This friday we are going to start with the Scrum Team. The roles in a Scrum Team are:
This model is designed to optimize functionality, creativity and productivity, therefore Scrum Teams are self-organizing and cross-functional. Self-organizing, because nobody outside the team can make decisions on it, cross-functional, because team members have all the competencies needed to deliver an increment that meets the definition of “Done”. Each “Done” increment is an useful product version that can be released, which means an increment of feedback. Lets see the Scrum Team roles in detail.
There is one Product Owner per Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team.
He or she, is the only person that manages the Product Backlog. The Product Backlog is a Scrum Artifact that will be discussed in the Scrum Artifacts post, but as it shows the Product Owner’s decisions and he/she manages it, we will gather here what Product Backlog managing includes:
- Clearly defining Product Backlog items. One of this items could be understood as the traditional project requirements or tasks.
- Ordering Product Backlog items, at his/her discretion.
- Ensuring the value the Development Team performs.
- Ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent and clear to all, and shows what the Scrum Team will work on next.
- Ensuring that the Development Team understands the Product Backlog items.
It is important to highlight that the Product Owner is always responsible of ordering the Product Backlog items (assigning priority), but he may have the Development Team estimate the items’ duration, although he/she will remain always accountable.
In order to succeed, the entire organization must respect the Product Owner’s decisions.
The Development Team
It must be composed for a minimum of 3 members and a maximum of 9. Fewer members decreases interaction in team, which may cause a loose of creativity, and may have skill restrictions, compromising cross-functionality. Product Owner and Scrum Master are not included in this number unless they are working on Sprint Backlog’s tasks. As for the Product Backlog, we will discuss the Sprint Backlog in the Scrum Artifact’s post, but for now I will advance you that it is the Product Backlog item selection that will be managed in a Sprint.
The Development Team is made by professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially reusable increment of “Done” at he end of each Sprint. Only members of the Development Team create the increment.
It is important to say that Scrum only recognizes the title “Developer” to the members of the Development Team. Members may have different skills and areas of focus but they do not contain sub-teams.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this week posts, enjoy the weekend, see you at monday with the Scrum Master!
