Understanding Roles on an Agile Project

Editor's Notes

• #2: Understanding Roles on an agile Project: Scrum Master, Product Owner, Project ManagerThe ideal agile team is a self organizing, dedicated, cross functional group that has all the skills necessary to deliver a solution that solves their customer's problem.  As a result, the list of roles on an agile team is fairly short generally consisting of roles such as Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Team.  Given all that,  many project managers wonder where they fit in.  They may act as the Product Owner if they have the skill set and decision making authority to determine what the product should contain.  They may become the Scrum Master if they are able to practice servant leadership and act as a coach and facilitator.  They may become part of the team and help develop or test.  They may focus on coordinating the efforts of multiple agile teams to support the broader goals of a large program.  They may not be a good fit for an agile environment at all.  Join Kent McDonald as he describes the Product Owner and Scrum Master roles in an agile environment and discusses the various ways that project managers can assess their skill sets and project characteristics to determine where they fit into the picture.Learning Objectives:§       Understand the roles and responsibilities of Product Owner and Scrum Master (Agile Coach) in agile teams§       Understand where the traditional project management responsibilities are handled in agile projects§       Learn how to determine where you fit on your next agile project.
• #4: http://www.wpclipart.com/signs_symbol/safety_signs/caution_sign_w_exclamation.png
• #10: Story of team at Wells Fargo
• #14: Talk about the multitude of stakeholders on the PIC Project.
• #15: Define the features of the productDecide on release date and contentOwn the profitability of the productPrioritize features based on business valueIdentify acceptance criteria for the productEnsure stakeholder interests are consideredDefine product visionBe available to answer team questionsEssence of Product Ownership:Define what problem needs solvedIdentify & achieve the Value from solving this problemMake timely and informed DecisionsOwn process and result during and afterDrivers of Product Owner Effectiveness:Personal vested interestAccept accountabilityConnect project to organizational goalsAlign project to strategic planEngage proactivelyMotivate and rewardAct corporatelyAdvocate change
• #21: Describe how Robin and Holly are working as the multiple roles on the BPM project. Contrast that with how I am working as Product Owner on Submission System.
• #22: http://blogs.versionone.com/agile_management/2012/01/13/everything-i-learned-about-scrum-teams-i-learned-from-mash/Picture from : http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTk1NDY1ODIyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTg1NDU2._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_.jpgEnsure the team has the appropriate environment to succeedRemoves obstaclesCoach and mentor the team on working together and practices they choose to adoptEnsure the team is fully functional and productiveEnable close cooperation across all roles and functionsShield the team from external interfaces
• #24: Talk about the various Scrum Masters:Bob Morehouse – pbSmart Postage (systems engineer ie Business Analyst)Nicole Arringdale – from Project ManagerSome teams rotate Scrum Master rolePanorama Teams – Senior Developers take Scrum Master role
• #25: Commit to deliver product increments in each iterationMeet commitmentsDetermine the size of user storiesSelect the processes used to deliver value to customersReflect and adapt on process and product on a regular basisEstablish and agree to a definition of done for product incrementsDecide on and maintain a sustainable paceHold each other accountable to meet team commitmentsHelp remove bottlenecksIncludes everyone working on the projectMembers should be full timeThe team determines how the product is delivered and how the work is divided up to do that based on the conditions at the time.Cross-functional:Programmers, testers, business analysts, etc.Members should be full-timeMay be exceptions (e.g., database administrator)Teams are self-organizingIdeally, no titles but rarely a possibilityMembership should change only between iterations
• #27: Develop project charterDevelop project management planDirect and manage Project ExecutionMonitor and Control Project workPerform Integrated Change ControlClose Project or Phase
• #28: Collect RequirementsDefine ScopeCreate WBSVerify ScopeControl Scope
• #29: Define activitiesSequence activitiesEstimate Activity ResourcesEstimate Activity DurationsDevelop ScheduleControl Schedule
• #30: Estimate CostsDetermine budgetsControl Costs
• #31: Plan QualityPerform Quality AssurancePerform Quality Control
• #32: Develop Human Resource PlanAcquire Project TeamDevelop Project TeamManage Project Team
• #33: Identify StakeholdersPlan CommunicationsDistribute InformationManage Stakeholder ExpectationsReport Performance
• #34: Plan Risk managementIdentify RisksPerform Qualitative Risk AnalysisPerform Quantitative Risk AnalysisPlan Risk ResponseMonitor and Control Risks
• #35: Plan procurements Conduct ProcurementsAdminister ProcurementsClose Procurements
• #38: If you find that your project management style is to work closely with a team or could be described as “servant leadership”—teaching more than telling, facilitating more than directing—you may find that you can slide into a coach role very easily. You may need to increase your understanding of agile values, principles, and techniques first, but having the coach mindset will help.
• #39: If you find that you spend most of your time as a project manager focusing on what the project is trying to accomplish, worrying about product scope, and figuring out the business implications, you may be able to act as a product owner, especially in those situations where the actual sponsor or clients are not easily accessible. You actually would be more of a client proxy, which has become more common as the adoption of agile has spread. Brush up on your analysis skills before tackling this role, because these are critical to success as a product owner. If you're one of the former business analysts who only switched to project management because it seemed like the next best step on the career ladder, you may find  yourself sliding into this role. 
• #40: Perhaps you have a background in development or testing, and got into project management because it looked like a good career move at the time. Now that you are there, you may realize it’s not quite right for you. Agile provides a great opportunity to move back into development and testing and while applying the project management skills you learned. You can become a member of the team doing development work, but also helping the other team members with estimating, and figuring out how to get some of the work done. In this case you may need to brush up a bit on your technical skills.
• #41: Finally, if you were born to be a project manager and like to coordinate the activities of others, there is still a need for this role, especially on more complex projects. You may have to revise your leadership style, especially if you tend to act with a command and control mind set. You will find that trying to dictate modes of operating to a set of self-organizing teams will cause a great deal of tension in the project team and will greatly reduce the overall effectiveness of the team.
• #43: Clearly defined scopeLet team do their job and produce resultProcess ceremony unnecessaryMinimal core set of practices
• #44: Simple Projects with High UncertaintyBusiness/technical uncertaintySmall team close togetherKeep process ceremony and documentation to minimum needed by teamContinual and rapid feedbackLeader needs strong connectionto source of uncertainty
• #45: Complex Projects with Low UncertaintyMature systems that are important to the businessLarge project teamsDisciplined change control and rigorous requirementsDefined and published interfacesOften integration projects involving a number of sheepdogs.
• #46: Complex Projects with High UncertaintyEmbrace change through iterative feedbackEfficient communication channelsOften next-generation products or solutionsRequire best, most seasoned leadersUnderstand business, technology, people, and process