Agile Roles and Responsibilities Question Bank 

Q:  What are the key roles in an Agile (Scrum) Team and what are their accountabilities?

The primary roles and their accountabilities in an Agile (Scrum) Team are as follows:

Product Owner: is the member of the Scrum Team, accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team as well as effective Product Backlog management, which includes:

• Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal; 

• Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;

• Ordering Product Backlog items; and,

• Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.

Scrum Master: is the member of the Scrum Team, accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness and for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide.

Developers:  are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. Developers help create or develop a valuable product for the customer. Their accountabilities includes:

• Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;

• Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;

• Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,

• Holding each other accountable as professionals.

Q: How does the Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team, Product Owner and the Organization?

The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including:

• Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality;

• Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done;

• Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress; and,

• Ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox.

The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including:

• Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management;

• Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items;

• Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment; and,

• Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.

The Scrum Master serves the Organization in several ways, including:

• Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption;

• Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization;

• Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work; and,

• Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.

Q: To what extent does technical debt limit the value a Product Owner can get from a product?

The velocity at which new functionality can be created is reduced when you have technical debt. Also, it causes a greater percentage of the product's budget to be spent on maintenance of the product.

Q: What does a Product Owner do between the end of the current Sprint and the start of the next Sprint ?

There is no activity gap between Sprints. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.

Q: Who is responsible for estimating a Product Backlog item's size ?

The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing. The process of estimation should involve collaboration and communication between the Product Owner and the Developers to ensure a shared understanding of what is required to complete the item. 

The Product Owner may influence the Developers by helping them understand and select trade-offs.

Q: When should a Developer on a Scrum Team be replaced?

Replacing a Developer on a Scrum Team should be as needed, while taking into account a short-term reduction in productivity, team cohesion and performance.

Q: What determines the duration a Product Owner should engage with the Developers?

The duration a Product Owner should engage with the Developers depends on several factors such as Complexity and uncertainty of work, Scrum Team maturity and experience, Urgency of customer feedback , market conditions or shift in Stakeholder priorities, participation in key Scrum Events. However, the Product Owner should spend time with Developers as much as needed to ensure clarity, remove blockers and maximize the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.

Q: Can a Product Owner and Scrum Master be same person?

No. Both roles requires 100 % involvement. It can lead to conflict of interest. Their accountabilities vary . 

Every Scrum Team must have a Product Owner and a Scrum Master. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the product's value and managing the Product Backlog, while the Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum by helping everyone understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values. Both accountabilities are essential for the success of the Scrum Team, and their participation and availability can significantly impact the team's outcomes.