(Agile Development Model)

FEMININE: Scrum master

Scrum is facilitated by a scrum master, who is accountable for removing impediments to the ability of the team to deliver the product goals and deliverables. The scrum master is not a traditional team leador project manager but acts as a buffer between the team and any distracting influences. The scrum master ensures that the Scrum framework is followed. The scrum master helps to ensure the team follows the agreed processes in the Scrum framework, often facilitates key sessions, and encourages the team to improve. The role has also been referred to as a team facilitator^[25] or servant-leader to reinforce these dual perspectives.

The core responsibilities of a scrum master include (but are not limited to):^[26]

• Helping the product owner maintain the product backlog in a way that ensures the needed work is well understood so the team can continually make forward progress
• Helping the team to determine the definition of done for the product, with input from key stakeholders
• Coaching the team, within the Scrum principles, in order to deliver high-quality features for its product
• Promoting self-organization within the team
• Helping the scrum team to avoid or remove impediments to its progress, whether internal or external to the team
• Facilitating team events to ensure regular progress
• Educating key stakeholders in the product on Scrum principles
• Coaching the development team in self-organization and cross-functionality

One of the ways the scrum master role differs from a project manager is that the latter may have people management responsibilities and the scrum master does not. Scrum does not formally recognise the role of project manager, as traditional command and control tendencies would cause difficulties.^[27]

Adaptive vs. predictive

Development methods exist on a continuum from adaptive to predictive.^[33] Agile software development methods lie on the adaptive side of this continuum. One key of adaptive development methods is a rolling wave approach to schedule planning, which identifies milestones but leaves flexibility in the path to reach them, and also allows for the milestones themselves to change.^[34]

FEMININE: Adaptive methods focus on adapting quickly to changing realities. When the needs of a project change, an adaptive team changes as well. An adaptive team has difficulty describing exactly what will happen in the future. The further away a date is, the more vague an adaptive method is about what will happen on that date. An adaptive team cannot report exactly what tasks they will do next week, but only which features they plan for next month. When asked about a release six months from now, an adaptive team might be able to report only the mission statement for the release, or a statement of expected value vs. cost.

MASCULINE: Predictive methods, in contrast, focus on analysing and planning the future in detail and cater for known risks. In the extremes, a predictive team can report exactly what features and tasks are planned for the entire length of the development process. Predictive methods rely on effective early phase analysis and if this goes very wrong, the project may have difficulty changing direction. Predictive teams often institute a change control board to ensure they consider only the most valuable changes.

Iterative vs. waterfall

One of the differences between agile software development methods and waterfall is the approach to quality and testing. In the waterfall model (MASCULINE), there is always a separate testing phase after a build phase; however, in agile software development (FEMININE) testing is completed in the same iteration as programming.

Because testing is done in every iteration—which develops a small piece of the software—users can frequently use those new pieces of software and validate the value. After the users know the real value of the updated piece of software, they can make better decisions about the software’s future. Having a value retrospective and software re-planning session in each iteration—Scrum typically has iterations of just two weeks—helps the team continuously adapt its plans so as to maximize the value it delivers. This follows a pattern similar to the PDCA cycle, as the work is planned, done, checked (in the review and retrospective), and any changes agreed are acted upon.

This iterative approach supports a product rather than a project mindset. This provides greater flexibility throughout the development process; whereas on projects the requirements are defined and locked down from the very beginning, making it difficult to change them later. Iterative product development allows the software to evolve in response to changes in business environment or market requirements.^[37]

Because of the short iteration style of agile software development, it also has strong connections with the lean startup concept.