NON-roles in Scrum certification

Similar to the importance given to roles in Scrum training or Scrum certification, much emphasis has also be given to Non-roles in a project. They are best defined as the roles that are not necessarily needed for the Scrum project as well as can be or not be directly affiliated or involved in any part of the scrum process. But it is mandatory that non-roles are also taken into consideration since they can play a significant role in some of the projects. The non-core roles are discussed below:

Stakeholder:

Usually described as a term to include not only customers, but also the users, sponsors who generally take interest in the product or service to have interaction with the Product Owner, Scrum Master and Scrum team to not only provide inputs but also help in creation of the service, project’s product or other duties. Their inputs are needed during the Create Prioritized Product Backlog, Conduct Release Planning, and Retrospect Sprint in addition to other processes in Scrum.

Customer:

In Scrum training, the customer can be defined as the individual or organization that can acquire the project’s product/service/other result. In every organization, as per the project, they can be divided into internal customers (within the same organization) or external customers (outside the organization).

Users

An individual or an organization that uses the product or service of the project or any other liability can be defined as a user. Similar to customers, in every organization there can be internal/external users. In some circumstances, customers and users may be classified as one and the same.

Sponsor

An individual/group of individuals or an organization that provides resources and support for the implementation and journey of the project. The sponsor can be defined as the key stakeholder whom everyone should be accountable at the end.

There can be instances in which a person/individual or organization can play multiple roles (such as sponsor/customer might play the same role).

Vendors

External (Individuals or organizations) which provide products/services that do not come under the jurisdiction of the core competencies of the project organization.

One of the important optional roles that are followed in Scrum training is that of the Scrum Guidance Body (SGB). This body usually consists of a group of documents and/or group of experienced professionals involved in defining objectives with regards to government regulations, security, quality and other essential parameters. The guidelines imposed by this body is given due importance by Product Owner, Scrum Master and the Scrum team.

SCRUM Training or SCRUM certification: A Simple Introduction

Among the various forms of additional certifications which many professionals and organizations prefer, ITIL certification stands as one of the important courses for handling projects while SCRUM certification or SCRUM training is preferred for development and sustainment of complex products.

An overview of SCRUM describes it as a framework in which people can have the capacity to address difficult problems, at the same time, developing products which are of maximum value by productivity and creativity. In all, SCRUM can be referred to as:

·  ·         Lightweight

·  ·         Easy to understand

·  ·         Very Difficult to gain proficiency

Similar to ITIL, SCRUM is a framework which has been effectively used for managing and developing complex products from the beginning of the 1990s. SCRUM cannot be a process or considered a technique for products that have to be built. It is in fact a framework which team members of an organization can implement various processes and techniques for success of the product.

The framework of SCRUM comprises of SCRUM teams along with their associated roles, artifacts, events and its own set of rules. It has to be noted that each component within the respected framework serves a specific purpose and is always essential to SCRUM’s success and usage of it.

Different organizations have different types of products and so, there will be various types of strategies for using the framework of SCRUM.

Transparency is a must in SCRUM rules as it allows important aspects of the process to be visible to all the members who are responsible for the result. Since every team member should understand it is always advisable to use a common “terminology” so that reviews can be shared by all.

Usually, SCRUM team comprises of a Product Owner, the Development Team which also includes a SCRUM Master. This team is self-organized and cross-functional. These teams are self-reliant as they develop plans about the accomplishment of their goals. Their actions can be monitored but cannot be directed by other team members of a different group.

A SCRUM team model is always designed so as to optimize flexibility, productivity and creativity.

The users or beneficiaries of SCRUM should always inspect the progress of SCRUM so that there should be no variations in pursuit of the goal. Care has to be taken so that these kinds of inspections do not come in the way of work. Skilled inspectors or persons with experience are required for inspections as their reviews will be beneficial. 

SCRUM Path

Well, to start off with, there are multiple levels in the Scrum certification and quite often, people do have questions regarding where to start with or how to start with. So today we will discuss regarding the same.

The first in the list is Scrum Developer Certified which is an entry level certification for Scrum Team members and those who interact with any Scrum Team. The objective of this certification is to ensure that Scrum Team members know enough about Scrum to effectively contribute to a Scrum project.

The next in the list is the Scrum Master Certified; SMC professionals are facilitators who ensure that the Scrum Team is provided with an environment conducive to completing the project successfully. The Scrum Master guides, facilitates, and teaches Scrum practices to everyone involved in the project; clears impediments for the team; and, ensure that Scrum processes are being followed.

