1.
Your Scrum Checklist
The Hard Facts:
Roles. Artefacts. All Meetings.
Wien. New York. Recife. Baden-Baden.
Text by Boris Gloger | Scrumlies by Jo Legat | Realization by Katrin Dietze
Version 2/10 © Boris Gloger
ISBN 978-3-000-28201-0

2.
Scrum is a framework with simple rules.
Scrum Checklists will help you to remember these simple rules in
General Meeting Rules
Basics:
the heat of daily work and stress. Scrum Checklists enable you to
Every meeting starts on time and ends on time.
create an enjoyable and productive work environment with your
Every meeting is an open meeting. Everyone can attend.
Scrum-Team.
Every meeting is time-boxed.
Preparation:
For Scrum Beginners - Follow the Checklists, do
1. Invite everybody who is necessary ahead of time so that
Scrum by the book.This will enable you to run you
they can prepare.
first 3 to 4 Sprints very successfully. Your success
2. Send out an agenda with goal and purpose of the meeting.
will facilitate to spread Scrum in your organization.
3. Book all resources for the meeting:
For Scrum Intermediates - Use your common sense room, data projector, flip charts, facilitation equipment and
to tweak your processes guided by these Scrum anything else you will need for your meeting
Checklists. 4. Send a reminder 24 hrs before the meeting.
As an experienced ScrumMaster - Use Scrum Check- 5. Prepare a flip chart with meeting rules.
lists as your safety belt in stressful situations.
Facilitation of the Meeting:
1. The facilitator has to be present during the discussion. He is not
Scrum Checklists do not replace experience and practice. allowed to be involved in the discussion but he needs to follow
Scrum Checklists are not procedures that you have to follow. and bring the discussion back to the topic in case the partici-
Scrum Checklists help to run a successful Scrum in a demanding pants lose focus.
environment. 2. He presents the meeting goal and agenda.
3. He agrees on a person who will write the meeting minutes
if necessary.
4. He will be the scribe for the Team or teach them how to do the
Keep alive 10 Basic Practices:
documentation themselves and might record what is said on a
flip chart to visualize the conversation.
1. A clear and catching Vision 5. He keeps the focus of the meeting by using tools like the Park-
2. A maintained Product Backlog ing Lot to capture issues or questions that aren‘t related to the
3. A sorted Product Backlog based on business value meeting‘s purpose so that they may be addressed later.
4. Backlog Items are sized by the Team 6. He ends the meeting with a wrap–up and a very short retro-
5. Daily Scrums spective (5 minutes only).
6. Burn Down Charts
7. The Sprint is not disturbed by management and/or customers Output:
8. The software the Team delivers is “done” • Document using scribbles or flip chart notes.
9. A collaborative Sprint Review Take some photographs of your boards and flip charts.
10. Sprint Retrospectives with focus on improvement in • Meeting minutes and a clear understanding of the meeting
the work process of the Team and the organization result must be communicated.
1| | 2

