Preparation

This Slideshow briefly outlines how the Agile Scrum project management framework can be adapted for the scale of a Hackathon.For more detail, here’s a Youtube video, a reference card, and an article about Hackathons and Scrum.  This process is only a recommendation – good to know about ahead of time and consider.

General Guidelines for Team Self-Organization

1. Stake out Space: Do your members have special needs for quiet locations?  One-table or two-table team?                  
2. Get to Know Each Other – Fast!: Find out what each member brings to the table, and why they are attracted to the challenge.
3. Choose Key Roles: If you use Scrum, you will need:
   1. Scrum Master: team facilitator, without authority to make decisions for others.
   2. Product Owner: represents the deliverables needed. The Project Manager should represent this role when your nonprofit representative is not present.
   3. Self-Organizing Team: note that there is no “Project Manager” role in Scrum.
4. Outline the Work:  Use flipbooks provided to diagram structures and processes. in preparation for break-out groups doing the detail work. In the image at right, there were concurrent diagrams being developed.  This should be a full-team process: If a few people are dominating, its time for the break-out groups.
5. Break Out: Form smaller teams based on sensible work divisions.