Knowledge

Project charter discussions and documentation focuses traditionally on project scope and the goals and objectives for the project. To address specificity of Agile project, the author of this article has recently created and successfully utilized an Agile Development Team Charter. It differs from usual project charter as it focuses more on the ‘how’ of the project.

This article discusses the challenges that Agile brings to the appraisal process. Agile methodology focuses on team performance more than on the individual. The objectives of the team aren’t easily broken down by individual; one cannot appraise the individual on the basis of team performance. This article presents a workable solution for appraising Scrum team members. This will address problems raised while remaining within the Agile framework and philosophy. If a team is self-organizing, per the Agile framework, we can empower that team to raise itself to a “self-appraising team.”

As Scrum teams should be self-managed and self-organized, they need empowerment, because without it, it is difficult for self-management and self-organization to happen. In this article, Jerry Rajamoney shares that the high-priority impediment item he has repeatedly faced as a ScrumMaster and struggled to solve is empowering the team. He gives four situations that could be considered as signals of lack of empowerment. He also notices that some issue come from the fact that managers are often asked to play the role of product owner or ScrumMaster, which creates confusion between the organizational role and their Scrum team role. A solution to these issues is proposed.