1 of 38

Mastering Agile

A Journey through Scrum

2 of 38

Introduction to Agile and Scrum

Day 1

3 of 38

Expectations

1. Overview of Agile Methodology

2. Understanding Scrum Framework

3. Apply Agile and Scrum methodologies in your respective roles and projects

1. ****: Expect a comprehensive introduction to Agile principles, emphasizing its iterative and adaptive approach to project management. This will likely include its values, principles, and how it differs from traditional project management methodologies.

2. ****: Dive into the specifics of the Scrum framework, which is one of the most popular Agile methodologies. This will cover the roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team), events (Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective), and artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment).

3. **Interactive Learning**: Anticipate engaging activities or simulations designed to solidify understanding. These might include role-playing exercises, case studies, or group discussions to apply Agile and Scrum concepts in practical scenarios.

5. **Setting Expectations and Goals**: The first day is likely to conclude with a discussion on expectations for the training program and individual goals. This might involve setting objectives for what participants hope to achieve by the end of the training and how they plan to apply Agile and Scrum methodologies in their respective roles and projects.

4 of 38

Introduction to Agile Methodologies: History and Background

Agile is an approach to software development that emphasizes incremental delivery, team collaboration, continual planning, and continual learning.

Birth of Agile: In the late 1990s, a group of software developers came together to address the limitations of the waterfall mode (Their names are Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham)l. They created the Agile Manifesto, which emphasized flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development.

Agile Development Origins: Before Agile, the waterfall methodology was the dominant approach in software development. It involved extensive upfront documentation, rigid phases (requirements, design, coding, testing), and a linear progression.

Let me break it down for you:

Incremental Delivery: Instead of waiting for a big launch, agile teams deliver work in small, consumable increments. This allows for quicker value delivery and adaptability.
Team Collaboration: Agile involves cross-functional teams working together. Open communication, collaboration, adaptation, and trust among team members are at the heart of agile practices. Unlike the traditional “waterfall” approach where each discipline contributes sequentially, agile encourages collaboration throughout the project1.
Continuous Planning: Agile teams continuously plan and adapt. They don’t rely on rigid, fixed plans but instead adjust based on feedback and changing requirements.
Continuous Learning: Agile promotes a mindset of learning and improvement. Teams reflect on their processes, learn from mistakes, and iterate to enhance their work.

Waterfall methodology is a well-established project management workflow that follows a linear and sequential approach. Let’s dive into the details:

Requirements: In this initial phase, you outline the big picture of your project’s requirements. These are high-level statements that describe what the system should do. For example, a requirement could be that a B2B software processes a million transactions per day or serves a community of 10,000 concurrent users. These requirements provide a 30,000-foot overview of the entire project ¹.
Design: Once you understand the project requirements, the next step is to design solutions that meet them. Designers create schedules, project milestones, and blueprints for deliverables. For instance, if the requirement is to process one million users per day, the design might recommend redundancy with multiple backend servers to ensure resilience ¹.
Implementation: During this phase, the actual development work takes place. Developers write code, build features, and create the software based on the design specifications. It’s like constructing the building blocks of the project.
Verification: After implementation, thorough testing and verification occur. The goal is to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and functions correctly. This phase includes unit testing, integration testing, and system testing.
Maintenance: Once the software is deployed, ongoing maintenance and support are necessary. This includes bug fixes, updates, and enhancements. Maintenance ensures the system remains reliable and up-to-date.

Waterfall methodology is best suited for projects where the objectives are clearly outlined from the beginning and require a lot of predictability. However, it lacks the flexibility of methodologies like Agile, where adaptability and iterative development are emphasized ¹. So, in summary, Waterfall is like a cascading waterfall—each phase flows sequentially, but there’s no turning back once you’ve moved forward! 💧🌊

5 of 38

Agile Manifesto and Its Principles

The Agile Manifesto outlines the core values and principles that guide Agile methodologies. Here are the 12 principles:

