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Creating a Scrum sprint backlog involves several key steps. First, the product owner prioritizes and refines the product backlog, ensuring that the highest-priority items are clear and well-defined. During the sprint planning meeting, the Scrum team reviews these items and collaborates to select the ones they commit to completing in the upcoming sprint, considering their capacity and velocity. Each selected item is broken down into smaller tasks, with team members estimating the effort required for each. These tasks are then added to the sprint backlog, forming a detailed plan for the sprint. The team also defines the sprint goal, which provides a clear objective for the sprint, guiding their efforts and ensuring focus.

In today's dynamic business landscape, leadership innovative skills are paramount for driving organizational success. Agile leaders exhibit a unique blend of adaptability, vision, and creativity, steering teams towards innovation and excellence. They foster a culture of experimentation, encouraging team members to explore new ideas and approaches. Effective communication and collaboration are integral, as agile leaders empower individuals to take ownership of their work while fostering a sense of collective responsibility. Embracing change, they inspire their teams to continuously improve processes and products, leveraging emerging technologies and market trends. Through their visionary guidance and supportive mentorship, agile leaders cultivate a culture of innovation that propels teams towards achieving their goals and beyond.

Supporting leadership
Agile takes a humanistic approach while executing projects, as evidenced by one of the values listed in the manifesto: individuals and interactions over processes and tools. The best leadership model suited for Agile is the supporting leadership model. Since it is the knowledge worker who adds value to a project, the needs of the worker become the needs of the company. The leader serves to meet those needs. In this way the focus remains on the worker rather than the leader, and the company profits.

In the supporting leader approach, the leader supports those doing the work, playing a facilitating role, and focuses on removing obstacles and making sure the team has everything that would help them to perform. Business representatives will sometimes make requests that threaten to slowdown the project. Team members may be required to devote some of their time to another project. These actions threaten to hinder the project and put it off track. It is the leader’s responsibility to shield the team from such diversions. The supporting leader keeps the team focused on the project vision by communicating it at regular and relevant stages of the development process. Another duty of the leader is to facilitate any training that might be necessary for the team members to work on a project. To sustain the motivation of a team, the leader should also reward the team at regular intervals.

Leadership attributes
So far we have discussed what a leader should do, but what attributes must a leader possess to earn the respect of his or her team members? After all, the leader that is not respected will be ineffective. When leaders possess the traits team members appreciate, the latter are bound to emulate them.

Honesty is probably the highest ranking attribute that team members expect from their leaders. Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge found that honesty was the characteristic most selected in surveys asking what employees consider the most important character trait a leader should have (p. 32).  Leaders who are transparent and accept their shortcomings may be perceived as being more credible, thus leading to an increased dependance between the leader and the team members. Leaders who are willing to stand up to managers and customers to protect their teams are more trusted by team members than those leaders who “toe the company line.” Team members have a deeper respect for leaders who have a definite vision of where they are heading and inspire them to walk that path. Leaders also should possess some technical knowledge to be able to get better in their job.

Effective leaders not only act but also enable others to act by sharing the knowledge they possess such as information about the schedule and progress of the project. While enabling others to act, leaders also look towards breaking new frontiers by experimenting and innovating. Leaders are willing to use ideas suggested by team members. On Agile projects, new ideas can be tried out during iterations. If they are successful, they can be adopted, if not, they can be treated as part of the learning experience.

Successful leaders serve their team members by sharing ennobling visions of what they can produce together, providing resources, removing impediments, protecting the team, and being generous with rewards.

Agile Scrum sprint backlog grooming, also known as backlog refinement, is an ongoing process where the Scrum team collaborates to review and prioritize items in the product backlog. This activity typically involves discussing the scope, requirements, and acceptance criteria of user stories, as well as estimating the effort needed to complete them. By refining the backlog, the team ensures that the highest priority items are well-understood and ready for future sprints, thereby improving planning efficiency and helping to maintain a steady flow of work. Regular grooming sessions help the team stay aligned with project goals and adapt to changing requirements.

Agile Leadership Certification Growth represents a dynamic journey of professional development and evolution within the realm of agile leadership. It encompasses the process of acquiring foundational knowledge, honing practical skills, and mastering advanced competencies required to lead agile teams and organizations effectively. As individuals progress through certification levels and gain practical experience, they demonstrate a deepening understanding of agile methodologies, principles, and best practices.

