Scrum roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers

Try 3 questions on this

Pick an answer to see why each option is right or wrong.

1. A Product Owner asked the Developers to write the Product Backlog items for a technical component. The sponsor finds one item unclear and asks the project manager who is accountable for it. Which of the following should the project manager name?

   Right. In the game that’s Renown for your People building.

   Not that one: A is right. In the game your People building would lose a little Renown, and this question would come back later.

   The answerA.The Product OwnerThe Scrum Guide makes the Product Owner accountable for Product Backlog management, including creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items.Your answerB.The Developers who wrote itThe Developers did the delegated work, but the Scrum Guide keeps the accountability with the Product Owner.Your answerC.The Product Owner and Developers jointlyDelegating the work does not split the accountability; it stays with the Product Owner alone.Your answerD.The Scrum MasterThe Scrum Master helps the team understand the need for clear items but is not accountable for them.

   Show the full explanation and doc quotes

   The Product Owner may delegate that work to others, but remains accountable, so the unclear item is the Product Owner's to answer for.

   Written from scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

2. A department head proposes naming a lead Developer inside a Scrum Team to decide each day who works on what and in which order. Which of the following should the project manager recommend?

   Right. In the game that’s Renown for your People building.

   Not that one: B is right. In the game your People building would lose a little Renown, and this question would come back later.

   Your answerA.Have the Scrum Master assign workThe Scrum Master coaches the team in self-management rather than allocating its work.The answerB.Keep the team self-managingThe Scrum Guide says Scrum Teams are self-managing: they decide internally who does what, when and how, and there are no sub-teams or hierarchies within a Scrum Team. The organization structures and empowers them to manage their own work.Your answerC.Let the Product Owner assign tasksThe Product Owner orders the Product Backlog but does not hand out the Developers' tasks.Your answerD.Make a senior Developer team leadA team lead creates a hierarchy inside the Scrum Team, which the Scrum Guide says has none.

   Written from scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

3. During Sprint Planning, the Product Owner, who used to be an engineer, sets out exactly how each selected item should be built and split into tasks. Which of the following should the project manager encourage?

   Right. In the game that’s Renown for your People building.

   Not that one: C is right. In the game your People building would lose a little Renown, and this question would come back later.

   Your answerA.Ask stakeholders to approve the designNo stakeholder sign-off on the technical approach is part of Sprint Planning; the Developers decide how.Your answerB.Have the Scrum Master assign tasksThe Scrum Master coaches self-management; assigning tasks would take over a decision that belongs to the Developers.The answerC.Let the Developers plan the workThe Scrum Guide's Sprint Planning Topic Three says that, for each selected Product Backlog item, the Developers plan the work needed to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done.Your answerD.Adopt the Product Owner's build approachThe Product Owner is accountable for the Product Backlog and may know the technology, but how selected items become an Increment is not the Product Owner's call.

   Show the full explanation and doc quotes

   How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Developers, and no one else tells them how.

   Written from scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html