3.
HOW to do - Sprint Planning 2 CHECK it - Daily Scrum
Estimation Meeting WHAT to do - Sprint Planning 1
The
Purpose: Scrum PB
Procedure:
Flow
1. For strategic planning you need to know the size of the Backlog
Items. It is a necessary input for release planning and for gaining
1. The Product Owner presents the Product Backlog Items she
wants to have estimated.
©
an understanding of how much a Team might be able to develop
2009 2. The Team plays Planning Poker for those Backlog Items.
in a Sprint. 3. In case the Backlog Item is large but needs to go into the next
2. It enables the team members to see what will happen in the or subsequent Sprints, the Team will split the Backlog Item into
following phases of the project. smaller Backlog Items. Re-size the new Backlog Item by playing
3. Grooming Backlog Items: Get better understanding for Sprint # 1
Backlog Planning Poker for it again.
Sprint # 2 Sprint # 3
Items by decomposing them if appropriate. 4. Re-size Backlog Items that are not done but likely to be a
9:00
request for the next three Sprints.
....... 5. Identify Backlog Items that need to be clarified for the next
....... .......
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Basics: CU
STO MER
Estimation Meeting.
Do your Daily Scrum every day! Do your Daily Scrum every day! Do your Daily Scrum every day!
Only the Team estimates. A Product Owner needs to be present
M
ANAGER
to help to decide when a story can be broken into smaller stories.
Product Idea
Duration:
Estimation Meeting
Ingredients: Time-box this meeting to 90 min or less.
12:00 If the Sprint is longer than a week, a desirable
90 min frequency of Estimation Meetings is two meetings
• The Product Backlog that is prioritized per Sprint.
Review
Review
Review
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
according to business value by the
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Product Owner.
Output: InsiderTip:business value
VISION
• Planning Poker Cards Try also meetings for
• Estimated Product Backlog
estimation Owner(s) on a
spective
spective
spective
Retro- • Smaller Backlog Items Product asis.
Retro-
Retro-
PR
ER
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
O N
DU
CT OW
Colored icon = mandatory participant • Issues that need to be clarified weekly b
Grey icon = optional participant
SC
R
R E
UM T
MAS
18:00
Scrum Flow
TEAM
Day 1 Release
Product Backlog
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
prioritized
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Don‘ts PB PB PB PB PB PB
1. Do not size effort - only the Team does!
2. The Product Owner does not size.
3. Do not do this activity as part of the Sprint
Planning Meeting #1.
1
20 100
?
5 2
Planning
Poker
M
ANAGER
CU
STO MER USER
CU
STO MER
M
ANAGER USER 13 30
40 8 Play!
3
Releaseplan Releaseplan Update 5
3| | 4
20
8
8

4.
Sprint Planning Meeting - Part 1
Procedure:
Purpose: 1. Start with the first Product Backlog Item (Story).
Metaphor for this meeting: Analysis. The goal of this meeting is 2. Understand this Product Backlog Item by discussing its
to understand in detail what the End User wants. This meeting requirements.
will enable the product development team to get a clear picture 3. Clarify the user acceptance tests.
of what is needed by the End User. At the end of this meeting the 4. Find the aspects (performance, stability, ...).
Team will be able to decide what they are able to deliver. 5. Find the acceptance criteria.
6. Figure out what its level of done is.
7. Get a clear picture about every Backlog Item.
Basics: 8. Draw pictures about what needs to be delivered
(flow charts, UML diagrams, scribbles, screen designs).
Only the team members decide how many Backlog Items the
9. Go back to step 1 - take the next Backlog Item.
Team can take on for the Sprint.
Process Check:
Ingredients:
Ask the Team if they can quickly answer the following question,
• Estimated and sorted Product only as a rough guess: "Can we do the first Backlog Item in this
Backlog Sprint?“ If the answer is "Yes“ keep asking until the last Backlog
• Flip charts, markers, scissors, glue, Item you have analyzed so far.
sticky notes, whiteboards, pencils,
crayons Next - Take a break.
• Vacation planner, contact details of
important persons After the break:
Start with the process above for the next Backlog Item.
r:
ct Ownes king
the Produ
erTip for e of urge n cy by atheir
Insid a sens Ending this Process:
on of
Create m for sy nchronizatie verybody 1. Stop 20 min before the end of the Sprint Planning #1.
the T hes or by telli ng are.
ea 2. Ask again - this time more seriously:
wristwatce emergency exits "Can you do the first Backlog Item, ..., the second, ...?“
where th 3. Stop if they do not believe they can do any more Backlog Items.
4. Now - a very important step: Send out the Product Owner.
She really must go! Everyone, except the Team and the Scrum
Duration/Location: Master, goes away. Customer, End User, everyone else – out!
60 min per week of the Sprint. Run this meeting in 5. Ask the Team after everyone else left the room:
the morning - to be able to have the Sprint Planning "Very seriously - Is this the list you believe you can do?“
60 min/ Meeting #2 on the same day. 6. Hopefully they will now hold a short discussion to find out what
SprintW
they really think they can do.
7. Communicate the answer to the Product Owner and End Users.
No discussion allowed!
Output:
• Selected Product Backlog
Don‘ts
• Requirements for each Backlog Item
1. Do not resize the Backlog Items.
• User Acceptance Test for each Backlog Item
2. Do not estimate tasks.
5| | 6