Customer Satisfaction: Prioritize early and continuous delivery of valuable software to satisfy customer needs.
Embrace Change: Welcome changing requirements even late in development for the customer’s advantage.
Frequent Deliveries: Deliver working software frequently (weeks to months) to gather feedback.
Collaboration: Business people and developers must work closely throughout the project.
Motivated Teams: Build projects around motivated individuals, trusting them to get the job done.
Effective Communication: Face-to-face conversation is the most efficient way to convey information within a team.
Working Software as Progress: Measure progress by working software rather than documentation.
Sustainable Development: Promote sustainable development; maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Technical Excellence: Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity: Maximize work not done; keep things simple.
Self-Organizing Teams: The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
Reflect and Adapt: Regularly reflect on effectiveness and adjust behavior

6 of 38

Agile Methods

Agile is an umbrella term encompassing various methodologies and frameworks that share common values and principles. Some of the most well-known Agile methods include:

1. **Scrum**: Perhaps the most widely adopted Agile framework, Scrum emphasizes iterative development within fixed time periods called sprints. It includes roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team, along with specific events like Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

2. **Kanban**: Kanban focuses on visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and maximizing flow. It involves using a Kanban board to visualize tasks, with columns representing different stages of the workflow. Work items move across the board as they progress, with the goal of continuously improving efficiency.

3. **Extreme Programming (XP)**: XP is a software development methodology that emphasizes practices such as continuous integration, test-driven development (TDD), pair programming, and frequent releases. It aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.

4. **Lean Software Development**: Lean principles, adapted from manufacturing, emphasize maximizing customer value while minimizing waste. Lean software development focuses on delivering value quickly, optimizing the whole process, and empowering teams to make decisions.

5. **Crystal**: Crystal methodologies prioritize communication, teamwork, and simplicity. They come in different flavors, such as Crystal Clear, Crystal Orange, and Crystal Yellow, each tailored to different project sizes and priorities.

6. **Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)**: DSDM is an Agile project delivery framework that emphasizes collaboration, iteration, and delivering business value early. It provides a structured approach to Agile project management, with defined roles, phases, and principles.

7. **Feature-Driven Development (FDD)**: FDD is an iterative and incremental software development methodology that focuses on building features in short iterations. It emphasizes domain modeling, feature lists, and frequent releases to deliver tangible value to customers.

8. **Adaptive Software Development (ASD)**: ASD is an Agile methodology that prioritizes adaptation to changing requirements and circumstances. It focuses on collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement to deliver high-quality software in dynamic environments.

9. **Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)**: SAFe is an Agile scaling framework designed to coordinate work across multiple teams in large organizations. It provides a structured approach to scaling Agile practices while maintaining alignment with business objectives.

10. **Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)**: DAD is an Agile delivery framework that incorporates elements from various Agile methods, including Scrum, Kanban, XP, and Lean. It provides guidance on selecting and tailoring Agile practices to meet the needs of specific projects and organizations.

7 of 38

Benefits and Advantages of Agile over Traditional Methodologies

8 of 38

Introduction to Scrum Framework

9 of 38

Overview of the Scrum Framework: Roles, Events, Artifacts

Scrum Development Origins: Before Scrum, traditional methodologies like the waterfall model dominated software development. However, Scrum emerged as a more flexible and adaptive approach.

Scrum is an agile framework for team collaboration and problem solving. It provides a structured approach to managing product development and other knowledge work. Here are the key points about Scrum:

Incremental Delivery: Scrum encourages delivering work in small, valuable increments. Teams work iteratively, producing functional pieces of the product within short time frames called Sprints (usually no longer than one month).
Scrum Team: A Scrum Team consists of three key roles:

Product Owner: Represents stakeholders, defines product requirements, and prioritizes work.
Scrum Master: Facilitates the Scrum process, removes obstacles, and ensures adherence to Scrum principles.
Developers: The team responsible for creating the product.

Events (Meetings):

Sprint Planning: The team plans the work for the upcoming Sprint.
Daily Scrum (Stand-up): A brief daily meeting where team members share progress and discuss any impediments.
Sprint Review: The team demonstrates completed work to stakeholders.
Sprint Retrospective: A reflection on the Sprint to identify improvements.

