Slidedoc for sharing at National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Annual Forum, March 2015

1. INNOVATION IS
ABOUT DOING:
How Scrum can help deliver
inspired results
​ The
guide
provides
an
overview
of
Scrum,
suggests
a
case
for
applying
it
to
workforce
development
challenges,
and
offers
a
list
of
resources
where
you
can
learn
more.
​ Prepared
by:
Kristin
E.
Wolff
&
Vinz
Koller,
Social
Policy
Research
Associates
​ March
2015

2. 2|
Table of Contents
3
​ This guide was created to support SPR’s Scrum Quickshop at the National
Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Annual Forum in March 2015. It
provides a brief introduction to Scrum, offers lessons from a Scrum user, and
cites a collection of multimedia resources that provides additional depth and
breadth for those who want to give Scrum a go. If you are reading this prior to
the Forum, please take this quick poll so we can design the session around
your needs and interests: http://bit.ly/1AJ9jto
4 5 6 7
page
page
page
page
page
8 9 11 12 13
page
page
page
page
page
Introduction:
Why
Scrum?
The
Problem:
Too
Many
Waterfalls
A
Solution:
Scrum
The
Values,
Ideas
(and
People)
Behind
Scrum
The
Essentials
of
Scrum
Scrum
and
Workforce
Development
Lessons
from
a
Scrum
Novice
Scrum
in
Ten
Steps
More
About
Scrum
About
Social
Policy
Research
Associates
(SPR)

3. 3|
Introduction:
Why Scrum?
​ Scrum
helped
the
FBI’s
internal
team
do
in
24
months
with
5%
of
the
total
budget
what
Lockheed
could
not
do
in
ten
years
with
90%
of
the
budget:
let
the
FBI
access
its
own
knowledge.
​ Scrum is a framework. It provides a
structure that helps teams align
around common goals, learn quickly
(and collectively), and accelerate
productivity so they can deliver more,
better, faster, and with greater
satisfaction than is common using
traditional planning approaches.
​ Scrum is an antidote to many of the
things that get in the way of group
progress including: the tyranny of
“the plan;” the blind-man-and-the-
elephant problem (no one person
able to see the big picture); sending
information “up the chain” while
awaiting decisions, and so on.
​ It’s not a panacea for all that ails, but
if your goal is to accelerate human
​ progress – in particular, to move from
idea to implementation quickly –
Scrum can be a powerful ally.
​ Over the long run, Scrum builds trust
and cultivates the kinds of habits that
lead to effective collaboration and
increase innovation capacity – high
levels of engagement, the ability to
identify and commit to shared goals,
risk tolerance, and an explicit focus
on learning and documentation. This
enables organizations and teams to
develop effective solutions to new
problems, not once, but over and
over again.
We’ll
now
take
a
quick
look
at
the
roots
of
Scrum
together
with
its
key
components
and
find
out
why
it
is
such
a
powerful
way
to
support
the
way
we
work
(and
live)
today.

4. 4|
The Problem: Too
Many Waterfalls
​ Traditional project planning – using the waterfall method – can work where few
variables are unknown. But as military generals, along with information
technologists, have discovered, it is not well suited to developing new products
and services or responding to unforeseen challenges. No matter how much
planning occurs before project launch, unanticipated events and new ideas are
inevitable. They can derail, delay, and otherwise compromise the ability of
teams to move forward.
​ “I
have
always
found
that
plans
are
useless,
but
planning
is
indispensable.”
Dwight
D.
Eisenhower
.
The waterfall method – so named because its reflection on a Gantt chart often looks much like a waterfall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model

5. 5|
ASolution:
Scrum
​ Scrum embraces uncertainty, treating every project as process of learning in
which the product is tested and improved throughout its development. It offers
a process for integrating changes (or not) and a method for dealing with
barriers as they (inevitably) emerge.
​ “At
its
root,
Scrum
is
based
on
a
simple
idea:
whenever
you
start
a
project,
why
not
regularly
check
in,
see
if
what
you’re
doing
is
heading
in
the
right
direction,
and
if
it’s
actually
what
people
want?
And
question
whether
there
are
any
ways
to
improve
how
you’re
doing
what
you’re
doing,
any
ways
of
doing
it
better
and
faster,
and
what
might
be
keeping
you
from
doing
that.”
Jeff
Sutherland

6. 6|
The Values, Ideas
(and People) Behind
Scrum
​ Scrum prioritizes applied learning in service of excellence and efficiency:
§ It loves clarity and does not love waste.
§ It emphasizes taking in information that helps determine options for
action (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act).
§ It rests on highly-engaged teams that are cross-functional (and not
rooted in hierarchy), autonomous, empowered, and purpose-driven.
§ It employs a version of Deming’s long-tested Plan/Do/Check/Act cycle
that build continuous improvement into the development process.
§ It forces priority setting, insists on focus, and uses precise language and
metrics (e.g., “half-done is not done”) to guide activity.
§ It encourages mastery of process – and then invites creativity.
§ It is human – it builds on patterns of human behavior and cultivates
trusted relationships, reducing the likelihood of political and social
barriers that can interfere with team progress.
In
2001,
a
group
of
technology
luminaries
developed
what
has
come
to
be
known
as
“The
Agile
Manifesto”
–
a
statement
of
four
values
and
12
principles
intended
to
guide
product
development.
Scrum
is
a
framework
for
putting
these
values
into
practice.
http://
agilemanifesto.org/
principles.html

