Do the Scaling frameworks stay true to Scrum?
Scaling Scrum, part 9
This is part nine of the series:
The many approaches to scale Scrum — an introduction
Scaling Scrum, part 1medium.com
Disclaimer
Before you think about scaling Scrum, consider if this will truly resolve your issues.
Don’t scale until you have fixed your issues with Scrum adoption. Many reasons to scale Scrum can be removed by ‘doing Scrum’ properly.
Scoring explained
With this article I intend to assess LeSS by comparing it to Scrum according to the Scrum Guide. I will address how individual frameworks impact Scrum for every attention area. Why do I assess it like this? Well:
Every role, event and artifact has a purpose. “Scrum exists only in its entirety” — Scrum Guide 2017.
Whenever the purpose of Scrum is impacted by the scaling framework this will impact the score.
I will give scores from 1 to 5:
1: doesn’t meet the purpose as Scrum described it
2: barely meets Scrum’s purpose
3: some elements seriously impact Scrum’s purpose
4: has a small negative impact on Scrum’s purpose
5: fully meeting Scrum’s purpose
Scrum
For your reference: here’s the link to the Scrum Guide. My understanding of the Scrum Guide forms the basis of my assessment.
Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides
The official Scrum Guide provided in HTML format on the web.www.scrumguides.org
Introduction to LeSS
Here is a link to an introduction to LeSS:
LeSS (Large Scale Scrum) — an introduction — Willem-Jan Ageling — Medium
This is part two of the series: The LeSS framework is one of the ways to scale Scrum. LeSS aims to start from a solid…medium.com
So this is the end of the introduction. On to the assessment!
Assessment
Maximising Product Value
Scrum is:
“A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.” — Scrum Guide 2017
This is the whole reason to use Scrum in the first place. For me it’s the number one thing that needs to remain in place. Hence the scores here weigh heavier than those on events, artifacts and roles. I rate them three times as heavy.
LeSS keeps Scrum intact. Most pivotal in this is that there is one Product Owner and that all moments of inspection and adaptation continue to have the same effect. LeSS also is the framework with the least amount of changes to roles, events and artifacts.
Score: 5
Empiricism
Empiricism — the cornerstone of the Scrum framework — for me has twice the weight of the roles, artifacts and events.
LeSS leaves all artifact, roles and events intact and the Sprint Review is one event for all teams working on the same Product. This optimises transparency, inspection and adaptation.
Score: 5
Roles, Events and Artifacts
Below are individual assessments on roles, events and artifacts that result in one average score.
Scrum Roles
Product Owner — The role of the Product Owner within standard LeSS is exactly the same as described in the Scrum Guide. There is one difference in LeSS huge (more than 8 teams). Here the Product Owner is assisted by Area Product Owners with an Area Product Backlog. The Product Owner however remains accountable for the Product Backlog as a whole.
Development Team — The role of the Development Team within LeSS also is as in Scrum. Development Teams are self-organised and cross-functional.
Scrum Master — Within LeSS the Scrum Master has the same role as within standard Scrum.
Score: 5
Scrum Events and Refinement
The Sprint — Within LeSS the Sprints of all teams for one product start and end at the same time (thus having the same length). The Scrum Guide doesn’t tell anything about how to align this. So I see this as a practice that is according to standard Scrum.
Sprint Planning — LeSS splits the planning in two parts, like it happens in Scrum. Contrary to what Scrum says LeSS suggests to have representatives of the team only to discuss with the Product Owner on the Sprint Goal and a selection of items that meet the Sprint Goal. This could negatively impact transparency. The second part of the Sprint Planning sees every team as a complete team creating a plan to meet the Sprint Goal.
Daily Scrum — The Daily Scrum is the same as in standard Scrum.
Sprint Review — LeSS has one Sprint Review per Product. The Scrum Guide isn’t prescribing this but it is generally seen as a best practice.
Sprint Retrospective — The Sprint Retrospective is split into two parts: Team Retrospective and Overall Retrospective. At the Overall Retrospective team representatives are taking part instead of the whole team. Optional is a manager.
Refinement — LeSS recommends the following types of Refinement: Overall Product Backlog Refinement, Team-level Product Backlog Refinement, Multi-team Product Backlog Refinement. It also has recommendation on how to do refinement. Scrum is intentionally vague on this as there are many ways to Rome.
Score: 4
Scrum Artifacts and Definition of Done
Product Backlog — LeSS uses one Product Backlog. LeSS Huge works with Area Product Backlogs which are fed by the overall Product Backlog.
Sprint Backlog — Scrum Teams within LeSS work with their own Sprint Backlog as in standard Scrum.
Increment — The potentially release Increment should be integrated before the end of the Sprint. This is making use of the mechanism of standard Scrum.
Additional artifacts — LeSS doesn’t have any additional artifacts on top of the Scrum Artifacts.
Definition of Done — Follows the definition of the DoD as described in Scrum. LeSS does have a number of best practices to define this while Scrum doesn’t.
Score: 5
Average score roles, events, artifacts: 4.7
Verdict: 4.9 out of 5
Here are the results from my assessment of LeSS:
Product Value is the purpose of Scrum and this is why I weigh it 3 times the roles, events and artifacts. Empiricism is the cornerstone of Scrum and therefore I decides it has twice the weight of the roles, events and artifacts.
LeSS allows the organisation to make full use of Scrum. As a result LeSS gets maximum points on empiricism.
For the same reasons as above LeSS also gets maximum points on Product Value.
LeSS adds only little complexity to some events which can have an impact on their effectiveness. As a result Less scores 4.7 out of 5 for roles, events, artifacts and DoD.
As a whole I agree with the statement that LeSS = Scrum.
This is why I consider LeSS to be the best scaling option for small or medium sized scaling solutions.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to bang that clap button. You can give up to 50 👏’s. Give it a try if you enjoy this article!
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