What is the Difference Between a Scrum Master and a Project Manager?

Research data shows that almost 55% of companies are blending the Waterfall methodology with the Agile methods of conducting business. Ever since the transformation of organizations to the Agile approaches, there has been this ongoing confusion among the roles of a Project Manager and Scrum Master.

There are some that advocate these roles are similar while others face it. However, there looks to be some level of uncertainty in interconnecting how these roles are similar or dissimilar to each other.

In the commercial world that functions with Agile methodology, the old structure of projects no longer exists. While the project team has no qualms about interfacing with the scrum master, somewhere along the way accountability to the project manager seems to have been lost.

Yet, there still is a requirement for a Project Manager, along with the Scrum Master. To recognize the value of each role to a project and the overall business, we first need to define and understand the role and its responsibilities clearly.

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities

Project manager role is to accomplish projects, the future of the project and the resources used to make sure that the projects meet the requirements.

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities

• Create the project budget;
• Planning Project goals;
• Define Project Scope;
• Define the resources requirements.
• Gather requirements.
• Preparing the work schedule for the project.
• Monitor and control the plan.
• Assure Quality.
• Stakeholders.
• Manage risk, change, and team.
• Manage relationship and expectations with the clients and
• Get the user feedback.
• Close the Project.

Scrum master Roles and Responsibilities

Scrum Master is not your outmoded Project Managers. Scrum Master one of the most used flexible framework and it is best used for small teams of developers who split their work into a sprint with the aim of developing working software at the end of every race.

• Lead Sprint Planning.
• Lead/organize the daily scrum meeting.
•  Responsible for managing the scrum process with the help of scrum team in agile methodology.
• Removes impairments so the team can focus on the work and follow Scrum practice.
• Assist Product owner in making the product backlogs in respectable form and making them prepared for next sprint.
• Assist with the product backlog.
• Acts as a Safeguard protects the team from external and internal distractions.
• Assist with reporting.
• Monitors and helps improve team dynamics.

Differences

Traditionally, Project Managers have defined goals finishing their projects within time, budget, and scope. Scrum Master at least those who comprehend their role is responsible for making sure that the members of the team are well competent in the following values of Scrum framework and agile practices. They prepare their organizations and to fix time budget and increase the possibility.

Scrum Masters know the quality and the importance of it. Project Managers also see the importance of quality, but usually, do not have a clue beyond that. Just employ a consultant to answer and trust in the professionalism of the project managers involved.

Project managers are very doting of making things large. They feel satisfied with having projects done with more people and massive budgets involved. That’s how they improve to Program managers. Scrum Masters still lean always to make small things. They do love to work in a small team and usually do not care about budgets.

Similarities

Project Managers and Scrum Master both make a mistake. They learn from the error and recover from those. They have the skills to communicate, to apologize, and to receive feedback, to deal with risk and make develop a high bond with their team member.

Project Managers are not superiors. They have to give the report to the clients and stakeholders. Scrum Masters are not bosses either. They usually have to sidekick their product owner while saying and then to stakeholders and clients.

Project Managers and Scrum Masters both tend to fail when they neglect to be professional. They fail when they snub the essential discipline about the real job they do perform. They fail when they are not skilled proficient. They do fail if they disregard team members and opinions.

When conflicting the modifications between Project Managers and Scrum Masters, you see that Project Manager has more of a Leadership role and Scrum Master plays a support role in Scrum team. Project Managers lead the planning and execution of the project. Scrum Masters work closely with the scrum team and assure that they agree to the activity.

This much above information should help when discovering which one would be a more attractive path to co-opt.

It is essential to recognize how each of these roles differs, intersection and complement each other, and it is represented in the table below

In Conclude

Though the points mentioned above do not incorporate all the phases of both the roles, they are adequate to establish the point that both the functions are unique, different and necessary. The Project Manager’s position lays emphasis on leadership and accountability and is far more encompassing from an organization’s perspective than the Scrum Master’s part. The Scrum Master’s role is more of a mentor and guide in a particular project. Both these roles need to coexist in an organization with the clear understanding of their distinctions