The Agile Leadership Certification empowers leaders with the knowledge and skills to effectively guide their teams in agile environments. This certification focuses on developing a deep understanding of agile principles, practices, and methodologies, enabling leaders to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Through comprehensive training and practical application, certified agile leaders learn to facilitate collaboration, enhance productivity, and drive successful project outcomes. By earning this certification, leaders demonstrate their commitment to agile excellence and their ability to inspire and lead teams in a rapidly evolving business landscape. This credential is essential for those aiming to excel in agile project management and leadership roles.

The Agile Leadership Certification is a prestigious credential that underscores the value of effective leadership in Agile environments. This certification equips leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive Agile transformation and cultivate high-performing teams.

How important is Continuous Value Justification in a Scrum Project?

Every project is expected to create some form of business value that outweighs the associated costs

and risks in order for it to be undertaken. But what is business value? And how can one ensure

that the project delivers business value on the expected lines? Business value can be looked at

in financial or non-financial terms such as reduction in costs, increase in revenue, enhancement

in brand value, and increase in satisfaction level among customers, reduction in the number of

complaints, reduction in risks or improvement in organizational capability, etc.

To ensure realization of business value, Scrum relies on continuous value justification. Continuous

value justification refers to assessment of business value regularly to determine whether the

justification or viability of executing the project continues to exist. Business value should be assessed

regularly to determine whether the justification or viability of executing the project continues to

exist. Frequent assessment of investment in the project relative to business value being created

qualifies the continued viability of a project. The expected requirements from the project may

change frequently, which can impact both project investment and value creation.

A key aspect of Scrum is its ability to quickly adjust to chaos created by a rapidly changing business

model. In projects with ambiguous user requirements and significant potential for frequent changes,

Scrum provides considerable advantages over other project delivery models. Monitoring the rate of

delivering value is an important requirement for Scrum projects. Periodically tracking and reporting

the creation of value assists in assessing project status and provides important information to the

customer and other Business stakeholders. Hence, continuous value justification plays a vital role in the key

decision making processes related to the project.

The Scrum sprint backlog is a dynamic document that outlines the specific tasks and activities the Development Team commits to completing during a Sprint. Derived from the items prioritized in the Product Backlog, the Sprint backlog serves as a plan to achieve the Sprint goal. It is owned and managed by the Development Team, with guidance from the Scrum Master and input from the Product Owner. Throughout the Sprint, the backlog evolves as tasks are completed, added, or adjusted based on emerging requirements and insights gained during daily Scrum meetings. This focused approach ensures clarity, transparency, and alignment within the team, facilitating efficient progress towards delivering a potentially shippable product increment by the end of the Sprint.

The Scrum sprint cycle is a fundamental process in Agile project management, designed to deliver incremental improvements and functional product increments. 

A Scrum Agile Sprint is a time-boxed iteration within the Scrum framework, typically lasting two to four weeks. It's a focused period during which a cross-functional team works to complete a set of user stories and deliver a potentially shippable product increment.

A Sprint Review in SCRUM, is a meeting held at the end of a Sprint where the Scrum team and stakeholders inspect the product increment, review progress, and gather feedback. This event allows the team to demonstrate what has been accomplished during the Sprint and to assess the product backlog and adjust the upcoming plans if necessary. The Sprint Review promotes transparency, adaptation, and collaboration, enabling continuous improvement and alignment with business goals.

A Scrum project often goes through a number of phases. Five phases, composed of nineteen processes, are suggested in A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK®). After the Implement phase comes the Review and Retrospect phase.

This phase includes two processes that focus on reviewing the deliverables and work that has been done and determining ways to improve the practices and methods used to do project work. It is important to note that the processes 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.

Demonstrate and Validate Sprint

In this process, the Scrum Team demonstrates the Sprint Deliverables to the Product Owner in a Sprint Review Meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to secure approval of the Sprint User Stories by the Product Owner. This process is not only an important quality element in a Scrum project, but it is also a key element to maintain stakeholder engagement. The business stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the Sprint Review Meeting to gain first-hand knowledge of the Product or Service and its progress, and to provide feedback. Business stakeholder feedback is an important input to future Sprints.

Accepted Deliverables may be released to the customer if so desired. A list of Accepted Deliverables is maintained and updated after each Sprint Review Meeting. Deliverables that do not meet the Acceptance Criteria are called Rejected Deliverables. User Stories associated with Rejected Deliverables get added to the Prioritized Product Backlog so they can be considered as part of a subsequent Sprint to rectify any issues. This is highly undesirable because the objective of every Sprint is for the deliverables to meet the criteria for acceptance.

