Integrating the Change into the Scrum
Once the change has been accepted, it needs to be incorporated into the Product Backlog. This will be done by writing a new epic or user story or changing an existing one and then prioritising the new artefact or artefacts in the Product Backlog. The Product Owner will generally write or amend the epics and stories himself in this case, as the rest of the team is committed to the current Sprint, and prioritise the stories in consultation with the stakeholders. The change will then be selected during the next or a subsequent Sprint Planning meeting, depending on its priority, and committed to the Sprint backlog for development. This is where the Scrum Master also plays a role; he must ensure that nothing is changed that will affect completed (or “done”) stories and other artefacts, such as acceptance criteria.
A Sprint Cannot be Changed, except when….
It is a cardinal rule that a Sprint cannot be changed, but this rule is made to be broken in 2 instances:-
- The scrum team overestimated the work effort for the current Sprint backlog, and need more work if they are not going to sit idle towards the end of the Sprint. In this circumstance, they can commit to more user stories from the Product Backlog that will keep them busy.
- The change is so major and immediate that the Sprint cannot continue. In this case, the Sprint is terminated – the remaining contents of the Sprint Backlog are returned to the Product Backlog and a new Sprint Planning Session is started.
While Agile caters for change, the skilled Product Owner is one who can minimise the number of changes to be applied to the product without jeopardising the quality of the finished product or delivering a product that does not meet stakeholder expectations. If he is working in an environment where there is programme and portfolio management, he also has to ensure that the changes align with the scope of the programme and portfolio, by consultation with their respective Product Owners.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course:
Course Contents
Section 1: Agile Project Management
Section 2: Using the Agile Manifesto to Deliver Change
Section 3: The 12 Agile Principles
Section 4: The Agile Fundamentals
Section 5: The Declaration of Interdependence
Section 6: Agile Development Frameworks
Section 7: Introduction to Scrum
Section 8: Scrum Projects
Section 9: Scrum Project Roles
Section 10: Meet the Scrum Team
Section 11: Building the Scrum Team
Section 12: Scrum in Projects, Programs & Portfolios
Section 13: How to Manage an Agile Project
Section 14: Leadership Styles
Section 15: The Agile Project Life-cycle
Section 16: Business Justification with Agile
Section 17: Calculating the Benefits With Agile
Section 18: Quality in Agile
Section 19: Acceptance Criteria and the Prioritised Product Backlog
Section 20: Quality Management in Scrum
Section 21: Change in Scrum
Section 22: Integrating Change in Scrum
Section 23: Managing Change in Scrum
Section 24: Risk in Scrum
Section 25: Risk Assessment Techniques
Section 26: Initiating an Agile Project
Section 27: Forming the Scrum Team
Section 28: Epics and Personas
Section 29: Creating the Prioritised Product Backlog
Section 30: Conduct Release Planning
Section 31: The Project Business Case
Section 32: Planning in Scrum
Section 33: Scrum Boards
Section 34: Sprint Planning
Section 35: User Stories
Section 36: User Stories and Tasks
Section 37: The Sprint Backlog
Section 38: Implementation of Scrum
Section 39: The Daily Scrum
Section 40: The Product Backlog
Section 41: Scrum Charts
Section 42: Review and Retrospective
Section 43: Scrum of Scrums
Section 44: Validating a Sprint
Section 45: Retrospective Sprint
Section 46: Releasing the Product
Section 47: Project Retrospective
Section 48: The Communication Plan
Section 49: Formal Business Sign-off
Section 50: Scaling Scrum
Section 51: Stakeholders
Section 52: Programs and Portfolios