The Importance of Stakeholders in Scrum

A core tenet of Scrum is that the Scrum Team receives rapid and frequent feedback from stakeholders in order to inspect and adapt its work. The entire Scrum Team is responsible for stakeholder collaboration, it is not just the Product Owner's responsibility. Scrum provides many elements that support the Scrum Team’s collaboration with key stakeholders:

  • Sprint Review - this Scrum event is a working meeting for the Scrum Team to ask for feedback and guidance from their stakeholders
  • Product Goal - this concrete, measurable objective helps the Scrum Team and stakeholders understand if they are making progress toward fulfilling the product vision
  • Product Backlog - this Scrum artifact provides a means for the the Scrum Team and stakeholders to drive to a common understanding of what must be done to achieve the Product Goal and deliver the product
  • Increment - the Scrum Team works to provide a product Increment for review by the stakeholders at the Sprint Review

These elements are built into the framework to provide formal opportunities for stakeholder interaction during the Sprint. However, these should not be considered the only opportunities to interact with stakeholders. Scrum Teams are encouraged to interact frequently with their stakeholders.

 

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Learning Series
The Sprint Review is a working meeting where the Scrum Team presents their completed work to stakeholders and asks for feedback. The Scrum Team and stakeholders discuss the progress made toward the Product Goal, emerging changes in the business or technical climate and collaborate on what to do next
Module
The Product Goal describes the future state of the product. It’s a “commitment” for the Product Backlog meaning that it is meant to provide focus for the Scrum Team and a target against which progress can be measured.There is no specific format for the Product Goal or indication of how long the plan...
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Learning Series
The Product Backlog represents all of the work the Scrum Team knows it needs to do in order to deliver the product. Teams can use the Product Backlog to make decisions about what they should do next. Learn about the Product Backlog, Product Goal, Product Backlog items and Product Backlog refinement.
Learning Series
The Increment is the latest version of the product that conforms to the Definition of Done. During each Sprint, the Developers work toward the current Product Goal by implementing Product Backlog items (PBIs) and integrating their individual work together. Learn about the Increment and its commitment, the Definition of Done. Investigate some common myths about the Increment.
 

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Learning Series
Scrum encourages frequent collaboration with stakeholders, and customers in particular. Understanding how to identify and learn about the challenges that key stakeholders face will help the Scrum Team better deliver the value they are seeking.