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2020 Scrum Guide is out and we thought of sharing some insights with you so you are aware of the changes. Scrum and it’s essence is the same and that means the core elements of the framework are still relevant. Here are a few things for you to remember –

Highlights of changes –

1. Less prescriptive
2. Introduction of Product Goal
3. One Team (no sub-teams) and One Product focus
4. Simplification of language (IT references removed) for wider audience

Prescriptions Removed –

Few prescriptions are removed. It doesn’t mean that those details are not relevant anymore. If your teams find these valuable, continuing with them is a good idea. However, if you want to experiment with different alternatives, give it a try.

Events:

• Optional “three questions” for Daily Scrum removed
• Sprint Retrospective commitments are no longer required in Sprint Backlog
• Typical 10% capacity needed for Product Backlog Refinement (not a formal event) removed
• Prescriptive elements about the events are condensed or removed (activities mentioned in 2017 guide are still valid, but teams can take up alternative approaches toward achieving the purpose)
• Optional meeting after Daily Scrum for in-depth discussion

Artifacts:

• Attributes of Product Backlog Items (Description, Order and Size) are optional
• Monitoring progress towards the goals section
• Product Owner decides when to release Increment

Product Goal –

It describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The long-term objective for the Scrum Team. They must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next. Read more.

Artifacts Commitment –

Each artifact contains a commitment to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus against which progress can be measured. These commitments exist to reinforce empiricism. Read more.

Updates –

Development Team to Developers: There is no separate (Development) Team within the Scrum Team, thereby promoting ONE Scrum Team focused on the same objective.

From Roles to Accountabilities: This change has been introduced to stress on the accountabilities and not job titles. Scrum Team consists of three different sets of accountabilities – Product Owner, Developers and Scrum Master.

From Self-organize to Self-manage: “Scrum Team is self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.” This change in term is a way of calling out that more empowered your Scrum Team is, the better their chances of success. Read more.

Introducing “Why” in Sprint Planning: Along with “What and “How”, Scrum Team discuss “Why is this Sprint valuable?” This provides the answer to decide the Sprint Goal. In essence, we would recommend starting your Sprint Planning with Why. Read more.

Other changes –

• Suggested Scrum Team size of 10 or fewer people
• Multiple increments can be created within a Sprint
• Along with Empiricism, addition of “Lean Thinking” as a foundation of Scrum framework
• Replacement of term “estimate” with “size”
• The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint