholders on the progress towards the Sprint Goal.

   

Sprint Review (Values: Transparency, Focus, Courage, Openness)

Towards the end of the Sprint, the Developers confirm the PBI’s that have been completed. The Product Owner checks these PBI’s to verify whether they meet the Definition of Done.  The Product owner schedules the Sprint Review meeting and invites the Stakeholders to review these PBI’s. The timebox for the Sprint Review is 4 hours.

  1. The purpose of the Sprint Review is for the Scrum Team and stakeholders/customers to inspect what the team delivered and its progress towards the Product Goal and adapt accordingly.
  2. The purpose of the Sprint Review is for the team to discuss what they completed during the Sprint and collaborate on what to do next.
  3. The purpose of the Sprint Review is not to give a demo - although a demo may be on the agenda. Instead, this is a key inspect-and-adapt event where the Scrum team gathers feedback which the Product Owner may use to update the Product Backlog and product forecast.
  4. The purpose of the Sprint Review is to promote the value of Openness as the team shares the status of the PBI’s openly with the internal and external Stakeholders. It promotes courage as team members stand up to what they could not accomplish and respond to Stakeholder apprehensions.

 

Sprint Retrospective (Values: Commitment, Courage, Openness, Respect)

At the end of the Sprint, the Scrum team comes together and reflect on the Sprint. The team discusses how the Sprint went regarding individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. All Scrum Team members attend, including the Scrum Master, Developers and the Product Owner. This is the final event of the Sprint and has a time box of 3 hours.

i.                 The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to improve the Scrum Team’s effectiveness.

ii.                The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is not to complete a formality where everyone in the room shares 1 improvement idea. However, it is a free-flowing meeting where the team members share their views without any expectations or restrictions

iii.              The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to reach a conclusion on one or two improvements that they will make to their processes, tools, interactions or their Definition of Done. Why just one or two? Because you can’t do everything at once, and a series of small, incremental changes is more impactful than one extensive “rewrite” of the team’s processes.

iv.              The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is also to celebrate successes, acknowledge contributions and resolve differences, if any

v.                The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to promote the value of Openness as every team shares their thoughts and opinion openly without any inhibitions. It promotes courage as team member speak up on what they believe needs to be improved in their own self and others. Everyone is receptive to the feedback which promotes respect. Team members commit to things they will change during the next Sprint and beyond

 

Conclusion

To get the most out of Scrum, Scrum Team members must understand the purpose behind each event.

Sprint Planning is not just about selecting Product Backlog items; it’s about planning the work of the Sprint.

The Daily Scrum is not about mechanically answering the three questions (what did you do today, what will you do tomorrow, and do you have any impediments?). It’s about increasing the likelihood of delivering a Done increment that meets the Sprint Goal.

The Sprint Review is not a demo; it’s about discussing what you completed and collaborating on what to do next.

And the Sprint Retrospective is not a venting session; it’s a chance for the Scrum Team to improve how they work together.

And the Sprint is not just a duration specified to create a plan but a time-boxed container within which every other event happens and a valuable output is delivered to the customer.

 

References: Scrum.Org blogs


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