Science Scrum: Managing a research group the Agile way

Leaf's Eye View



From this experience report at the XpDay London some interesting idea on applying Scrum in a unique context. Lessons learn here imho can help to better understand the internals of a successful Scrum.

  • Scientific research is usually done as an individual effort and with high level of confidentiality: work in progress is not shared with other scientists until it is officially published
    • still researches and PhD students research projects have similarities,need to solve some common problems, require to operate similar equipments
    • passive social network building tools help
    • flow (the balance between skills and challenge, the optimal level of pressure) and intrinsic motivations at multiple levels (conscious and unconscious) help to let emerge the potential of cooperation in team


  •  Scientific research job is to explore unknown territories, to find unexpected results, when we can plan a research than probably we are not doing research.
    • short sprint with a clear goal, the quattrostagioni estimation model help to organize the research work ina more efficient and effective way

  • And finally, can Scrum help creativity or instead it can hinder creativity?


The scientific research group here, works in computational biology where complexity science and generative system principles applies,  the same principles at the foundation of Scrum.  And in biology the game theory for infinite games apply to organism as it apply to the scope of the research institute and of the researcher.


Print | posted @ sabato 12 dicembre 2009 17:56

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