PURPOSE – SCRUM ROLES

PURPOSE – SCRUM ROLES

Understanding the “why” behind the Scrum framework can help Scrum teams improve their ability to deliver value to the organization.  Every member in a Scrum team has to fulfil specific responsibilities which ensures that the team as a whole is effective. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the purpose of each Scrum Roles. 

The Scrum Guide includes the following roles:

  • Product Owner
  • Developers
  • Scrum Master

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

The Product Owner (Values: Transparency, Focus, Openness)

(A Scrum Team without a Product Owner is like a ship without a rudder)




The purpose of the Product Owner is to maximize the value of the Product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team

.

Why do we need a Product Owner?

A team without a Product Owner is like a ship without a rudder. It might be going somewhere, but is it the right somewhere? Does the team have a clear goal, and are they progressing toward it? The Product Owner answers both of these questions. 

 

i.     The purpose of the Product owner role is to establish a clear Product Goal. To add value, we need to know where we are going. The Product Owner answers this question by establishing a clear Product Goal. The Product Goal is a concrete target that aims the team toward the Product Owners’ vision for the product. Without a clear Product Goal, the team can’t focus on finding the right value to add to the product. Once the Product Owner has a vision and goal, they work with their stakeholders to determine what would help them achieve it. The team documents these items in the Product Backlog for everyone to see.

ii.      The purpose of the Product Owner is to order the Product Backlog’s content. The Product Backlog describes what the team will work on next. Each Product Backlog item represents a unit of value to be added to the product. Valuable items might include bug fixes, new features, fixes for technical debt, or technical improvements to the product. The Product Owner considers many factors when ordering the list and might seek input from many stakeholders. However, it is up to the Product Owner as the final decision-maker on what will add value to the product.

iii.    Once created, the purpose of the Product owner is to own the Product Backlog and ensure that it doesn’t get updated without his/her consent

iv.    The purpose of the Product owner is to be the single point of contact for the Scrum team and the customer team for any aspect of the product. 

 

The Developers (Values: Transparency, Focus, Openness)

(A Scrum Team without Developers is like a ship without sails)



The purpose of Developer role is to deliver a usable increment that meets the Sprint Goal once per Sprint. Developers achieve this by managing their work using the Sprint Backlog

.

Why do we need Developers? Developers are responsible for executing the work of the Scrum Team. A team without Developers is like a sailing ship without sails — it’s not going anywhere.

To achieve their purpose of delivering a usable increment once per Sprint, Developers on a Scrum Team manage their work using the Sprint Backlog. The Scrum Team creates the Sprint Backlog at the Sprint Planning event. The backlog contains a list of the Product Backlog items the developers intend to deliver during the upcoming Sprint and a plan for delivering them. The Sprint Backlog also includes a Sprint Goal, which helps the team focus on what is most important to achieve during the Sprint.

i.     The purpose of the Developer role is to ensure that progress is monitored at regular intervals during the Sprint leading to a usable increment. Developers monitor progress at the Daily Scrum event.  The Developers are the only ones required at this event, which surprises some people because many believe that the Scrum Master’s purpose is to facilitate all events in Scrum. It makes sense though when you consider that the Developers’ purpose is to deliver a usable increment once per Sprint.

ii.    The purpose of the Developer role is to bring the expertise needed to develop the product by creating a valuable increment in every Sprint. In case additional expertise is needed, they are responsible for learning that skill or seeking assistance from other experts.

 

The Scrum Master

(A Scrum Team without a Scrum master is like a ship without a framework)



The purpose of the Scrum Master is to improve the adoption of Scrum. Just as a Master of Science or Master of English degree indicates a level of expertise, Scrum Master credentials denote having mastery in the practice of Scrum.


Why do we need a master of Scrum? A team without a Scrum Master is like a ship without a strong framework. It’s not going to deliver the value expected from an agile ship.

i.  The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to help the team deliver value to the organization by helping everyone to understand the “why” behind the Scrum framework.

ii. The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to help teams embody the spirit of empiricism, which underpins all of the events, artifacts and accountabilities in the Scrum framework.

iii. The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to keep the Developers motivated at all times which in turn will facilitate the delivery of a valuable increment

iv.  The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to be the go-to person for the Developers when they face any impediments during the course of working towards the Sprint Goal and the Scrum Master facilitates the removal of the impediment to the best of his/her abilities

v.  The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to encourage the Developers to upgrade their existing skills and acquire additional skills which will benefit their own careers and the project in the long run

vi.  The purpose of the Scrum Master role is to be the facilitator for Scrum events without being the owner or influencer in these events

 

Conclusion

Each of the three roles in Scrum ensures that the Scrum Team delivers value to the organization. Understanding the purpose behind each of the three Scrum roles can help team members better navigate how they can interact together to maximize the value of the product resulting from their work.

 Reference: Scrum.Org blogs


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