How are Program Communications and Portfolio Communications handled within Scrum Projects? A Small Scrum Project with only one or 2 Teams has a distinct advantage over large, Traditional Projects when it comes to Communications. Firstly, the Team is usually co-located in their own Project space. Secondly, the Communications Roles and Events are clearly defined. The Product Owner owns all Communications that are external to the Project, while the Scrum Master is responsible for convening Meetings for purely internal Communications. These internal meeting as include the Sprint Planning Meeting, the Daily Stand-Up Meeting. There are also Meetings consisting of external Stakeholders, such as the Sprint Review.

Both the Agile Manifesto and Scrum regard face-to-face Communications as preferable to written or other less direct Communications, and a typical Scrum Facilitates this. When a Project is larger, and where Projects are subordinate to Programs and Portfolios, the need for Communications becomes even more important but also more complex.

Program Communications: Enabling Communications on a Large Scale.

The Communications process for a large Project, a Program and a Portfolio is comparable, and has the exact same obstacles:-.

• Teams involved are not necessarily Sitting Together; they might even be on different continents.
• Small Team members are Generalists; with large Projects there can be Specialist Teams, for instance IT architects or UX Specialists. This can develop interdependencies, as Teams depend on each others outputs.
• The structure of Scrum is based around the single Team. In order to accommodate big Projects, Programs and Portfolios, additional Meetings and Artefacts are needed.
• Additional Roles need to be created to enable Communications flow on all levels. These are additional Product Owner and Scrum Master Roles.

While a typical process can be used, there are some small differences that cater for the different results needed by Projects, Programs and Portfolios.

Program Communications: Communications for Large Projects.

The focus for the Project is producing a successful Product. A large Scrum Project has more than 3 Scrum Teams and the Communications between them need to be synchronized. There are 2 Roles specifically needed for large Projects:-.

• The Chief Product Owner, who has general Product Responsibility and who coordinates the overall Project Backlog across Teams. This is done mainly via each Product Owner for each Scrum, but more comprehensive Communications to all the Teams. They focus on the requests at Project level and Communicate these priorities back to each Product Owner. The Product Owner also Communicates at Project level with the Stakeholders and with the Program Product Owner.
• The Chief Scrum Master, is the Scrum steward at Project level. They interact with the Scrum Masters from each Team and are responsible for internal Communications in between Teams. They Facilitate the “Scrum of Scrums” (SoS).

For large Projects there is a Meeting called the Scrum of Scrums (SoS) that has some commonalities with the Stand-Up Meeting. It addresses what each Team has achieved since the last Meeting and their targets for the next Meeting. They discuss what roadblocks have occurred and what interdependencies exist. It is advised that if there are any issues between Teams that require fixing, they are raised at the Scrum of Scrums Meeting. This meeting is likewise arranged by the Chief Scrum Master.

Communications at Program Level.

The focus for a Program is the collaborated Management of Product Releases through the oversight of a series of Projects. The Scrum Roles for Program Management are:-.

• The Program Product Owner who coordinates the various Projects by interacting with the Chief Product Owners and Scrum Product Owner, with the aid of the Program Product Backlog. They have a significant Role in the Planning of Product Releases for the Program.
• The Program Scrum Master confirms that Scrum practice are being observed by all the Teams and Projects. They coach and encourage the Agile Scrum Master and Scrum Development Team where needed. They are the conduit through which concerns throughout Projects and obstacles to Projects are addressed.

Communications at Portfolio Level.

The focus for a Portfolio is the Management of Change and Business Value at Enterprise and strategic level. Comparable Roles have been defined for Portfolio Management.

• The Portfolio Product Owner has the Enterprise Product Responsibility by means of the Portfolio Product Backlog. Coordination of all levels of Product Development rest on their shoulders.
• The Portfolio Scrum Master has the position of Scrum Master at the highest level and is also Tasked with the total Management of Risk and Change demands.

A status Meeting at Portfolio level can likewise be called. It is called the “Scrum of Scrum of Scrums”( SoSoS).

Collaborating Large-Scale Initiatives Utilizing a Communications Plan.

The Communications Plan is vital for managing at scale. For anybody knowledgeable about Traditional Project Management, the Scrum Plan follows the exact same broad precepts of who, what and when.

We found these books great for finding out more information on Agile Scrum:

Who is affected.

• Audience. Who needs to be included in the Communication, such as Stakeholders, Scrum Masters or Scrum Teams.
• Responsible. Who requires the Meeting and produces the outputs.
• Facilitator. This will generally be a Scrum Master at the appropriate level.

What are the inputs, activity and outputs.

• What is the purpose of the Communication, e.g. to discuss which Products will be included in the next Release, What Risks need to be dealt with, and what are the current priorities at Portfolio level.
• Description of Communication / channel. Is it a Meeting, a study, an email?
• What is needed for the Meeting, such as the Scrum Backlog status, and the list of dependencies.
• What outputs will result following the Communication being resolved.

When will it take place?

• How regularly?
• When is the next Meeting scheduled?
• What is the action time, e.g. 48 hours.

There are numerous examples for what a Communication Plan design template needs to consist of, especially on Project-Management associated sites. If your Company practises Communications Planning, use the format everyone is familiar with.

The use of a Communications Plan is described in connection with large Projects and large Scrum Organization, there is no limitation on having a Communication Plan even at the simplest Scrum Team level. As a growing number of Teams are included, it becomes an important tool for aligning Product Visions, Change requests and prioritization of Backlog material. Particularly at Portfolio level, where Enterprise-wide Communication is important, while Planning how and when to Communicate is a must.