The next one would be Agile Expert Certified. Rapid changes in technology, market demands, and expectations have paved the way for the conceptualization and implementation of Agile methods and values in many organizations. Agile relies on adaptive planning and iterative development and delivery. It focuses primarily on the value of people in getting the job done effectively. Agile Expert Certified Professionals should appreciate the concepts of Agile development and have the ability to compare and choose the Agile methodology appropriate in a given situation.

The next one is Scrum Product Owner Certified; the Product Owner represents the interests of the stakeholder community to the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for ensuring clear communication of product or service functionality requirements to the Scrum Team, defining Acceptance Criteria, and ensuring those criteria are met. The Product Owner must always maintain a dual view. He or she must understand and support the needs and interests of all stakeholders, while also understanding the needs and workings of the Scrum Team.

The final one is Expert Scrum Master Certification; it is the next step for Scrum practitioners to further demonstrate their expertise in Scrum methodology. This will test your ability to manage complex Scrum projects and scale Scrum in complex projects involving big project teams, programs and portfolios.

Importance of Scrum Certification

We will attempt to do a quick overview of some of the Scrum certifications that are currently being offered.

Then, we will talk about figuring out the right trainer. It is beneficial to find a Scrum trainer with the background as yours however it is not an absolute requirement. The methodology and the style of the Scrum training can vary from trainer to trainer, so you should try to figure out which one suits your learning style.

The biggest positive of a formal Scrum training is that you learn everything in a controlled environment. You meet people who are also there to learn about Scrum and in case you have common background, it helps to understand the process and difficulties of implementation from outsider’s point of view. A formal training also helps you understand about the mistake which you may make due to the traditional project management concepts rooted in you.

The main purpose of any certification is to impart a common baseline of the knowledge. These Scrum certifications, compared to any other project certifications have a very easy test. You should remember that getting a Scrum certificate is way easier than the implementing actual Scrum methodology.

Scrum/Agile methodology in general gives you a lot of freedom in how you implement it. However you should avoid changing the essence of the whole process. These project managers are commonly referred as Scrumbut. The common suggestion is that you start to implement Scrum as-is until you understand it properly and then decide for yourself what you might want to change. After a while you may find that you don’t need to change anything at all.

You need to understand that nothing is more valuable than experience. Certification may only add some credibility and marketability to the individual

How Agile Certifications help an Individual in Career Path

Often, people have a very vague idea of what Agile is and how it is implemented. For many professionals, Agile simply means more freedom, less or no documentation and changing plans as and when desired. This is a very bad interpretation of what Agile actually is, and in fact creates a negative impression due to which many of them stop short of embracing Agile.

Agile certifications are a very good way to gauge an individual’s knowledge of what Agile really is and how Agile Principles are implemented across different scenarios. It is very important for an individual to participate in a good training session ahead of any Agile certification e.g. PMI-ACP™ by PMI, Scrum Master Certification (SMC™)by SCRUMstudy, The Agile Project Management™ (AgilePM®) certification by APMG etc.

These certifications prove to be invaluable in an individual’s career growth because they prove to be indicators that the certified person is well equipped with knowledge and practical experience of Agile implementation. It further proves that the individual is well equipped with different Agile tools and techniques to be able to properly manoeuvre an Agile project in the right direction. Also, the fact that Agile is a relatively new concept with lots of dynamics involved, and many additions happen in this adaptable methodology. So, even if a person has worked in an Agile environment before, still he/she might not be aware of the new concepts evolved recently. Also, for example, an individual might be working in a TDD or Kanban environment, but he/she might not be aware of Scrum or XP principles, also all of them are considered Agile. Hence, a training of Agile certification really helps an individual to get a bird’s eye view of all the different Agile Methodologies. Also, different case studies pertaining to various scenarios augments the learning experience overall, and their viewpoint is also broadened immensely. Another benefit of Agile certifications is that they help an individual switch verticals and work in some other domain. Normally, companies are reluctant to hire people from different domains. But Agile certifications help cut through that barrier in an effective manner. If the requirement in some other domain requires Agile implementation, companies are ready to hire professionals from other domains also.

In a nutshell, Agile certifications help an individual gain mileage in terms of knowledge as well as a greater pedigree in the work environment.