Who Should Attend the Scrum of Scrums Meeting: Best Practices and Guidelines

Scrum of Scrums (SoS) meetings are crucial for aligning multiple scrum teams in a larger release train. However, determining who should attend can significantly impact the effectiveness of these meetings. This article explores the best practices and guidelines for who should participate in SoS meetings, detailing the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders involved.

Introduction to Scrum of Scrums

Scrum of Scrums, often abbreviated as SoS, is a high-level meeting where representatives from each scrum team come together to discuss ongoing progress and any impediments impacting the project. These meetings are designed to foster communication and collaboration among teams, ensuring that each team is aware of dependencies and issues across the release train. The primary participants in SoS meetings include scrum masters, release train engineers, and team representatives. Additionally, product owners can be invited based on specific needs.

The Best Participants for Scrum of Scrums Meetings

The decision on who should attend the SoS meeting ultimately lies with the team. However, it's important to ensure that the participants can effectively communicate the progress and impediments of their respective teams. Typically, the best candidates for these roles are technical contributors, such as programmers, testers, database administrators, and designers.

Technical Contributors

Technical contributors are the backbone of the development process. They bring deep insights into the current state of the project, the challenges faced during development, and potential solutions. By having these individuals attend the SoS meetings, teams can share detailed progress reports, discuss emerging issues, and collaborate on finding effective solutions. This ensures that the meeting remains focused and productive.

Scrum Masters and Release Train Engineers

While technical contributors are essential, scum masters and release train engineers play crucial roles in leading and organizing the SoS meetings. Their experience in facilitating effective communication and managing dependencies across teams ensures the smooth running of the meeting. Scrum masters can provide a broader perspective on team dynamics, while release train engineers focus on the overall release schedule and coordination.

Product Owners (Occasional Inclusion)

Product owners are pivotal in ensuring that the customer's needs and requirements are met. However, they are not always necessary as regular attendees. Instead, product owners can be included on a need-based basis, such as when discussing critical user stories, resolving high-priority impediments, or making strategic decisions. This reduces the meeting's duration and keeps the session focused on immediate needs.

Preparation and Components of Scrum of Scrums

To ensure the effectiveness of the SoS meetings, it's essential to prepare and organize the components beforehand. Kendis, a popular tool in the Scrum community, offers a feature that makes this process straightforward. By using this feature, teams can prepare and share concise updates and impediments, ensuring that the meeting remains focused and efficient.

Advantages of Preparedness

Preparing the components of SoS meetings ahead of time has several advantages:

Focused Discussions: Teams can focus on specific issues and progress updates, leading to more productive meetings.

Efficient Time Management: Preparing updates beforehand ensures that the meeting stays on track and doesn't deviate into unnecessary details.

Improved Communication: Clear and concise updates from each team help the entire release train stay in sync.

Conclusion

The key to a successful Scrum of Scrums meeting lies in the effective participation of the appropriate stakeholders. By designating technical contributors, scrum masters, and release train engineers, and occasionally including product owners, teams can achieve better communication, collaboration, and alignment. With the right preparation and organization, SoS meetings can become valuable tools for driving project success.