Artifacts:

Product Backlog: A prioritized list of features, enhancements, and fixes.
Sprint Backlog: The subset of items from the Product Backlog selected for the current Sprint.
Increment: The sum of all completed work during a Sprint.

Empirical Process: Scrum is based on observation, experience, and experimentation. Teams adapt based on feedback and learning.
Scrum Values: Teams adhere to five values:

Courage: Willingness to take risks and address challenges.
Focus: Concentration on Sprint goals.
Commitment: Dedication to achieving Sprint objectives.
Respect: Treating team members with consideration.
Openness: Transparent communication and sharing information.

Why “Scrum”?: The term is inspired by the sport of rugby, where the team comes together in a “scrum” to move the ball forward. Similarly, in Scrum, the team collaborates to move the product forward ¹ ².

Remember, Scrum is all about collaboration, transparency, and delivering value incrementally! 🏉🚀

Scrum Manifesto: Scrum is built on foundational values, principles, and practices. Organizations often customize Scrum to fit their unique context.

The "Scrum Manifesto" is a concept similar to the "Agile Manifesto," but specifically tailored to the Scrum framework. It represents a set of values and principles that guide teams practicing Scrum in their approach to software development and project management. While it's not as formally recognized as the Agile Manifesto, it reflects the core values and principles of Scrum.

The Scrum Manifesto typically emphasizes:

1. **Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools**: Scrum values the contributions of individuals within self-organizing teams and emphasizes effective communication and collaboration over relying solely on processes and tools.

2. **Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation**: Similar to the Agile Manifesto, Scrum prioritizes delivering working software to customers early and frequently. While documentation is important, the primary measure of progress is the working product.

3. **Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation**: Scrum encourages close collaboration with customers and stakeholders throughout the development process to ensure that the product meets their needs and expectations. This collaboration is valued more than negotiating detailed contracts upfront.

4. **Responding to Change over Following a Plan**: Scrum acknowledges that requirements and priorities can change over the course of a project. It embraces change and encourages teams to respond quickly and effectively to new information and evolving customer needs.

5. **Focus on the Sprint**: While not explicitly stated in the Scrum Manifesto, the concept of focusing on the sprint duration (usually two to four weeks) is fundamental to Scrum. Sprints provide a time-boxed framework for delivering incremental value, fostering collaboration, and enabling teams to adapt to change.

The Scrum Manifesto, like the Agile Manifesto, serves as a guiding philosophy for teams practicing Scrum, helping them prioritize values and principles that lead to successful software development outcomes.

10 of 38

Scrum Team: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team

11 of 38

12 of 38

13 of 38

Scrum Roles and Responsibilities

14 of 38

Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is a crucial role responsible for ensuring that the Scrum team operates effectively. They act as both a leader and a behind-the-scenes supporter.

Key Responsibilities:

Facilitate Daily Scrum Meetings: Also known as “daily standups,” these short meetings help the team synchronize their work and address any obstacles.
Lead Sprint Planning Meetings: Collaborate with the team to plan the work for the upcoming sprint.
Conduct Retrospective Reviews: After each sprint, assess what went well and identify areas for improvement.
Individual Communication: Keep a pulse on team members through one-on-one meetings or other forms of communication.
Obstacle Management: Address obstacles that arise by communicating with stakeholders outside the team.

Scrum Masters often embody the concept of a “servant leader” within the Scrum framework.

15 of 38

Product Owner

16 of 38

Development Team

The Development Team includes individuals who do the actual work to create the product increment.

Responsibilities:

Sprint Planning and Goal Setting: Collaborate with the Product Owner to establish sprint goals.
Technical Expertise: Contribute skills in programming, design, testing, and quality assurance.
Creating the Product: Develop features, fix bugs, and enhance the product.
Self-Organization: Work together to achieve sprint goals.

Note that the term “developer” here doesn’t refer only to engineers; it encompasses designers, writers, and other team members with relevant skills.

Collaboration and Communication

Effective collaboration within the Scrum Team is essential.
Regular communication during daily standups, sprint planning, and sprint reviews ensures alignment.
Transparency and openness lead to successful Scrum implementations.