Retrospect Sprint

In this process, the Scrum Master and Scrum Team meet to discuss the lessons learned throughout the Sprint. This information is documented as lessons learned which will be applied to future Sprints. As a result, there may be agreed actionable improvements or updated Scrum Guidance Body Recommendations. This process is an essential component of the continuous improvement in Scrum.

Agreed Actionable Improvements are the primary output of this process. They are the list of actionable items that the team has created to address problems and improve processes in order to enhance their performance in future Sprints. Once the Agreed Actionable Improvements have been elaborated and refined, the Scrum Team may consider action items to implement the improvements. The Retrospect Sprint Log is a record of the opinions, discussions and actionable items raised in a Retrospect Sprint Meeting. The Scrum Master could facilitate creation of this log with inputs from Scrum Core Team members. The collection of all Retrospective Sprint Logs becomes the project diary and details project successes, issues, problems and resolutions. The logs are public documents available to anyone in the organization.

Following the three processes of the Review and Retrospect phase helps those involved in a Scrum project to review deliverables and identify impediments to neutralize in the future. Remember that the processes do not need to be performed sequentially or separately. They can be adjusted to complement the specific requirements of each project. Before leaving the Review and Retrospect phase, however, it is imperative to analyze the project and determine what worked and what didn’t work.

Scrum sprint backlog prioritization involves a structured approach to ensure that the most valuable and necessary items are addressed first during the sprint. Typically, the Product Owner collaborates with the development team to prioritize user stories or tasks based on their importance to achieving sprint goals and delivering incremental value. This process considers factors such as stakeholder requirements, business priorities, and dependencies between tasks. Once prioritized, the sprint backlog items are estimated for effort and feasibility, ensuring that the team can realistically commit to completing them within the sprint timeframe. This prioritization process not only guides the team's focus but also facilitates effective sprint planning and execution, supporting the iterative development cycle central to Scrum methodology.

Product backlog refinement in Scrum involves several key steps to ensure clarity and prioritization. Initially, the product owner collaborates with the team to review and adjust backlog items, ensuring they are clear, concise, and aligned with the product vision. Next, they prioritize items based on value and dependencies, refining estimates and acceptance criteria as needed. Throughout this iterative process, stakeholders provide input to enhance understanding and feasibility. The goal is to maintain a dynamic backlog that reflects current priorities and evolves with feedback, fostering a shared understanding among all team members for efficient sprint planning and delivery.

What is a Sprint Backlog? Is it a baseline, a record or a report? Baseline is a project document, which, defines aspects of the project and, once approved, is subject to change control. It is used to measure a project’s actual performance as against planned targets. A record maintains information on the progress of the project. A report provides snapshots of the status of different aspects of a project at any given point of time or for a given duration.

To answer this question, we need to understand what a Sprint Backlog is, its purpose and composition. The Scrum Team creates the Sprint Backlog and Sprint Burndown Chart using the User Stories, and the Updated Task List during Sprint Planning Meeting. During Sprint Planning Meeting, the User Stories, which are approved, estimated, and committed during the Create, Estimate, and Commit User Stories process, are taken up for discussion by the Scrum Team. Each Scrum Team member also uses Updated Task List to select the tasks they plan to work on in the Sprint, based on their skills, and experience. The list of the tasks to be executed by the Scrum Team in the upcoming Sprint is called the Sprint Backlog.

It is common practice in Scrum that the Sprint Backlog is represented on a Scrumboard or task board, which provides a constantly visible depiction of the status of the User Stories in the backlog. Also included in the Sprint Backlog are any risks associated with the various tasks. Any mitigating activities to address the identified risks would also be included as tasks in the Sprint Backlog. Once the Sprint Backlog is finalized and committed to by the Scrum Team, new user stories should not be added – however, tasks that might have been missed or overlooked from the committed user stories may need to be added. If new requirements arise during a Sprint, they will be added to the overall Prioritized Product Backlog and included in a future Sprint, depending on their criticality, and urgency.