7. 7|
The Essentials of
Scrum
​ Processes
​ The Sprint is the defined time-period
(one month or less) in which a goal is
accomplished. This requires Sprint
planning in which the goal is
determined realistic and the definition
of “done” is agreed upon by all team
members.
​ The Daily Scrum is the 15-minute
event in which team members meet
to synchronize their activities in a
structured way.
​ Reviews and Retrospectives are
events that build learning and
improvement into the Sprint process.
​
​ Technologies & Tools
​ The Product Road Map (or Backlog)
is a living document that serves as
the sole source of information
defining the product/project
requirements
​ The Scrum Board is a large, visible,
shared tracking systems in which
team members document what needs
doing, what is in process, and what is
complete throughout the life of a
Sprint.
​ People
​ Teams are the main actors, not
individuals. Heroes and heroic
behaviors are unwelcome.
​ All people engaged in the process
have clear roles: the Product Owner
holds the vision and stewards the
project; the Scrum Master guides
team activity using Scrum tools and
rules; and Team Members develop
solutions iteratively, improving with
each Sprint (and Sprint cycle).
Members are responsible to one
another independent of rank or
hierarchy outside the team.

8. 8|
Scrum and
Workforce
Development
​ Can
Scrum
transform
the
way
workforce
partners
collaborate?
Help
them
to
do
more
with
less,
build
skills,
and
deliver
more
value
to
customers
and
stakeholders?
Even
have
fun
in
the
process?
We
think
so.
​ Unemployment. Skills gaps.
Employee engagement. Wage
stagnation. Poverty.
​ We need better solutions to our most
important workforce challenges. As
stewards of workforce policy and
resources, state and local workforce
boards have important roles to play
in identifying and prioritizing those
challenges, and designing new
solutions suited their communities.
​ Toward that end, workforce boards
collaborate with partner agencies,
businesses, and non-profit,
philanthropic, and civic organizations
–even with customers. They support
​ task forces, alliances, and
increasingly, backbone organizations.
​ Such partnerships can yield important
insights and bring new resources to
shared goals.
​ But the gap between developing a
shared strategy and implementing it
can be significant, especially when
the strategy spans organizations or
political jurisdictions.
​ Scrum can help close this gap. It
offers stakeholders practical ways to
work together to accomplish big
things in a short period of time. It can
also provide a vehicle for engaging
stakeholders in not just strategy and
policy development, but in the design
of programs and tools themselves.
​ Scrum is proven and it is scaleable.
Over time, it can be transformative –
helping turn innovation into a core
competency rather than a special
occasion.

9. Lessons
from a
Scrum
Novice
We’ve
experimented
with
Scrum
in
a
variety
of
contexts:
• Within
a
nonprofit
organization
–
at
the
Board
level
and
collectively
with
staff
• Within
a
small
private-­‐sector
firm
• In-­‐person
and
at
a
distance
• During
events
not
necessarily
embedded
in
an
everyday
work
context.
We’re
sharing
what
we
learned
with
the
following
caveats:
• We
are
self-­‐taught
–
no
certified
Scrum
Masters
among
us.
• We
did
not
strictly
adhere
to
all
of
the
rules,
nor
did
we
adhere
to
all
of
the
rules
equally
strictly.
• We
collected
lessons
in
real
time
and
retrospectively,
drawing
from
Scrum-­‐like
approaches
we
had
used
previously.

10. 10|
Scrum.
Simple to
understand. Tough
to do. Worth a try.
​ Lesson #1: Much of the Scrum
framework is simply good project
management. Take the transparency
that a Project Map (Backlog) invites.
Simply making the entire list of tasks
and progress visible vastly increased
the frequency and relevance of
communication among team
members. (In contrast, when was the
last time you collaborated effectively
over a Gantt chart?)
​ Lesson #2: Hackers and
Millennials were quick to embrace
Scrum. Among the team members in
a few projects were “camp” alumni –
people who had participated in
hackathons, barcamps, and similar
intense personal or professional
development experiences. For them,
as well as for younger workers,
Scrum felt familiar – the intensity, the
team-orientation, the tools, etc. – and
was quickly embraced. More senior
team members tended to struggle
with the absence of traditional
leaders or predictable hierarchy, and
felt the Sprints were, at times, too
chaotic. But all team members
responded positively to the intensity
and focus of team activity.
​ Lesson #3: You can’t Sprint
forever. Scrum is a framework for
accelerating human progress. If it is a
hammer, then not every human
endeavor is a nail. It is most effective
when thoughtfully employed –
people, team, organizations need
other ways of working together too.
​ Lesson #4: Adopting partial
practices can work if the goal is as
much about culture change as
product delivery. We employed the
basics – the map, the questions, the
time-box, and the reviews, but we
also shared the role of Scrum Master,
shifted team members, and moved
deadlines. The result was very high
engagement – especially among the
initial skeptics – and the products and
speed of delivery exceeded
expectations nearly every time. As
importantly, the approach changed
the way team members interacted
with one another. After a few quick
wins, “rank” disappeared. Scrum
enabled unlikely teams to collaborate
quickly and effectively on work that
really mattered to their organizations,
firms, Boards, professional fields, or
to them as individuals.
“The
combination
of
structure,
creativity,
and
intensity
helped
us
get
much
further
than
I
thought
we
would
in
a
couple
of
weeks.
It
was
actually
pretty
fun.”
Nonprofit
Board
Member
and
First-­‐time
Scrum
participant.

