CSM flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Empiricism

The theory that knowledge comes from experience and decisions are made on what is observed. Scrum is founded on empiricism together with lean thinking.

Three empirical pillars

Transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Transparency enables inspection, inspection enables adaptation, and adaptation adjusts the process or product when variance is found.

Five Scrum values

Commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. The Scrum Team lives these values, and their presence or absence shapes how well the three empirical pillars work.

Transparency

The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing and receiving it. Low transparency reduces the value of inspection and leads to decisions that diminish value.

Inspection

Scrum artifacts and progress toward goals must be inspected frequently to detect undesirable variance. Inspection must not disrupt the work and is formalized in the Scrum events.

Adaptation

If any aspect of the process deviates outside acceptable limits, the process or the produced material must be adjusted as soon as possible to minimize further deviation.

Lean thinking

A Scrum foundation alongside empiricism. It reduces waste and focuses the team on the essentials of the work, supporting continuous improvement and small increments.

Purposefully incomplete framework

The Scrum Guide defines only the parts of Scrum needed to implement its theory. It does not prescribe detailed techniques, so teams add practices that fit their context.

Scrum Team composition

One Product Owner, one Scrum Master, and Developers, with no sub-teams or hierarchies. The team is cross-functional and typically has ten or fewer people.

Product Owner accountability

Accountable for maximizing the value the Scrum Team delivers through effective Product Backlog management, including ordering items and ensuring the backlog is transparent and understood.

Scrum Master accountability

Accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide and for the Scrum Team's effectiveness, serving the team, the Product Owner, and the organization as a true leader.

Developers accountability

Accountable for creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint, instilling quality through the Definition of Done, and adapting their plan daily toward the Sprint Goal.

Product Owner is one person

The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. They may delegate work to others, but they remain accountable for the product and the Product Backlog.

Sprint Backlog ownership

The Sprint Backlog is owned and managed by the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work the team plans to accomplish during the Sprint.

Scrum Master serving organization

Leads, trains, and coaches the organization in Scrum adoption, plans and advises on implementations, and helps remove barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.

Team accountability for Increment

The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. Value comes from the Product Owner's ordering combined with the Developers' work.

Sprint

The container event for all other Scrum events, fixed at one month or less. A new Sprint starts immediately after the previous one ends.

Sprint Planning

Initiates the Sprint by establishing why (Sprint Goal), what (selected items), and how (the plan). Timeboxed to eight hours or less for a one-month Sprint.

Daily Scrum

A 15-minute event for the Developers, held at the same time and place each working day, to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog.

Sprint Review

The second-to-last event, where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Sprint outcome and determine future adaptations. Timeboxed to four hours for a one-month Sprint.

Sprint Retrospective

The final event of the Sprint. The team inspects individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done, then plans improvements, timeboxed to three hours for a one-month Sprint.

Sprint cancellation

Only the Product Owner may cancel a Sprint, and only when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Cancellation is rare and consumes time and effort.

Sprint timebox rules

Sprints are of fixed length and cannot be shortened or lengthened. Consistency creates predictability, and all other events are scaled to fit inside the Sprint.

Sprint Review attendees

The Scrum Team and key stakeholders attend. It is a working session, not a presentation, and the Product Backlog may be adjusted based on new information.

Product Backlog

An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team and is refined continuously.

Sprint Backlog contents

Composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the selected Product Backlog items (what), and the plan for delivering them (how). It is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned.

Increment

A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to prior increments and must be usable to provide value, even if not released.

Definition of Done

A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. Work not meeting it is not part of the Increment.

Product Goal

A long-term target for the Scrum Team to plan against. It lives in the Product Backlog and must be fulfilled or abandoned before the next goal is set.

Sprint Goal

The single objective for the Sprint that creates coherence and focus, is committed to by the Developers, and gives flexibility on the exact work needed.

Artifact commitment mapping

Each artifact contains one commitment: the Product Backlog has the Product Goal, the Sprint Backlog has the Sprint Goal, and the Increment has the Definition of Done.

Organizational Definition of Done

If the organization's standard Definition of Done exists, all Scrum Teams must follow it at minimum. If not, the Scrum Team creates one appropriate for the product.