5.
Sprint Planning Meeting - Part 2
Purpose: Procedure:
Metaphor for this meeting: Design. The product development 1. Go to Backlog Item 1.
team has the chance to create the design for the solution they 2. Confirm your understanding of what is wanted by looking at
want to implement. At the end of this meeting, the Team knows your flip charts.
how to build the functionality they will develop in that Sprint. 3. Run your design session around this backlog item based on
( see Sprint Planning Meeting #1). questions like:
• What interfaces do we need to write?
HOW to do - Sprint Planning 2
• What architecture do we need to create? CHECK it
WHAT to do - Sprint Planning 1
Ingredients:
The
• What tables do we need to update?
• What components do we need to update or write?
Scrum
• People who can help the Team to
build the solution during the Sprint, PB
When the Team has a clear understanding about the way it
Flow
e.g. vendors or people from other wants to build that feature, it can move to the next Backlog Item.
In the last 10 min of the meeting the team members use sticky-
teams. ©2009
notes to write initial tasks. This helps the team members
• Selected Product Backlog to know where to start the next day. Put it on the task board.
Do not estimate these tasks.
• Flip charts, markers, scissors, glue,
Sprint # 1 Sprint # 2 Sprint #
sticky notes, whiteboards, pencils,
crayons... 9:00
Duration/Location:
60 min per week of the Sprint. Run this meeting right
....... after the Sprint Planning Meeting #1, e.g. have lunch
.......
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
CU
STO MER
60 min/ as
Do your Daily Scrum every day! a greater break, butDaily the Sprint Planning #2 on Do your Daily Scr
Do your do Scrum every day!
Basics: M
ANAGER SprintW the same day.
Only the product development team defines the solution.
Product Idea
Architects or other people outside the Team are only invited to
Estimation Meeting
help the Team. They are not allowed to make design decisions for Scrum Flow
the Team. The role of these people in the meeting will be defined
by the team members only. 12:00
Review
Review
Sprint
Sprint
Don‘ts:
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
1. Do not estimate tasks.
2. Do not assign tasks.
VISION
spective
spective
Retro-
Retro-
PR
ER
Sprint
Sprint
O
Output: DU N
CT OW
• Design of your application
SC
R
R E
UM T
MAS
• Architecture diagrams, charts, drawings 18:00
• Some tasks TEAM
• Ensure that the Team has a clear understanding of how to do it! Day 1
Product Backlog
7| | 8
ation
ation
ation
ation
ation
ation
prioritized
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing

6.
Task board
The task board is a combined visual representation of the Selected 3. Work in Progress
Product Backlog and the Sprint Backlog. • When a team member starts a
task, he moves the card of this
• The task board is maintained by task into the 'Work in Progress'
the Team only. column.
• Try to have a big white board. • A task that has not been finished
If you have a distributed Team, since the last Daily Scrum stays
you may use software. in this column and gets a mark
Check the 'Scrum tools list' on (usually a red dot) on it.
www.borisgloger.com and • Try to split the task in smaller
choose one that fits your needs. pieces when it stays longer than
Keep things simple, a Scrum tool a day in 'Tasks to Do'. Then put
will not solve problems. It helps the new tasks into that column,
you to communicate over distances. remove the parent card.Take a
Talk about your work, not about new task and start working on it.
your tool. • If a task can not be completed
because of an impediment, it
gets a red dot and the Scrum-
Master notes down an impedi-
ment.
The task board has 4 columns:
4. Done
1. Selected Product Backlog (Stories)
When a task card is finished then
Put all Product Backlog Items / Stories it is put into the 'Done' column by
the Team wants to do in this Sprint in the team member who worked on
prioritized order into this column. it. Start to work on the next card.
Definition of Done
Clearify what “Done” means for your Team by making it visible
to the organization. A very good idea is to run a short brain-
storming session. Create a list that describes in detail what
2. Tasks To Do “Done” means for your Team.*
To complete a story you usually need
to have some tasks done. Collect all • Brainstorm about the items in your Team.
necessary new tasks you find for this • Categorize the items (Story, Sprint, Release to Integration,
specific Backlog Item either in the Release to Production).
Sprint Planning Meeting or while per- • Sort the items and refine it.
forming the Sprint in this column. • Publish that list to your organization.
Follow this list.
9| * I got this idea from Mitch Lacey | 10

