Retrospective is a “lessons learned” and continuous improvement meeting that lasts one‐hour for a two‐week Sprint. Team members, Scrum Masters, and the Product Owner discuss what worked well and what can be improved on the next Sprint. This one‐hour meeting is held immediately following the Sprint Review.5 Product Backlog Refinement/Grooming (Chapter 8). The Product Backlog refinement meeting is led by the Product Owner, who engages the team members, Scrum Master, stakeholders, and others to determine the next highest priority item(s) on the Product Backlog for the next Sprint. Typically, this two‐hour meeting occurs the morning after a Sprint Retrospective.
Nevertheless, while the durations provided in this list represent typical projects that use the Scrum framework, our Agile audit framework does not subscribe to doubling the time frame in the timeboxed activities unless there is a legitimate and valuable reason to do so. Additionally, we consistently use a two‐week Sprint.
Figure 1.2 visually depicts how the Scrum roles, Artifacts, and activities fit together. In Chapter 4, What Is Agile Audit?, we alter this diagram for the Agile auditing framework.
There is plenty of evidence supporting Agile in any form. According to an article by Consultancy.eu (a European online platform for the advisory and consulting industry), a study by Organize Agile among professionals in 19 countries reported that 83% of respondents said “it is the ability to improve flexibility amid a rapidly changing environment” that makes Agile appealing. “Leveraging a quicker way of bringing incremental innovations and new products/services to the market, companies can timely cater to the changing needs of customers and try to stay ahead of their competition. Sticking to the traditional Waterfall approach in today's environment often means that organizations are left a step behind of their competition” (Consultancy.eu 2020). Auditing must adopt Agile practices to keep up with business needs and avoid being outsourced, or worse, eliminated tomorrow.
Even the Project Management Institute's flagship publication and fundamental resource for effective project management in any industry, the PMBOK (currently in its sixth edition), has been updated to include information on Agile practices alongside traditional approaches with its guidance. It states, “So why an Agile Practice Guide and why now? Project teams have used Agile techniques and approaches in various forms for at least several decades. The Agile Manifesto expressed definitive values and principles of Agile as the use of Agile gained substantial momentum. Today, project leaders and teams find themselves in an environment disrupted by exponential advances in technology and demands from customers for more immediate delivery of value. Agile techniques and approaches effectively manage disruptive technologies. In addition, the first principle of Agile places customer satisfaction as the highest priority and is key in delivering products and services that delight customers. Rapid and transparent customer feedback loops are readily available with the widespread use of social media. Therefore, in order to stay competitive and relevant, organizations can no longer be internally focused but rather need to focus outwardly to the customer experience” (Project Management Institute 2017).
FIGURE 1.2 How Scrum Works
Source: “How Scrum Works: Scrum Framework,” Scrum Inc., https://www.scruminc.com/scrum-framework/.
RECIPE: EXPLAINING THE CONCEPT
We are both cooks, or home chefs if you prefer. Sometimes we are bakers, when we attempt to re‐create some of our favorite desserts from shows like Nailed It, Sugar Rush, or Cake Boss. As chefs and bakers, we start with a recipe. Usually, the first time we make a dish, it is “by the book” and we strictly follow the recipe … unless we lack an ingredient in our pantry. If this is the case, we are Agile and substitute another ingredient or simply make do without it. After the first or second time cooking the dish, we start to look for variations to improve the dish. Sometimes the variations are suggestions from others. Sometimes they are based on personal experience. Sometimes they are driven by food allergies, availability of pantry items, or other necessities.
This approach to using a recipe is analogous to your approach for your Agile audit recipe. Sometimes the recipe is perfectly designed, sometimes the variations make the product better, and sometimes the variations are a complete and utter disaster. Your experiments and learning experiences will drive continuous improvement and each successive dish you prepare will get better and better. Experiment and learn with Agile. This will make you a better Agile auditor and enable you to create better dishes to serve your customers. This is comparable to Scrum; rather than providing detailed instructions, the rules of Scrum guide people's relationships and interactions.
NUGGETS
Agile is a project management approach to breaking down projects into smaller deliverables. It is a mindset of being able to move quickly in response to your environment. There are many frameworks and approaches to Agile project management, including Scrum, which is the most popular. The Agile Manifesto and Agile principles establish a foundation to build an Agile approach for your organization, regardless of which framework you select. Scrum includes a set of values and attempts to create value by collaborating with the customer, streamlining projects, and building efficiency using three roles, three Artifacts, and five activities in every Scrum project. Scrum projects include Sprints. Each Sprint lasts from one week to four weeks. Self‐managing teams complete each Sprint. The team creates a Sprint Backlog to clarify the Sprint tasks the team intends to complete during the Sprint. The Sprint Backlog includes a series of iterations to design, plan, test, inspect, and improve the next iteration and Sprint. Once the Sprint Backlog tasks are complete, the Sprint is over, and a new Sprint begins. The Sprint iterations repeat until the team completes the Scrum project and provides an increment, or product, to the customer. An important aspect to remember is that while implementing only parts of Scrum is possible, the result is not Scrum. Scrum exists only in its entirety and functions well as a container for other techniques, methodologies, and practices. As you begin your transformation, take a look at the recipes to help you determine your methodology. Don't be afraid to adjust the recipes!
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