HKSM

The six essential, non-negotiable principles that anchor Scrum and guide how teams deliver value: Empirical Process Control, Self-Organization, Collaboration, Value-based Prioritization, Time-boxing, and Iterative Development.

Key Points

• Empirical Process Control: work is made transparent, inspected often, and adapted based on evidence.
• Self-Organization and Collaboration: cross-functional teams coordinate closely with stakeholders to achieve goals.
• Value-based Prioritization: order the backlog to maximize customer value and manage risk early.
• Time-boxing and Iterative Development: fixed-length sprints create frequent, usable increments for feedback.

Example

A Scrum Team runs two-week sprints (Time-boxing), delivers a working increment each time (Iterative Development), reviews it with stakeholders (Collaboration), and reorders the Product Backlog to focus on the highest-value items (Value-based Prioritization). They use transparent sprint metrics and adapt their plan after each review and retrospective (Empirical Process Control), with the team deciding how to do the work (Self-Organization).

PMP Example Question

Which action best demonstrates Empirical Process Control within the Scrum Principles?

1. Freezing scope for the entire release to prevent change.
2. Running time-boxed sprints, making progress transparent, and adjusting the backlog after reviews.
3. Having the project manager assign daily tasks to each developer.
4. Prioritizing backlog items alphabetically to reduce debate.

Correct Answer: B — Empirical Process Control

Explanation: Empirical Process Control relies on transparency, inspection, and adaptation; time-boxed sprints with visible progress and regular backlog adjustments exemplify this principle.