A Project Manager's Approach to Scrum for the Development Team
By Kristian Bainey
Project managers working alongside Scrum teams often face an unclear boundary between traditional delivery responsibilities and the team's self organization. This article addresses that tension directly. Kristian Bainey describes how a project manager can add value around a Scrum team by handling external dependencies, funding, contracts, organizational reporting and stakeholder alignment, while leaving sprint level decisions with the team and the product owner.
The article works through the practical mechanics: how backlog work relates to broader project planning, how progress can be reported to sponsors who expect predictive style information, and how to manage risks that sit outside the team's control. It also identifies behaviours that undermine Scrum teams, such as assigning tasks directly or treating ceremonies as status meetings.
The result is a pragmatic view for organizations that operate both traditional governance and agile delivery, which describes most enterprises rather than the textbook ideal.
Key takeaways
- Project managers add most value on dependencies, funding and stakeholder alignment.
- Sprint level decisions belong to the team and the product owner.
- Enterprise reporting can be satisfied without disrupting team autonomy.
This is an original summary published by K-PIC Systems. Read the full original article