Scrum Master To-Do List (Checklist)

Scrum Master To-Do List (The Scrum Master To-Do List) – a comprehensive, empirically‑based checklist that helps Scrum Masters evaluate and improve their work across four key areas: the Product Owner, the Team, Engineering Practices, and the Organization.

Product Owner

Is the product backlog ordered according to the latest priorities from the Product Owner?

Are all stakeholder needs and expectations captured in the backlog, and is the backlog emergent?

Is the size of the backlog manageable, keeping high‑priority items fine‑grained and low‑priority items coarse‑grained?

Can high‑priority items be written as independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable user stories?

Do you educate the Product Owner about technical debt and embed automated testing and refactoring into the Definition of Done?

Is the backlog visible to all stakeholders?

If you use an automated tool for backlog management, does everyone know how to use it effectively?

Do you help disseminate backlog information through printed materials or visual big‑board displays?

Do you assist the Product Owner in planning backlog items into appropriate releases or priority groups?

Do all stakeholders understand whether the release plan aligns with the team's current velocity, using sprint reviews and burn‑down charts?

Does the Product Owner adjust the release plan after sprint reviews when higher‑priority work emerges?

Team

Do team members work smoothly most of the time? Indicators include clear goals, focus, flow state, immediate feedback, balanced challenge, sense of ownership, and intrinsic reward.

Do team members enjoy each other's company and celebrate successes together?

Do they hold each other to high standards and challenge one another to grow?

Are there any uncomfortable topics that are avoided in discussions?

Do you experiment with different formats and locations for sprint retrospectives?

Does the team consistently adhere to acceptance criteria during the sprint?

Are sprint tasks reflective of what the team is actually doing?

Is the team composed of 3‑9 cross‑functional members?

Are task estimates and the task board up‑to‑date?

Are self‑management artifacts (task board, sprint burndown, etc.) visible and easy to use?

Are these artifacts protected from micromanagement and unnecessary external scrutiny?

Do team members choose their own tasks?

Is technical debt work included in the backlog and communicated with the Product Owner?

Can team members collectively own work beyond their formal roles (e.g., testing, documentation)?

Engineering Practices

Does the system have a "press‑test" button that any team member can use to quickly detect regressions, typically via an xUnit framework?

Is there a proper balance between automated end‑to‑end (or functional) tests and unit tests?

Do you write both system and unit tests in the same language used for production code?

Have you identified gaps between system testing and unit testing?

When a regression occurs, does a continuous‑integration server alert the team within minutes?

Are all tests integrated into the CI verification process?

Has the team embraced continuous design and frequent refactoring, with strict definitions and sufficient test coverage?

Does the Definition of Done for each functional backlog item include complete automated test coverage and refactoring?

Do most team members practice pair programming to improve code maintainability?

Organization

Is there an appropriate amount of cross‑team communication, such as Scrum‑of‑Scrums?

Can teams deliver work independently even when crossing architectural boundaries?

Do Scrum Masters collaborate to remove organization‑level impediments?

Are organization‑level impediments visibly posted (e.g., on the development director’s wall) and quantified in terms of cost, time‑to‑market, quality loss, or missed opportunities?

Does the organization provide career paths that align with team goals and avoid rewarding coding at the expense of testing or documentation?

Has the organization been recognized by professional publications as a leading company or industry example?

Do you contribute to building a learning‑oriented organization?

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