11. 11|
Scrum in Ten Steps
1
​ What project in your portfolio lends itself to Scrum?
Who is on your Scrum team?
Get ready....
​ Source: Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time (Jeff
Sutherland, 2014). These steps have been slightly modified from the original
presented in the Appendix: Implementing Scrum—How to Begin.
2 3 4 5
Identify
the
Product
Owner
6 7 8 9 10
Holds
the
vision
and
knows
the
risks/rewards
3-­‐9
people
with
all
the
necessary
skills
Serves
as
coach
and
barrier
buster.
Everything
that
needs
doing,
prioritized.
Level
of
effort
vs.
value,
definition
of
“done”
First
scrum
meeting
–
team
defines
length
of
sprint
(usually
2-­‐3
weeks)
and
scope
of
work
Scrum
Board
of
three
columns
–
Do
,
Doing,
Done
–
populated
with
sticky
notes
15
mins,
3
questions:
What
did
you
do
yesterday?
What
will
you
do
today?
Are
there
any
obstacles?
Public
demonstration
of
what
was
accomplished
during
the
sprint.
Process
review
after
last
sprint:
What
went
well?
What
can
be
made
better
in
next
sprint?
Assemble
the
Team
Identify
the
Scrum
Master
Define
the
Product
Road
Map
Develop
real
effort
Estimate
Plan
the
Sprint
Make
work
Visible
Employ
a
Daily
Scrum
Implement
the
Sprint
Demo
Retrospect
to
inform
next
Sprint
Cycle

12. 12|
For More
Information
​ Things
to
Read
​ Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the
Work in Half the Time
Jeff
Sutherland,
2014
The Definitive Guide to Scrum:
The Rules of the Game
Ken
Schwaber
&
Jeff
Sutherland,
2013
​ Why the Lean Startup Changes
Everything
Steve
Blank,
2013
http://bit.ly/1CJSs4A
​ Scrum: A Breathtakingly Brief and
Agile Introduction
Chris
Simms
&
Hillary
Louise
Johnson,
2012
​ The Best Kept Management Secret
on the Planet: Agile
Steve
Denning
in
Forbes,
2012
(Accompanied
by
some
nice
links)
http://onforb.es/1EU03jq
​ Websites
​ Scrum.org
ScrumAlliance.org
AgileLearningLabs.com
​ Things
to
Watch
​ Scrum: The Future of Work
http://bit.ly/1Le8VEB
​ Scrum in Seven Minutes
http://bit.ly/17rGpAl
​ Implementing Scrum in a Non-
Engineering Team
http://bit.ly/1AmdFmL
​ Things
to
Listen
to
​ LabCast: Reaching Your Full
Potential with Scrum
http://bit.ly/19xS6Hd
​ A Tale of Two Scrums: Agile Done
Right and Agile Gone Wrong
http://bit.ly/1CJxu8D
​ Scrum One, Scrum All: Why Agile
Isn’t Just for Technical Teams
http://bit.ly/19xT1r4
(This
last
one
offers
nice
links
for
the
non-­‐technical).

13. 13|
About Social Policy
ResearchAssociates (SPR)
For over two decades, SPR has provided rigorous research and evaluation
and unparalleled technical assistance and training services to programs and
agencies supported by: the US Departments of Labor, Education, and Housing
and Urban Development; foundations and nonprofit organizations serving
young people and those with barriers to employment; and policy organizations
and boards providing community leadership in the areas of education and
employment.
​ Find us:
spra.com
1333 Broadway, Suite 310
Oakland, CA 94612
510.763.1499
​ Questions?
​ Vinz Koller, Director of Technical Assistance & Training
vinz_koller@spra.com
​ Kristin Wolff, Senior Associate
kwolff@thinkers-and-doers.com
​
We
help
frame,
launch,
support,
and
evaluate
programs
that
improve
lives,
increase
prosperity,
and
enhance
communities
for
government,
business,
and
philanthropy
sector
clients.