7.
HOW to do - Sprint Planning 2 CHECK it - Daily Scrum
WHAT to do - Sprint Planning 1
The
Scrum PB
Flow
©
2009 Tactical
Level
Sprint # 1 Sprint # 2 Sprint # 3 Sprint # 4
9:00
....... ....... ....... .......
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
Sprint Planning 1
CU
STO MER
Do your Daily Scrum every day! Do your Daily Scrum every day! Do your Daily Scrum every day!
M
ANAGER
Product Idea
Estimation Meeting
12:00
Review
Review
Review
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
Sprint Planning 2
VISION
spective
spective
spective
Retro-
Retro-
Retro-
Retro-
PR
ER
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
Sprint
O N
DU
CT OW
SC
R
R E
UM
MAS
T Version 1.2
18:00
TEAM
Day 1 Release
Product Backlog
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
Estimation
prioritized
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
Meeting
PB PB PB PB PB PB PB
1
20 100
?
5 2
Strategic
Planning
Poker
M
ANAGER
CU
STO MER USER
CU
STO MER
M
ANAGER USER 13 30
40 8 Play!
3
Level
Releaseplan Releaseplan Update 5
20
8
8
version 0.0 version 1.0 version 1.3 version 2.0 version 0.0 version 1.0 version 1.2 version 2.0 13 TEAM
5
SIZE it - Estimation Meeting

8.
proudly in
We
tro
duce
THE
SCRUMLIES
Scrum Roles
Metaphor: We run a movie!
ScrumMaster - The Film Director Customer - The Producer
The ScrumMaster protects the Team from all The Customer is the requestor of the product
external disturbances. He is not part of the from the Scrum-Team. She contracts organiza-
Team and is its leader and a facilitator. He im- tions for developing products. Typically these
proves the productivity of the Scrum-Team are executive Managers in organizations who
and controls the “inspect and adapt” cycles of buy software development from external
Scrum. He protects the Team and works with software development companies. In an internal
the Product Owner to maximize the return product development organization the person
on investment. He makes sure that the agile who is responsible for approving the budget for
ideals are understood and respected by all a project is in the customer role.
stakeholders. However he is not responsible
for the delivery of the product.
Product Owner -The Storywriter
The Product Owner drives the project from
Team - The Actors the business point of view. She communicates
The Team delivers the product and is respon- a clear Vision of the product and she defines
sible for its quality. The Team works with all its main characteristics. She also accepts the
the requestors - the Customers and the End product at the end of a Sprint. The Product
Users - to create the Product Backlog. Owner‘s main responsibility is to ensure that the
The Team analyses the Product Backlog Items Team only works on the most important Backlog
so that its members will have the necessary Items needed by the organization. She has the
information in order to build it. The Team same goals as the Team and she helps the Team
creates the design of the functionality, it tests to do its work during a Sprint by not disturbing
the Backlog Items and delivers the product as its members and by giving them all necessary
agreed. The Team performs its commitment information promptly. The Product Owner is
voluntarily. It is accountable for its work and responsible for the return on investment.
has to consider the nature of its organization
and of the project. The Team also works con-
tinuously together with the Product Owner to End User - The Audience
define the strategic direction of the product The End User is a role which can be played by a
development project. lot of people, for example a marketing depart-
ment person, the real End User, the best domain
expert you have or maybe consultants that have
Manager - The Studio Boss been hired because of their knowledge. The End
Management is essential in a Scrum organiza- User is the requester With his business know-
tion. The Management enables the Team to ledge he defines the product by telling the Team
work by building the right environment for what he expects.
Scrum-Teams. Managers create structures
and stability. They also work with the Scrum-
Master to refactor the structures and guidelines
when necessary.
13 | | 14