17 of 38

Scrum Practices and Implementation

Day 2

18 of 38

Expectations

1. Deep Dive into Scrum Practices

2. Practical Knowledge

3. Engagement and Interaction

1. ****: Expect a more detailed exploration of the various practices within the Scrum framework. This could include topics such as backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives. Each practice will be dissected to understand its purpose, mechanics, and best practices for implementation.

2. **Hands-on Workshops**: Prepare for interactive workshops or exercises aimed at reinforcing Scrum practices through practical application. This could involve creating user stories, prioritizing the product backlog, conducting sprint planning sessions, or simulating daily stand-ups and sprint reviews.

3. **Role-Specific Guidance**: Receive tailored guidance based on your role within the Scrum team. Whether you're a Product Owner, Scrum Master, or Development Team member, expect discussions and activities geared towards understanding your responsibilities and how you can effectively fulfill them within the Scrum framework.

5. **Continuous Improvement Mindset**: Emphasize the importance of continuous improvement within the Scrum framework. Discussions on inspecting and adapting practices to optimize team performance and product delivery will likely be central to day two, fostering a culture of learning and evolution within your Scrum team.

19 of 38

Sprint Planning Meeting: Purpose and Process

What is Sprint Planning?: Sprint planning is an essential event in Scrum that kicks off the sprint. Its purpose is to define what can be delivered in the upcoming sprint and how that work will be achieved.

Collaboration: Sprint planning involves the entire Scrum team, including the product owner, Scrum master, and development team.
Key Steps:

The What: The product owner describes the sprint goal and the backlog items contributing to that goal.
The How: The development team plans the work necessary to achieve the sprint goal.
The Who: Both the product owner and development team actively participate.

Inputs: Start with the product backlog, which lists potential items for the current sprint. Consider existing work done in the increment and team capacity.
Outputs: The sprint planning meeting results in a clear sprint goal and a sprint backlog that outlines the work to be done 1

20 of 38

Product Backlog Refinement: Techniques and Best Practices

What is Backlog Refinement?: Backlog refinement involves reviewing, ranking, and editing the product backlog. It ensures that the development team builds features and functionalities aligned with customer needs and business goals.

Near-Term vs. Long-Term Items:

Near-Term: Fully flesh out these items—complete user stories, collaborate with design and development, and estimate effort.
Longer-Term: Keep them somewhat vague, but obtain rough estimates from the development team for prioritization.

Recurring Meetings: Conduct collaborative backlog refinement sessions regularly (usually before each sprint planning meeting). Allocate about 30 minutes for the process.
Tips for Success:

Involve the Right People: Product owners, scrum masters, and relevant team members should participate.
Allocate Appropriate Time: Backlog refinement is not timeboxed like other Scrum events.
Progressively Elaborate: Flesh out near-term items thoroughly.
Size and Split: Keep longer-term items manageable.
Create a Definition of Ready: Define criteria for backlog items to be considered ready for sprint planning.
Address Changes: Adapt the backlog based on feedback and evolving requirements.

21 of 38

Estimation Techniques: Story Points

Resources

https://resources.scrumalliance.org/Article/keys-effective-product-backlog-refinement

https://asana.com/resources/planning-poker

https://www.easyagile.com/blog/planning-poker-agile/

22 of 38

Daily Scrum and Sprint Execution

23 of 38

Daily Scrum Meeting: Structure and Objectives

24 of 38

Sprint Execution: Collaboration, Problem-Solving, and Removing Impediments

25 of 38

Monitoring Progress: Task Boards

26 of 38

Sprint Review, and Retrospective

Day 3

27 of 38

Expectations

1. Sprint Review Process

2. Sprint Retrospective Process

3. Deep Dive into the Sprint Retrospective event

4. Implementing Retrospective Actions

1. ****: Day three will focus on the Sprint Review event within the Scrum framework. Expect a detailed walkthrough of the Sprint Review process, including its purpose, attendees, and agenda. This will involve understanding how to showcase the completed work to stakeholders, gather feedback, and adapt the product backlog based on stakeholder input.