Another tool associated with the Sprint Backlog is the Sprint Burndown Chart. It is a graph that depicts the amount of work remaining in the ongoing Sprint. The initial Sprint Burndown Chart is accompanied by a planned burndown. The Sprint Burndown Chart should be updated at the end of each day as work is completed. This chart shows the progress that has been made by the Scrum Team and also allows for the detection of estimates that may have been incorrect. If the Sprint Burndown Chart shows that the Scrum Team is not on track to finish the tasks in the Sprint on time, the Scrum Master should identify any obstacles or impediments to successful completion, and try to remove them. A related chart is a Sprint Burnup Chart. Unlike the Sprint Burndown Chart which shows the amount of work remaining, the Sprint Burnup Chart depicts the work completed as part of the Sprint.

So, it is difficult to categorize the Sprint Backlog as a baseline, record or a report. And as Scrum professes minimum documentation, Sprint Backlog fulfills purposes of more than one project document. For more information on Scrum framework, you can read the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK Guide). It can be downloaded for free in SCRUMstudy website: http://www.scrumstudy.com/download-free-buy-SBOK.asp

The Agile Scrum sprint backlog is a pivotal artifact that embodies the essence of collaborative planning and iterative development within Scrum projects. It serves as a comprehensive plan for the Sprint, detailing the specific work items, user stories, and tasks identified during Sprint Planning. The sprint backlog is meticulously crafted by the Scrum Team, typically under the guidance of the Product Owner, who ensures that the highest priority items are at the forefront. This backlog not only outlines what needs to be accomplished in the Sprint but also acts as a dynamic document that evolves as the team gains insights and progresses through daily stand-ups and other collaborative sessions. By focusing on transparency and adaptability, the sprint backlog facilitates efficient communication and alignment within the team, ultimately driving the incremental delivery of valuable product increments.

It is often seen that Agile has been implemented successfully in different projects. But when it comes to Product Management or NPD (New Product Development), many people get sceptical regarding implementation of Agile. Now it has to be understood that Agile is not a methodology which can be used in a cookie cutter way across any organization. A lot of tweaking and customization is required to make it work. So, in product management, a proper assessment is required to see if Agile implementation will improve performance or not.

Here also, we need to see if the following two criteria are being fulfilled or not:

1. Requirement Volatility : It is important to identify the volatility of requirements and whether working in Sprint will actually improve customer satisfaction, reduce uncertainty and help PM teams become more productive or not. If requirements are fixed in sand and are not dynamic in nature, it will not make any marked improvement even if the teams work in sprint. Also, Agile Product Life Cycle Management involves a lot of new learning, so it needs to be checked if the team will be comfortable in this transition or not.
2. Frequent customer Interaction: External customers are big stakeholders in any Agile effort. In many product management scenarios, we have seen that customers just give their specifications and just go away for months and months. And finally when they come back for the product, it is completely different from what they expected, because market dynamics change and the expectations change as well. So the biggest benefit is actually to the customers themselves, and this is what the PM team should explain in details to the customers so as to get their buy in. Without their pro-active support, it will not be possible to implement Agile in any way.

If we are talking about New Product Development, then Agile actually becomes even more crucial and important.  That is because neither the customers nor the PM team has any benchmark to follow. So, frequent discussions and brain storming sessions followed by change in requirements or prototypes will be mandatory for successful NPD. So, it is important to realize that Agile can be implemented successfully in Product Management as well, provided it is understood properly and used in the proper context. Also, management buy-in and customer buy-in are important components in this scenario, and a good AGILE coach will also be very beneficial.

En el mundo de la gestión de proyectos ágiles, el Sprint Backlog desempeña un papel crucial para garantizar que los equipos se mantengan centrados, organizados y adaptables. Este artículo profundiza en las complejidades del Sprint Backlog en Scrum, destacando la importancia del refinamiento y cómo contribuye a la planificación y ejecución eficientes del sprint. Exploremos cómo los equipos ágiles pueden aprovechar el Sprint Backlog para mejorar la productividad y ofrecer valor de manera constante.

La metodología Scrum hace mucho hincapié en el refinamiento del backlog para garantizar que el backlog del sprint contenga elementos bien definidos, priorizados y alcanzables dentro del marco temporal del sprint.

¿Qué es un Sprint Backlog? ¿Es una línea base, un registro o un informe? La línea base es un documento de proyecto que define aspectos del proyecto y, una vez aprobado, está sujeto a control de cambios. Se utiliza para medir el rendimiento real de un proyecto en comparación con los objetivos planificados. Un registro mantiene información sobre el progreso del proyecto. Un informe proporciona instantáneas del estado de diferentes aspectos de un proyecto en un momento determinado o durante una duración determinada.