9.
Artefacts Burn Down Chart
Scrum-Teams use Scrum Artefacts to run Scrum successfully. Remember: Tracking of progress is done by the Team.
They are tools and intermediate work products that enable You have to have a Sprint Burn Down Chart!
professional work in challenging environments.
Metaphor: We run a movie! 100
Impediment Backlog - The Error List
The ultimative risk action board. A ScrumMaster
uses this list to visualize impediments to the 75
productivity of the Scrum-Team. It also reflects his
action items as he needs to remove these blocking
issues as fast as possible. 50
Product Backlog - The Screen-play
The Product Backlog is a list. This list contains
so called Product Backlog Items (words, stories, 25
PB requirements, features, functionality, etc.) a
Scrum-Team wants to deliver in future. All the
Product Backlog Items in this list are sorted based 0
on business value and return on investment. Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Selected Product Backlog -The Scenes
The sorted list of Product Backlog Items the
Scrum-Team wants to build till the end of a Sprint. • The Burn Down Chart shows burned Story Points not hours.
Potentially Shippable Product Increment • The vertical axis shows Story Points, the horizontal axis shows
- An Episode days of the current Sprint.
At the end of the Sprint the Scrum-Team delivers
a Potentially Shippable Product Increment. A piece • The Team updates the Burn Down Chart on a daily basis.
of the product that you would not need to work
on again. If development stops right now, it is in a • In the example above you see on the right the themes the Team
shape that it could be used as it is. wants to tackle in this Sprint.
Sprint Backlog - The Actual Shot • A Burn Down Chart needs to be easy to update by the Team.
A list of tasks that enables the development team Do not make it fancy or complicated to maintain.
to visualize its activities. It helps to synchronize
the activities of the development team. It is only
useful for the development team. It does not
reflect progress but shows the current situation of
the Team to everybody.
15 | | 16

10.
Daily Scrum
Purpose: Procedure:
Metaphor for this meeting: Time Out. The Team plans and coordi- 1. The Team gathers around the task board.
nates its daily activities and reports and discusses impediments. A circle is a good shape.
The task board helps to focus the Team on its daily activities. 2. The person on the left side starts to explain to his teammates
Update the task board and the Burn Down Chart now! what he has achieved by now.
3. Now the person moves the tasks on the task board into the
correct column.
Ingredients: 4. The person picks a new task if appropriate and puts it into
"Work in Progress“.
5. If the person has a problem/impediment he reports this to the
• Task board ScrumMaster.
• Sticky notes 6. Repeat Step 1 to 5 for each team member.
• Markers
Don‘ts:
InsiderTip: - do not stand
ScrumMaster e Team or beside 1. The ScrumMaster does not ask the questions.
in fron t of th 2. Do not report to the ScrumMaster or a Manager.
Don't create
the task board. of pupil and 3. Do not sidetrack the meeting.
the atmosphe re 4. Do not show up late.
teacher. 5. Do not overrun the timebox.
6. Do not discuss technical issues.
7. The ScrumMaster does not move the tasks for
the team members.
8. The ScrumMaster does not update the Burn
Down Chart for the Team.
Basics: 9. Do not show up unprepared.
• The whole Team must be present. 10. Do not do a 'no show' on the Daily Scrum. Inform
• A team member not able to be present needs to be represented the Team and have a representative for you.
by a teammate.
Scrum Flow
Duration/Location: HOW to do - Sprint Planning 2 CHECK it - Daily Scrum
WHAT to do - Sprint Planning 1
he
15 min, same time, same location every day.
crum :
InsiderTip m member
PB
ow Output: into who does what! Ever y tea listening, think
• Clear insight should, whilequestion: "How Tactical
• Input for the Impediment Backlog about the p him/her to
• Input for the Team Backlog can I hel?" Level
be faster
Sprint # 1 Sprint # 2 Sprint # 3 Sprint # 4
17 | | 18
9:00