Scrum

Introduction to Scrum

In the previous module, project management, project methodologies were introduced, along with how they connect to The Data Mine (TDM) projects. This section highlights Scrum—its key definitions, components, and the ways it supports teamwork within TDM projects.

What do you need to know about Scrum?

Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.

During a Sprint, the team, led by the Scrum Master, works on completing a set of tasks. After one Sprint finishes, the next one begins, making Scrum a circular and iterative process.

What Makes Up Scrum:

Scrum is made up of five interrelated components, which can be grouped into Scrum Philosophy (Why) and Scrum Practice (How). Together, they provide the foundation, culture, and rhythm that guide teams in applying Agile values to real projects.

Scrum Components: Philosophy (Why) and Practice (How)
Group	Component	Terms	Description & Interrelation
Scrum Philosophy Why?	Scrum Pillars (Foundation)	Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation	Core principles that ensure Scrum is an empirical process (learn by doing and adjusting).
Scrum Philosophy Why?	Scrum Values (Culture)	Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, Courage	These values create the culture for teams to practice the pillars. For example, without openness, transparency fails. Without courage, adaptation is avoided.
Scrum Practice How?	Scrum Team (People)	Product Owner (Mentors), Scrum Master (TA), Developers (Students)	Teams are cross-functional and self-managing. They live by the values, use the events, and create the artifacts.
	Scrum Artifacts (Deliverables)	Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment	Tangible evidence of work and progress, that provide transparency and connect back to values and pillars.
	Scrum Ceremonies (Rhythm)	Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective	Events put the pillars into practice. They’re time-boxed opportunities to inspect, adapt, and collaborate.

The first group identified in the table is Scrum Philosophy, and its components—pillars and values—are explained in detail below.

Scrum Philosophy: Pillars

Scrum is built on three main pillars that guide how teams work and improve. These are Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.

Figure 1. Scrum Pillars

The pillars give the foundation, but they come alive through Scrum’s events and artifacts. Here’s how each pillar connects directly to the work the team does and the artifacts they create:

Scrum Pillars in Practice
Component	Transparency	Inspection	Adaptation
Events	Sprint Planning (clarity on work), Standup (progress visible), Sprint Review (show results)	Daily Standup (inspect progress & blockers), Sprint Review (inspect product against goals)	Sprint Review (adapt product direction), Retrospective (adapt team process for improvement)
Artifacts	Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment	Sprint Backlog (checked daily), Increment	Product Backlog (reprioritized as needs change)

Scrum Philosophy: Core Values

Alongside the pillars, Scrum is also guided by five core values that shape how the team works together. These values—Courage, Focus, Commitment, Respect, and Openness—create the mindset and culture needed for Scrum to succeed. Please take a moment to read the meaning of each value in the illustration below.

Figure 2. Scrum Values

In summary, the Scrum Philosophy provides the foundation and mindset, without which the second group—the Scrum Practice—could not succeed. Scrum Practice demonstrates how Scrum is applied through people, artifacts, and events. Each of these components is explored in detail in the following subsections.

Scrum Cartoon

Figure 3. It’s a Placebo Scrum

Cartoon illustrated by Marija Hajnal

Sources

Scrum Guide