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Does SM raise deployment requests ?

Last post 09:15 pm July 31, 2024 by Pierre Pienaar
4 replies
05:02 am July 24, 2024

Hi

My team is asking me to raise deployment requests in system for any build errors. I have asked them to create themselves as scrum master is facilitator and not the actual doer. Architect says its job of SM to create requests since dev team should not waste time in such small things.

Who is right here ? Me or architect.. Kindly advise

Thanks !


10:47 am July 25, 2024

I hope the responsibilities are already defined for each role in your organisation and you have to make sure it is clearly understood by everyone in the team. if not, make it transparent so the whole team knows how much cross-functional the team is and how the work can be planned with this team setup. 

By the guidelines, Developers are accountable to deliver an increment with quality adhering to Definition of Done. Any work that is needed to make it "Done" has to be included in the sizing of the work item during Sprint planning.So you ensure their practices are in place to take care of it.


05:59 pm July 25, 2024

If there are build errors then it is up to the Developers to fix them. They are the ones doing the work, and they are accountable for making sure it is Done and without error. The right developer to fix an issue is the one who first sees that it needs doing.

If a request submission process is getting in the way of the Developers' ability to inspect and adapt their work, then the Scrum Master needs to expose the impediment so it can be acknowledged and dealt with. Right now people just seem to be accepting organizational constraints.


03:52 pm July 26, 2024

The Scrum Guide provides a list of accountabilities for 3 different entities.  According to those accountabilities, the deployment requests would be considered part of the building and delivery of the increment.  It would fall within the accountabilities of the Developers.

Now that I have brought up the Scrum Guide answer, let me say this.  You seem to have a job title of Scrum Master.  There appears to be a job title for Architect.  So, we can not tell you if it is your job as a Scrum Master at your organization to create deployment requests.  You will have to look at the company job description that matches your job title to determine that. 

Theoretically, if your organization is following the Scrum framework,  the Scrum Master would not be accountable to create deployment requests.  It would be a Developer's accountability.  In reality, what I know of Architect job descriptions, they would be doing some of the Scrum frameworks Developer accountabilities so it would be more appropriate for them to submit deployment requests than for a Scrum Master.  However, in the Scrum framework it is a accountability of the Scrum Master to cause the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress. Sometimes, creating a deployment request might needed for that if the Developers are focusing on more important work related to the current Sprint Goal.  But if that deployment request continues to be an impediment, the Scrum Team needs to find a way to remove that impediment.  Having a Scrum Master create the deployment request all the time is not removing the impediment. It is just creating a work around.


09:15 pm July 31, 2024

. Do these deployment requests need  some authority role to log them? As mentioned in other posts, such deployment requests strictly falls in the accountability for the dev team. Normally I promote the concept of empowerment for the team,  but in this case Ithe team or architect is over stepping.

In the latest Scrum Guide the wording servant leader has changed to leader that serves, likely to  clear up situations like you described. This word change  brings an emphasis change, to  leader being  first.. Removing impediments is not just doing work for the team, but addressing the impediment, and improving  the proces. As a leader that serves, the SM should set out the roles and accountabilities. I would not assign the deployment as a task to an individual though, but leave the decision to the team to self manage  among themselve (and  not paas it back to the SM).


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