Scrum-101
Scrum is a very simple framework for the creation of new products. It has its roots in empirical processes and lean manufacturing but can be applied to many different domains. Although Scrum is a simple process the implications of introducing Scrum into an organization can be very significant. This site offers a free comprehensive overview of Scrum that adheres the to latest November 2020 version of the Scrum Guide.
“People tend to interpret Scrum within the context of their current project management methodologies. They apply Scrum rules and practices without fully understanding the underlying principles of self-organization, emergence, and visibility and the inspection & adaptation cycle. They don’t understand that Scrum involves a paradigm shift from control to empowerment, from contracts to collaboration, and from documentation to code.
Ken Schwaber, Agile Project Management with Scrum 2006.
About the course
This is the second version of Scrum 101 and represents an overall comprehensive review of all the original material.
In 2019, the co-creators of Scrum, Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, decided that they needed to revisit and update the Scrum Guide. There was a lot of community debate about the appropriate direction to take the Scrum Guide, but ultimately, the Scrum Guide was completed and published in November 2020. Let me be honest: the latest version of the Scrum Guide is a triumph. It distils many of the important ideas that have been part of the practice of Scrum and focuses on the essential components. It has become my favourite version of the Scrum Guide since the 2011 version.
Importantly, it offers an understanding of Scrum that can effectively guide the community for years.
This version of Scrum-101 was produced to adhere to the November 2020 version of the Scrum Guide. In addition, I’ve learnt a lot about different tools and techniques for online learning, especially since ’20 and I’m bringing all that together with the newly created material.
With the original version of Scrum-101, I wanted to present Scrum as a series of short, concise videos. But there are conversations that need more time than a 3-minute video will allow. This version of Scrum-101 is a broader conversation about Scrum, and the consequences of introducing Scrum into an organisation.
Topics Discussed
What is Scrum?
The first question that is often asked is “What is Scrum?” To answer those questions I start by presenting an overview of the Scrum process. I outline all the different topics that will be discussed in more detail later in the course. This includes the
Scrum Accountabilities, Events, and Artifacts.
Roles, Events & Artifacts
I continue with a deeper look into the three Accountabilities (Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers), the five Scrum Events (the Sprint, Planning, Review, and Retrospective), and the three Artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and the
Product Increment).
Scrum Theory
Scrum is an Empirical process, and works well for domains that are complex. But what exactly does that mean? And are there domains where Scrum does
not work? In this section, I’ll discuss Scrum theory including the pillars of Empirical processes; Transparency, Inspection, and
Adaptation.
Organizational change, Metrics, and Scaling
This final section address some of the implications of introducing Scrum into an organization. Scrum is Systemic Change and introducing Scrum into an organization can be hard
and disruptive to that organization.
I discuss some likely impacts of introducing Scrum, changes to reporting and metrics and finally I present an overview of different approaches to scaling Scru