Chapter 22
Ten Key Resources for Scrum
In This Chapter
Finding support for successful scrum transitions
Getting involved with scrum communities
Accessing resources for ongoing scrum learning
Many organizations, websites, blogs, and companies exist to provide information about and support for scrum. To help you get started, I’ve compiled a list of key resources that you can use to support your journey with scrum.
Scrum For Dummies Cheat Sheet
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/scrum
You can use my online Cheat Sheet as a companion to this book as you start implementing the scrum framework outlined in the previous chapters. You’ll find helpful resources there for staying on track with scrum.
Scrum Alliance®
The Scrum Alliance is a nonprofit professional membership organization that promotes the understanding and usage of scrum. The alliance achieves this goal by promoting scrum training and certification classes, hosting international and regional scrum gatherings, and supporting scrum user groups. The Scrum Alliance site is rich in blog entries, white papers, case studies, and other tools for learning and working with scrum. Scrum Alliance certifications include
- Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM)
- Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO)
- Certified Scrum Developer® (CSD)
- Certified Scrum Professional® (CSP)
- Certified Scrum Coach® (CSC)
- Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST)
Scrumguides.org
Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, the cocreators of scrum, publish The Scrum Guide™, the Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game in over 30 languages, all accessible at scrumguides.org. The Scrum Guide is available in both online and PDF formats available for download and is free to use. In less than 20 pages, they have outlined scrum theory and the definitions of each scrum role, artifact, and event.
Scrum.org
Scrum.org provides tools and resources for scrum practitioners to deliver value using scrum through assessments and certifications, including
- Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM)
- Professional Scrum ProductOwner (PSPO)
- Professional Scrum Developer™ (PSD)
ScrumPLoP
Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP) are methods of describing design practices within fields of expertise, and often have conferences organized around them for shared learning. ScrumPLoP publishes patterns authored by scrum professionals, many of which have been authored by Jeff Sutherland, cocreator of scrum. These are practical patterns that have been used successfully with organizations to get started with and become successful with scrum.
Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®)
http://scaledagileframework.com
The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) is a knowledge base for implementing agile practices and scrum at scale. Its “Big Picture” graphic is its primary interface that you can click through to see highlights of the roles, teams, activities, and artifacts.
SAFe is a registered trademark of Scaled Agile Inc.
LeSS
Large-Scale Scrum (or LeSS) is a scrum-scaling method that provides two different frameworks, known as LeSS and LeSS Huge. Like SAFe, LeSS also provides a graphic that is the interface for clicking through to learn about the highlights of the frameworks.
InfoQ
InfoQ is an independent online community with a prominent scrum section offering news, articles, video interviews, video presentations, and minibooks, all written by scrum domain experts. The resources at InfoQ tend to be very high quality, and the content is both unique and relevant to the issues facing scrum teams.
Scrum Development Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scrumdevelopment
Started in 2000, the Scrum Development Yahoo! Group has thousands of members, including several signatories of the Agile Manifesto. The Scrum Development Yahoo! Group is a good source for staying in tune with the global scrum community.
Platinum Edge
Since 2001, my team at Platinum Edge has been helping companies maximize organizational return on investment (ROI). Visit our blog to get the latest insights on practices, tools, and innovative solutions emerging from our work with Global 1000 companies and the dynamic agile community.
We also provide the following services:
- Agile audits: Auditing of your current organizational structure and processes to create an agile implementation strategy that delivers bottom-line results.
- Recruiting: With access to the best agile and scrum talent — because we’ve personally trained them — we help you find the best fit for your needs to bootstrap your scrum projects, including scrum masters, scrum product owners, and scrum developers.
- Training: Public and private customized corporate agile and scrum training and certification, regardless of your level of knowledge:
- Certified ScrumMaster® classes (CSM)
- Certified Scrum Product Owner® classes (CSPO)
- Certified Scrum Developer® classes (CSD)
- SAFe Scaled Agile training and implementations
- Transformation: Follow up on agile coaching and training with agile mentoring to ensure that the right practices occur in the real world.