In my project we are planning to implement the agile methodolgy in place of waterfall model. Can Project manager be the Scrum master? Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
All depends on the individual. It is a different role and mindset. Not always a good fit, but is certainly possible. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
First of all, waterfall is a life cycle process based on predictive life cycle model whole Agile is an approach then you can use agile with waterfall life cycle. Second, project manager is not defined as a role in Scrum then if you use project manager role you are not using Scrum. You can customize Scrum and use both? Sure, but you are not using Scrum. Third, project manager and Scrum manager can work togheter. In my actual work place we are doing that in some projects. Saving Changes...
The PM role does not naturally correspond to the SM role. If you let one person to have this two roles, it will only work in a very small team and this person needs to be conversant with the agile way of working. In a scaled project environment with multiple teams, I cannot recommend such an approach. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Rama, yes, they can. Not vice versa though.
Basic certification efforts for a scrum master are 2 days, for a PMP at least 4 weeks. PMPs are required to enhance their skills, and adding scrum skills is not a big deal for them.
Both job roles require in addition leadership capabilities, though these of a scrum master can concentrate on servant leadership, while a PMP needs the full spectrum, including e.g. political skills.
Both require experience to be really useful.
As Sergio said, 'waterfall' and agile are not in the same category, as life cycles, can be used together, and hence should not be compared. Working 40+ years in projects, I have never seen a pure 'waterfall' project, we always had to adapt, iterate and progressively develop artifacts. Saving Changes...
Yes and if you really want a servant leader that can't use more authoritarian approaches then it is preferable to have a PM serving as Scrum Master than a lead-developer or software development manager.
Lead-developers and software development managers have formal authority over the other developers (not over the non-developer members of the team) and as such they can make use of their position power and make all the technical decisions by themselves.
Many companies however probably don't understand the benefit of having a so called servant leader and as such they appoint as Scrum Master someone who has formal authority over the team or at least over the developers. Saving Changes...
It all depends - both on the situation and the person involved. I have seen instances where the PM and SM are the same. Its quite possible. Do assess if the person involved can wear 2 hats - this is critical so that the right focus is available Saving Changes...
The Scrum Master and the Project Manager hold two different roles. They can be the same person but it is better to be different. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Technically, the scrum master can be any person on the scrum team. It could be a developer. It can be a person dedicated to being a full-time scrum master, but there's nothing saying it must be.
There's no role for "project manager" in Scrum. If you want to add one, you can, but I'm not sure exactly what that person would do if you're really working within the Scrum framework. A PM would have to be someone reporting to the Product Owner in order to stay out of the developers' way. A PM could potentially be a great help to the PO, but how can a Scrum Master protect the developers if that same person is performing PM duties for the PO?
If you were able to resolve this and take on both roles, you still have the confusion caused by wearing both hats. How can you keep your daily scrum from becoming status meetings if the "Project Manager" is there? How to do distinguish to your co-workers whether you're playing the role of the PM or the SM at any given time?
Doing both isn't necessarily impossible, but it would be very challenging. I would avoid accepting a position that wanted you to do both. Likely, that organization simply doesn't understand Scrum. Saving Changes...
Wade there is no Project Manager role in Scrum because Scrum is not a project management methodology. Scrum was meant to be used in software development and software development is not done only in projects.
Many people have the wrong impression that commercial software development can only be done in projects and as such project management and project management specialists are needed for this activity. This is wrong.
Some years ago I worked as software developer (on contract) in a software product development department of a large corporation. The department was using Scrum to manage the software development but there were no project managers working there for the simple fact that the software development was not performed as projects. The development was an ongoing activity that did not have a set budget to deliver a set of features. Project managers were simply useless in that department.
The same company also had a software services department that was implementing to customers the product maintained and developed by the product department. The implementation work was performed as projects and most of the time customized code was needed also. Scrum was also used for development in the services department but the Scrum teams, unlike the Scrum team from the product development department, also worked with project managers.
CONCLUSION: The need of a Project Manager has absolutely nothing to do with Scrum but with the type of the activity in which you need to develop the software.
If you have a fixed budget to deliver some software functionality then you need to use a project for that and you need project management and project managers. Whether or not you are using Scrum it does not matter. If the development is done as an ongoing activity for example you maintain the product fixing defects and you gradually add new features to the product you don't need projects, project management and project managers. You can use Scrum or not for these activities as well. Saving Changes...
Khai Ng.IT PMO | IT Project Manager| TTGROUPHanoi, Viet Nam
@Rama: Focus on the responsibilities and tasks and forget about the title of Project manager or Scrum master, it is just a title, you know that. PM can do all tasks that SM do but not vice versa for SM is just a role of Scrum team. If you apply Scrum framework then you normally need to appoint someone as Scrum Master (PM is ok as long as he or she take all tasks of SM), otherwise if you just apply Agile in general then you can have PM. Saving Changes...