2. **Demonstrating Completed Work**: Prepare to learn strategies for effectively demonstrating completed work during the Sprint Review. This may include techniques for showcasing product increments, highlighting key features, and soliciting constructive feedback from stakeholders.

3. **Gathering Stakeholder Feedback**: Understand the importance of gathering feedback from stakeholders during the Sprint Review. Expect discussions on techniques for soliciting feedback, handling diverse stakeholder perspectives, and prioritizing feedback for incorporation into future sprints.

4. ****:, which focuses on continuous improvement within the Scrum team. Expect to learn about the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective, its format, and how to facilitate productive retrospectives to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

5. ****: Explore strategies for implementing actions identified during the Sprint Retrospective to improve team effectiveness and product delivery. This may involve discussing techniques for tracking and prioritizing retrospective action items, assigning ownership, and evaluating their impact on subsequent sprints.

28 of 38

Sprint Review Meeting: Demonstrating the Increment and Gathering Feedback

29 of 38

Sprint Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective is a time for the Scrum Team to reflect on their processes and identify areas for improvement.

Key points to include:

Purpose: Explain why retrospectives are essential (continuous improvement).
Format: Discuss how the team conducts retrospectives (e.g., Start-Stop-Continue, 4Ls, Sailboat).
Action Items: Highlight that the team identifies actionable items for the next sprint.

Techniques for Effective Retrospectives:

Mention the following techniques:

Start-Stop-Continue: Discuss what worked well (continue), what needs to stop, and what new practices to start.
4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For): Encourage team members to share their perspectives on these four aspects.
Sailboat (or Speedboat) Retrospective: Use the metaphor of a sailboat to explore what propels the team forward (wind) and what holds them back (anchors).

Continuous Improvement Mindset: Implementing Changes:

Stress the importance of a growth mindset and continuous learning.
Discuss how the team implements changes based on retrospective findings.
Mention that Scrum encourages adaptability and evolution.

30 of 38

CAPSTONES/ASSESSMENTS

31 of 38

TASKS

The tasks below speak directly to the roles and responsibilities of Emeka, Timothy, Godstime, Martins, and Michael as developers, allowing them to engage with Agile and Scrum concepts in a way that's relevant to their daily work and challenges.

Presentation Format: PPT�Presentation Duration: 15mins each

32 of 38

Emeka

Task: Dive into the Agile Manifesto and select one principle that aligns with your experiences as a developer. Craft a presentation outlining the chosen principle's significance from a developer's perspective, supported by real-world examples of its application in software development projects. Enhance your presentation with code snippets, technical diagrams, and practical demonstrations.

33 of 38

Timothy

Task: Assume the role of a Scrum Master within a simulated Sprint Planning session, focusing on backlog prioritization and estimation from a developer's viewpoint. Collaborate with a partner to prioritize backlog items based on technical complexity and estimate their effort in terms of development time. Summarize the technical considerations and decisions made during the meeting in a clear and concise presentation.

34 of 38

Godstime

Task: Explore the intricacies of the Scrum framework by delving into the roles and responsibilities of the Development Team, emphasizing the developer's perspective. Prepare a presentation that discusses the unique challenges faced by developers within the Scrum framework, such as technical debt management, code quality assurance, and collaboration with other team members. Share practical insights and strategies for overcoming these challenges effectively.

35 of 38

Martins

Task: Participate in a mock Daily Scrum meeting alongside classmates, embodying the role of a developer. Facilitate technical discussions, identify potential technical impediments, and propose solutions or workarounds. Present the outcomes of the meeting, emphasizing the technical aspects discussed, including architecture decisions, coding challenges, and progress updates.

36 of 38

Michael

Task: Research and analyze various scaling Agile frameworks, such as Scrum of Scrums, LeSS, and SAFe, with a focus on their implications for developers. Create a comparative analysis presentation that examines how each framework addresses developer concerns such as code integration, cross-team communication, and technical debt management. Provide insights into how these frameworks impact the development process and team dynamics.

37 of 38

PRESENTATIONS

Day 4

38 of 38

THANK YOU