Locked lesson.
About this lesson
To do the work of the Sprint, a Scrum Team must be assigned.
Exercise files
Download this lesson’s related exercise files.
Step 2: Assign Scrum Team.docx61.8 KB Step 2: Assign Scrum Team - Solution.docx
61 KB
Quick reference
Step 2: Assign Scrum Team
To do the work of the Sprint, a Scrum Team must be assigned.
When to Use Step 2: Assign Scrum Team
The Scrum Team must be assigned prior to the start of the Sprint so that all team members are able to attend Sprint Planning and can be dedicated to the Sprint activities during the time of the Sprint. When possible, Scrum Team members should be identified at least two weeks before the start of the Sprint so they are able to clear their schedule for the duration of the Sprint.
Instructions
Assigning individuals to the Scrum Team seems to be an obvious activity, and it is. However, there are several important points to consider when doing this assignment.
- The Scrum Team is normally cross-functional, with the represented functions being dictated by the Stories in the Sprint Backlog.
- Although the team is cross-functional, that does not mean that certain tasks must be done by a particular team member and no other. The team is cross-functional in order to bring lots of expertise onto the team.
- The team should be designed so that there is adequate skill and experience for them to do all of the stories in the Sprint Backlog. This includes both the technical or functional skills and the business or organizational skills.
- The team needs to have the skills and experience to both estimate the work and do the work.
- In addition the team members must have the personal leadership skills to make decisions. Team members cannot rely on someone else to make their decisions for them.
- The Scrum Team members are assigned full-time to the project for the duration of the Sprint. They do not work on other projects or other activities. The senior managers must take this into consideration when determining who can participate on the Scrum Team.
- The team will decide how best to organize to do the work, senior management does not need to appoint a project leader or Core Team members.
- The Scrum Master often works with senior management to identify individuals for assignment to the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master is familiar with the Story Cards, so he or she can provide insight about the type of work to be done. The Scrum Master often must guide the senior management in team member selection to ensure the individual has the technical and team leadership skills needed to be an effective Scrum Team member.
- If some of the Scrum Team members are not experienced with Agile/Scrum, the Scrum Master will provide the needed training so that they understand the Sprint process and their own roles and responsibilities.
Hints and Tips
- Make sure both management and team members understand that the assignment is a full-time assignment for the duration of the Sprint.
- The personality of the Scrum Team members should be an important consideration. You want someone who is self-motivated and willing to take action. A Scrum Team member who sits back and waits to be told what to do is not very effective.
- Continuing with the museum website example:
- Product Owner: Ray
- Scrum Master: Heather
- Scrum Team: Terry, Rachel, Ted
- The makeup of the Scrum Team was heavily influenced by who was available during the week of the Sprint.
Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.
PMI, PMP, CAPM and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.