This document discusses the importance of working with stakeholders in software projects. It notes that 44% of software projects fail and only 32% are successful, often due to issues with stakeholders. The document then compares the traditional waterfall approach to the agile scrum framework. It outlines the roles in scrum like the product owner, scrum master, and development team. It emphasizes that stakeholders are key to developing products and discusses different ways of engaging, enacting, and managing stakeholders in agile projects.

1. Dimitris Dimitrelos
Agile Coach
dimitris.dimitrelos@gmail.com
Working with Stakeholders
All photos by Christos Georgalas (christosg.org)

2. S/W projects fail…
44%
24%
32%
S/W Project Success
Challenged
Failed
Successful
Source: CHAOS MANIFESTO 2013, The Standish Group

3. …miserably
30%
50%
20%
% Features Used
Infrequently
Hardly
ever/never
Often
Source: CHAOS MANIFESTO 2013, The Standish Group

4. Waterfall: Build the product right?

5. Early decisions hurt!
Time
K
n
o
w
l
e
d
g
e
Decisions

6. Waterfall vs. Agile

7. Waterfall vs. Agile (2)

8. The Scrum Framework

9. The Rules
• Features are captured as items in a list of
“product backlog”.
• Product progresses in a series of 1-4 week
cycles called “sprints”.
• The business sets the priorities. Teams self-
organize.
• Every one week to a month anyone can see
real working software.

10. Scrum Roles
Product Owner
• Define the features of the product
• Decide on release date and content
• Be responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI)
• Prioritize features according to market value
• Adjust features and priority every iteration, as needed
• Accept or reject work results
Scrum Master
• Responsible for enacting Scrum values
and practices
• Remove impediments
• Ensure that the team is fully functional
and productive
• Enable close cooperation across all roles
and functions
• Shield the team from external
interferences
Development team
• 3-9 members
• Cross functional
• Self organized / self managed
• Decide how / how many
• Commit / Deliver
Agile coach
• Not a consultant
• Propose best practices
• Train, guide, mentor

11. The Product Owner as a HERO
Business Technical

12. Product Backlog
Ass’s
Req’s
Lim’s
The Product Owner as a FUNNEL

13. Who is the stakeholder?

14. Stakeholders are…
“Stakeholder: An individual, group or organization who
may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be
affected by a decision, activity or outcome of the
project”
PMBOK, 5th Edition
“Stakeholders are the reason we develop Products in
the first place. ”
3Back Team

15. • Support
• Operations
• Legal / Regulatory
• Security
• Suppliers
• Competitors
• Family
• Society
Stakeholders are…
• Sponsors
• Customers
• Users
• Developers
• Testers
• Managers
• Marketers
• Salespeople

16. Factor Traditional Agile
Communicate at Project Start Throughout project
Medium Formal (written) Informal (oral)
Formal (written)
Team (co-work)
Interaction Defensive Inclusive
Acceptance Sign-off Buy-in
Feedback Progress Reports Sprint Review
Transparency
Agile vs. traditional

17. Power & Interest Levels
2-21
1. Monitor
2. Keep Informed
3. Keep Satisfied
4. Manage Closely

18. Engage
• Release Planning
• Formal set of Req’s / Reg’s
• Sprint Reviews
• Sprint Retro’s
• One on one’s
• E-mails

19. Enact
• User Stories
• Non-functional Req’s
• Definition of Done
• Direct involvement in team
• Updates / Progress Reports

20. Manage their
Expectations
Protect their rights
Right to KNOW
Right to CARE
Protect your stakeholders

21. Thank you
All photos by Christos Georgalas (christosg.org)