Para responder a esta pregunta, necesitamos entender qué es un Sprint Backlog, su propósito y composición. El Equipo Scrum crea el Sprint Backlog y el Sprint Burndown Chart usando las Historias de Usuario y la Lista de Tareas Actualizada durante la Reunión de Planificación del Sprint. Durante la Reunión de Planificación del Sprint, las Historias de Usuario, que son aprobadas, estimadas y confirmadas durante el proceso de Crear, Estimar y Confirmar Historias de Usuario, son tomadas para discusión por el Equipo Scrum. Cada miembro del Equipo Scrum también usa la Lista de Tareas Actualizada para seleccionar las tareas en las que planean trabajar en el Sprint, en base a sus habilidades y experiencia. La lista de las tareas que ejecutará el Equipo Scrum en el próximo Sprint se llama Sprint Backlog.

Es una práctica común en Scrum que el Sprint Backlog esté representado en un Scrumboard o tablero de tareas, que proporciona una representación constantemente visible del estado de las Historias de Usuario en el backlog. También se incluyen en el Sprint Backlog los riesgos asociados con las diversas tareas. Cualquier actividad de mitigación para abordar los riesgos identificados también se incluiría como tareas en el Sprint Backlog. Una vez que el Sprint Backlog esté finalizado y el Scrum Team se haya comprometido con él, no se deben agregar nuevas historias de usuario; sin embargo, es posible que sea necesario agregar tareas que se hayan omitido o pasado por alto en las historias de usuario comprometidas. Si surgen nuevos requisitos durante un Sprint, se agregarán al Prioritized Product Backlog general y se incluirán en un Sprint futuro, según su criticidad y urgencia.

En la metodología Scrum, el proceso de ajuste del Sprint Backlog es crucial para mantener el enfoque y la adaptabilidad durante todo el sprint. Según lo define SCRUMstudy, el Sprint Backlog representa el subconjunto de elementos priorizados del Product Backlog que el Scrum Team se compromete a entregar durante el sprint. Los ajustes al Sprint Backlog pueden ocurrir durante la Sprint Planning Meeting o durante el sprint a medida que surgen nuevos conocimientos o prioridades. Este ajuste iterativo garantiza que el equipo se mantenga alineado con el objetivo del sprint y pueda responder de manera eficaz a los cambios en los requisitos o a los desafíos imprevistos. Al revisar y refinar periódicamente el Sprint Backlog, los equipos optimizan su capacidad para entregar incrementos valiosos de trabajo y, al mismo tiempo, mantienen la flexibilidad y la capacidad de respuesta dentro del marco de Scrum.

Es una práctica común en Scrum que el Sprint Backlog se represente en un tablero de tareas o Scrumboard, que proporciona una representación constantemente visible del estado de las historias de usuario en el backlog. También se incluyen en el Sprint Backlog los riesgos asociados con las distintas tareas. Cualquier actividad de mitigación para abordar los riesgos identificados también se incluiría como tareas en el Sprint Backlog. Una vez que el Sprint Backlog esté finalizado y comprometido por el equipo Scrum, no se deben agregar nuevas historias de usuario; sin embargo, es posible que sea necesario agregar tareas que se hayan omitido o pasado por alto en las historias de usuario comprometidas. Si surgen nuevos requisitos durante un Sprint, se añadirán al Backlog de Producto Priorizado general y se incluirán en un Sprint futuro, según su criticidad y urgencia.

Por lo tanto, es difícil categorizar el Sprint Backlog como una línea base, un registro o un informe. Y como Scrum profesa una documentación mínima, el Sprint Backlog cumple con los propósitos de más de un documento de proyecto. Para obtener más información sobre el marco de trabajo de Scrum, puede leer el Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK Guide). Se puede descargar de forma gratuita en el sitio web de SCRUMstudy: http://www.scrumstudy.com/download-free-buy-SBOK.asp

Product backlog refinement in Scrum involves several key steps to ensure clarity and prioritization. Initially, the product owner collaborates with the team to review and adjust backlog items, ensuring they are clear, concise, and aligned with the product vision. Next, they prioritize items based on value and dependencies, refining estimates and acceptance criteria as needed. Throughout this iterative process, stakeholders provide input to enhance understanding and feasibility. The goal is to maintain a dynamic backlog that reflects current priorities and evolves with feedback, fostering a shared understanding among all team members for efficient sprint planning and delivery.

