Project Manager vs Scrum Master vs Project Owner

5-7 minutes

The Scrum Master role and the project manager role are very separate and distinct. For someone new to Agile , the project manager and scrum master roles might seem similar, or even identical. But it is so important to recognize the differences between the two, recognize where some tasks may overlap, and recognize how they complement one another in large-scale projects.

Role of Project Manager

The traditional Project Manager is a leader, a decision maker, a planner who manages the project and his team and is the person accountable to the business for accomplishing the project objectives. Project manager’s role is to manage the projects and ensure that the project meets the requirements.

Project Manager Roles

The roles and responsibilities of the Project Manager are as follows:

Define project scope
Gather requirements
Identify activities, dependencies, sequencing, and time estimates.
Identify resources needed
Manages the budget
Reports to business leadership on project progress
Focuses on process
Allocates tasks
Prioritizes features
Ensure quality
Manage vendors
Manages risk

Role of Scrum Master

The Scrum Master doesn’t manage the team that produces the work, instead he supports the Product Owner , coaches the team and makes sure that Scrum processes are adhered to. The Scrum Master is responsible for the Scrum process, its correct implementation, and the maximization of its benefits.

Roles of Scrum Master

The role of the Scrum Master is more a coaching and facilitation role, a role that sits between the project and the customer and the roles and mainly includes the followings:

Lead Sprint Planning
Lead / Organize the daily Scrum Meeting
Coaches the product owner
Monitoring the progress of the sprint
Helps team estimate and increase velocity
Promotes continuous communication
Reduce team disruptions
Monitors and helps improve team dynamics
Assist with Reporting
Motivates the team
Acts as the glue that holds the team together

Role of Product Owner

Product Owners have a huge responsibility for the project. They are responsible for maintaining a product backlog that describes the product that must continue to fit with the requirements of the business. During any project, as more becomes known about a product, about customers, or about changes in the market, a product often needs to change in order to meet these requirements. The Product Owner has to adjust and re-prioritise the backlog to fit these changes and to steer the project.