Development Team (Scrum)
The Development Team, called Developers in the latest Scrum Guide, consists of the cross-functional professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment each sprint.
Explanation
In Scrum, the Developers are the people who commit to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each sprint. They are self-managing, meaning they decide internally how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments of value. No one outside the team, including the Scrum Master, tells the Developers how to do their work.
The team is cross-functional, possessing all the skills necessary to create the Increment without depending on people outside the team. There are no sub-teams or hierarchies within the Developers. The recommended size is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work, typically three to nine people (excluding the Scrum Master and Product Owner unless they are also doing development work).
The Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the sprint (the Sprint Backlog), instilling quality by adhering to the Definition of Done, adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal, and holding each other accountable as professionals.
Key Points
- •Cross-functional professionals who create the Increment
- •Self-managing: they decide how to accomplish their work
- •Typically three to nine members for optimal effectiveness
- •Accountable for the Sprint Backlog and meeting the Definition of Done
Exam Tip
Remember that the Scrum Guide uses the term "Developers," not "Development Team," as of 2020. However, both terms may appear on the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Scrum Framework
Scrum is a lightweight agile framework that uses fixed-length iterations called sprints, defined roles, events, and artifacts to help teams deliver complex products incrementally and iteratively.
Cross-Functional Teams
A Cross-Functional Team is a team that possesses all the skills and competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others outside the team.
Self-Organizing Teams
Self-Organizing Teams (also called self-managing teams in the 2020 Scrum Guide) are teams that determine the best way to accomplish their work without being directed by people outside the team.
Most-studied PMP concepts
High-yield topics our learners drill most before exam day.
Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of work remaining versus time in a Sprint or release, showing whether the team is on track to complete the planned work.
Relative Estimation
Relative Estimation is an agile technique where work items are sized in comparison to each other rather than in absolute units like hours or days, providing faster and more accurate estimates.
Sprint Review
The Sprint Review is a Scrum event held at the end of the Sprint where the Scrum Team presents the Increment to stakeholders, gathers feedback, and collaborates on what to do next.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the Sprint Goal and the plan for delivering the Increment.
Timeboxing
Timeboxing is the practice of allocating a fixed, maximum amount of time for an activity, after which the activity stops regardless of whether it is complete.
Resource Leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project schedule to keep resource usage at or below a defined limit, often resulting in a longer project duration.
Risk Register
The risk register is a project document that records the details of individual project risks, including their identification, analysis results, response plans, and current status.
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the visual representation of stakeholder relationships, influence, interest, or other attributes using grids, matrices, or diagrams to support analysis and engagement planning.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Cost Performance Index (CPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures cost performance as the ratio of earned value to actual cost: CPI = EV / AC.
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