What is a Sprint Backlog? Is it a baseline, a record or a report? Baseline is a project document, which, defines aspects of the project and, once approved, is subject to change control. It is used to measure a project’s actual performance as against planned targets. A record maintains information on the progress of the project. A report provides snapshots of the status of different aspects of a project at any given point of time or for a given duration.

To answer this question, we need to understand what a Sprint Backlog is, its purpose and composition. The Scrum Team creates the Sprint Backlog and Sprint Burndown Chart using the User Stories, and the Updated Task List during Sprint Planning Meeting. During Sprint Planning Meeting, the User Stories, which are approved, estimated, and committed during the Create, Estimate, and Commit User Stories process, are taken up for discussion by the Scrum Team. Each Scrum Team member also uses Updated Task List to select the tasks they plan to work on in the Sprint, based on their skills, and experience. The list of the tasks to be executed by the Scrum Team in the upcoming Sprint is called the Sprint Backlog.

It is common practice in Scrum that the Sprint Backlog is represented on a Scrumboard or task board, which provides a constantly visible depiction of the status of the User Stories in the backlog. Also included in the Sprint Backlog are any risks associated with the various tasks. Any mitigating activities to address the identified risks would also be included as tasks in the Sprint Backlog. Once the Sprint Backlog is finalized and committed to by the Scrum Team, new user stories should not be added – however, tasks that might have been missed or overlooked from the committed user stories may need to be added. If new requirements arise during a Sprint, they will be added to the overall Prioritized Product Backlog and included in a future Sprint, depending on their criticality, and urgency.

Another tool associated with the Sprint Backlog is the Sprint Burndown Chart. It is a graph that depicts the amount of work remaining in the ongoing Sprint. The initial Sprint Burndown Chart is accompanied by a planned burndown. The Sprint Burndown Chart should be updated at the end of each day as work is completed. This chart shows the progress that has been made by the Scrum Team and also allows for the detection of estimates that may have been incorrect. If the Sprint Burndown Chart shows that the Scrum Team is not on track to finish the tasks in the Sprint on time, the Scrum Master should identify any obstacles or impediments to successful completion, and try to remove them. A related chart is a Sprint Burnup Chart. Unlike the Sprint Burndown Chart which shows the amount of work remaining, the Sprint Burnup Chart depicts the work completed as part of the Sprint.

So, it is difficult to categorize the Sprint Backlog as a baseline, record or a report. And as Scrum professes minimum documentation, Sprint Backlog fulfills purposes of more than one project document. For more information on Scrum framework, you can read the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK Guide). It can be downloaded for free in SCRUMstudy website: http://www.scrumstudy.com/download-free-buy-SBOK.asp

Sprint backlog refinement in Scrum involves several crucial steps to ensure clarity and readiness for the upcoming sprint. Initially, the Product Owner prioritizes backlog items based on value and dependencies. Next, the Scrum Team collaborates to discuss and estimate each item, breaking down tasks as needed. This process ensures that all team members understand the requirements and can commit to delivering the sprint goal. Refinement meetings focus on adjusting estimates, clarifying acceptance criteria, and potentially reordering tasks to optimize flow. By the end, the refined backlog sets a clear path for the team, fostering efficiency and alignment with project objectives.

Any Scrum Master worth his Scrum Master certification believes that all humans are enthusiastic and seek to receive greater duty. So, they deliver much greater value when self-organized. This self-organization is what created us from single celled beings. A Scrum Master brings working deliverables sooner and makes available more precise predictions of timetable and budget compared to traditional waterfall Project Managers. Under Scrum, if we plan a ten-month project and divide the effort into twenty, fortnight sprints;  at the end of sprint #5 (25 % into the project), we would have completed five iterations of development. In the equivalent period a waterfall project would have generated a stack of specifications and authorization forms, and Scrum would have created five packages of confirmed, shippable deliverable. All this is majorly because the Scrum team feels empowered.

One important aspect that no scrum master certification training deals with. It is about managing the Stakeholder participation. External stakeholders have a completely valid interest in the success of a project and conversely, the project team cannot work effectively without their contributions. Even if Scrum team members know how to outline and deliver project features, useful deliverables cannot be developed without the involvement of the executives, managers, and the other business stakeholders that the team serves. The irony is that most senior folk, especially in our country are overeager to “leave their mark”. In their over eagerness, the following behavior is exhibited.

