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Scrum for Large Projects

Scaling Scrum For Large Projects

This chapter emphasizes additional aspects of Scrum that are applicable to large projects. Scaling Scrum for large projects, as defined in A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK® Guide), is applicable to the following:

  • Large projects in any industry
  • Products, services, or any other results to be delivered to business stakeholders

This chapter is written from the perspective of a large project effort that coordinates activities of multiple Scrum Teams to jointly produce potentially shippable product increments/deliverables. Additional information pertaining to the application of Scrum to any project (large or small) can be found in chapters 2 through 7, which cover Scrum principles and Scrum aspects.

Large Scrum Project vs. Typical Small Scrum Project

The fundamental Scrum processes defined in chapters 8 through 12 are valid for Scrum projects with one Product Owner, one Scrum Master, and one to three Scrum Teams. These are usually considered small Scrum projects. When dealing with large projects requiring the efforts of four or more Scrum Teams with multiple Product Owners and multiple Scrum Masters, the fundamental processes defined in chapters 8 through 12 remain valid, but some additional considerations and updates to inputs, tools, and outputs may be required. This may include additional coordination and synchronization efforts. The impact to the fundamental Scrum processes when scaling Scrum to large projects are described in this chapter.

The definition of what constitutes a large project usually depends on the organization and/or the complexity of the projects being undertaken. A key criterion for whether a project is considered small versus large is whether the project requires multiple Scrum Masters and/or multiple Product Owners. If the project still requires only one Scrum Master and one Product Owner, then these individuals can normally handle any additional communication and synchronization efforts required by the project.

Additional Inputs and Outputs for Large Projects

  • Large Project Scrum Organization
  • Product Owners Collaboration Plan
  • Scrum Masters Collaboration Plan
  • Shared Resources
  • Team Specialization
  • Environment and Environment Schedule
  • Release Readiness Plan

Additional Tools for Large Projects

  • Large Project Communications Plan
  • Large Project Resource Planning
  • Environment Identification
  • Prioritized Product Backlog Assignment
  • Scrum of Scrums (SoS) Meeting
  • Release Preparation Methods
  • Release Readiness Sprint
  • Scrum Project Tool