How can we go about Integrating Change in Scrum? Scrum helps businesses to be flexible and receptive to change. The Scrum framework undertakes change requests at any time during the Agile Project, however the implementation of these changes is addressed when the Prioritized Product Backlog is created or updated. Changes are integrated into Scrum if and only if the results provide increased business value for the customer. The Product Owner is the initiator of change requests in addition to the project stakeholders. Scrum stakeholders include end users, sponsors, customers and the Core Scrum Team.

Integrating Change: Sources of Change

Following is a summary of the reasons behind change requests from each of the change requesting groups.

1. Stakeholders – This group has a vested interest in the outcome of the project and submits change requests at any time during the project. Changes are driven by technology, market conditions, legal or regulatory requirements, and other business related conditions. When the project deliverables are being reviewed, for example, during Sprint Reviews, Demos, or Retrospectives, recommended change requests are added to the Prioritized Product Backlog after approval. It is important to note that there are other unspecified situations and reasons why changes are requested and approved.
2. Core Scrum Team – The Core Scrum Team (Agile Scrum Master, Product Owner and Scrum Development Team) has a significant involvement with product development and their interactions with internal and external stakeholders can result in change requests. In this case, the Product Owner has the final say as to whether the changes will be accepted into the product backlog. Other situations include product discussions where recommendations for improvement result in change requests.

• Upper Management – The reasons behind change requests from management are based on changes in the strategic direction of the organization, funding issues, competition related issues and so forth. Submitted change requests from management go through the same process as all others.

• Scrum Guidance – This governance body of individuals can implement change requests that impact ALL Scrum projects worldwide. These change requests result from government regulations, best practices, lessons learned from other projects that are worth sharing, corporate mandates or other initiatives.

Change and Flexibility

In addition to flexibility with Scrum, it is important to understand that the change process must be stable. This means that work cannot be completed successfully if the Sprint backlog is unstable. The Sprint backlog must be stable to support the balance between flexibility and stability. Once a Sprint begins, changes are NOT introduced into the Sprint backlog, resulting in stability. When an urgent change is needed, the Sprint is terminated and a new one is initiated, resulting in flexibility. The Scrum project accepts changes without the need to modify the release dates.

Integrating Change

Scrum rules require that the highest priority user stories in the Prioritized Product Backlog are selected before all others. Change requests are integrated into the Prioritized Product Backlog after approval. The Scrum Team makes a determination as to how many tasks are needed to complete the work in the Sprint backlog. The Change Management process is automatically executed during the existing process of ranking and inserting tasks to the Prioritized Backlog and then selected for the Sprint Backlog, seamlessly.

Integrating Change: Sprint Changes

In cases where there is an urgent need to consider a change request, the Scrum Product Owner consults with the project’s stakeholders to determine whether the change needs to happen immediately or can wait until the next Sprint. If there is an immediate need to add the change, this would mean that the existing Sprint would have to end and a new Sprint must be started. Again, a Sprint should not have a change in its scope after it begins. If the change is not urgent enough, the change will be implemented in a future Sprint.

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Backlog Prioritisation Changes

The purpose of grooming the Prioritized Product Backlog is to ensure that prioritized user stories are available for 2 to 3 future Sprints. The Core Scrum Team and stakeholders whose input is needed should be invited to grooming sessions. In the case where the grooming sessions result in any reprioritization, the Scrum Team should agree with the proposed changes.

Sprint Review Changes

The Product Owner makes all decisions as to whether to accept or reject user stories during the Sprint Review meeting. User stories and their acceptance criteria should not be altered after the Sprint is completed. This ensures that user stories can be accepted based on the criteria that was previously agreed on. If user stories need to be changed, then these changes will need to be made in a future Sprint. New user stories may also be created during the Sprint Review meeting. These user stories are based on change requests from the Product Owner or stakeholders.

Changes in Programs and Portfolios

Any changes in programs or portfolios impact changes to projects and Sprints. It is best to minimize changes at this level because the impact can be significant, especially within large organizations. Minor changes at the portfolio level that need to be included in future Sprints, should be approved by stakeholders. These changes should be discussed during the Sprint Planning Meeting. With regards to major changes at the portfolio level, related programs, projects and Sprints will need to stop so that a portfolio backlog meeting can take place to determine how to best proceed. At the program level, the same criteria will apply. Minor changes at the program level require stakeholder approval and major changes will stop so that a program backlog meeting can occur. In summary, Table 1 outlines the Scrum Roles and their responsibilities when addressing changes in Scrum.

Role	Responsibilities
Scrum Team	Suggests improvements or changes
Product Owner	Provides requests for changes for a Scrum projectProvides impact assessments for proposed change requestsPrioritizes user storiesProvides assessments on the impact of issues identified by the Scrum Team and stakeholdersProvides clarity to stakeholders with regards to reprioritized product backlog items
Scrum Master	A facilitator for resolution of issues and change requests from the Scrum Team
Stakeholders	Initiates requests for changesParticipates in approving and prioritizing change requests

Table 1: Roles and Responsibilities