• Statements like “This is how we do it Here!” are heard
• External stakeholders talk in the daily standup meetings
• Status information demanded outside Sprint Planning Meetings
• Scrum Masters, Product Owners or Project Sponsors receive requests from their superiors to “Correctly” guide the Scrum team

Because of this distraction, the Scrum Master is not concentrating 100 percent on team and organizational obstructions and processes. Product backlog wastes away and/or is passed over. If the product owner is coerced by these business stakeholders, features get selected or priorities substituted outside of sprint planning meetings ignoring the backlog. The Product Owner may start imposing improper assessments regarding risk.

While inappropriate outside influence can be exerted at any point in a sprint, it is most visible when external stakeholders over participate in daily project activities, especially the daily standup meetings. This is also the place where the Scrum master can most effectively stage an intervention by consistently putting into effect the “Silence rule” for external Stakeholders: Undeniably, there may be that one justified remark that gets lost. But it will lead to others and then there will be no easy place to draw the line. Again, we should remember that we are dealing with superiors who have learnt to intimidate subordinates to get their obedience. Scrum masters can also Conduct Scrum training to External Stakeholders in part start of a project and try to convince the Business Stakeholders why their comments would be counterproductive.

What is a Sprint Backlog? Is it a baseline, a record or a report? Baseline is a project document, which, defines aspects of the project and, once approved, is subject to change control. It is used to measure project’s actual performance as against planned targets. A record maintains information on the progress of the project. A report provides snapshots of the status of different aspects of a project at a given point of time or for a given duration.

To answer this question, we need to understand what a Sprint Backlog is, its purpose and composition. The Scrum Team creates the Sprint Backlog and Sprint Burndown Chart using the User Stories and the Effort Estimated Task List during Sprint Planning Meeting. During Sprint Planning Meeting, the User Stories, which are approved, estimated, and committed during the Approve, Estimate, and Commit User Stories process, are taken up for discussion by the Scrum Team. Each Scrum Team member also uses Effort Estimated Task List to select the tasks they plan to work on in the Sprint, based on their skills and experience. The list of the tasks to be executed by the Scrum Team in the upcoming Sprint is called the Sprint Backlog.

It is common practice in Scrum that the Sprint Backlog is represented on a Scrumboard or task board, which provides a constantly visible depiction of the status of the User Stories in the backlog. Also included in the Sprint Backlog are any risks associated with the various tasks. Any mitigating activities to address the identified risks would also be included as tasks in the Sprint Backlog. Once the Sprint Backlog is finalized and committed to by the Scrum Team, new user stories should not be added – however, tasks that might have been missed or overlooked from the committed user stories may need to be added. If new requirements arise during a Sprint, they will be added to the overall Prioritized Product Backlog and included in a future Sprint.

Another tool associated with the Sprint Backlog is the Sprint Burndown Chart. It is a graph that depicts the amount of work remaining in the ongoing Sprint. The initial Sprint Burndown Chart is accompanied by a planned burndown. The Sprint Burndown Chart should be updated at the end of each day as work is completed. This chart shows the progress that has been made by the Scrum Team and also allows for the detection of estimates that may have been incorrect. If the Sprint Burndown Chart shows that the Scrum Team is not on track to finish the tasks in the Sprint on time, the Scrum Master should identify any obstacles or impediments to successful completion, and try to remove them. A related chart is a Sprint Burnup Chart. Unlike the Sprint Burndown Chart which shows the amount of work remaining, the Sprint Burnup Chart depicts the work completed as part of the Sprint.

So, it is difficult to categorize the Sprint Backlog as a baseline, record or a report. And as Scrum professes minimum documentation, Sprint Backlog fulfills purposes of more than one project document.

In Agile Scrum, effective Sprint Backlog management is crucial for achieving project goals efficiently. The Sprint Backlog, derived from the Product Backlog, lists the tasks that the Scrum Team commits to completing during a Sprint. Managed by the Scrum Master, this dynamic document evolves as new insights emerge and priorities shift. It serves as a guiding tool during Daily Standups, ensuring transparency and focus on the Sprint goal. By continuously refining and updating the Sprint Backlog, teams maintain agility, adaptability, and clarity throughout the Sprint cycle, ultimately delivering valuable increments of work at the end of each iteration.

For more information on Scrum framework, you can read the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK Guide). It can be downloaded for free in SCRUMstudy website: http://www.scrumstudy.com/download-free-buy-SBOK.asp