The Executive Action Team (EAT) fulfills the Scrum Master role for the entire agile organization.
Scrum@Scale Framework
Agile transformations are significant initiatives for organizations. If done successfully, it will change the way the organization thinks and acts to deliver value at every level. This type of initiative requires leadership buy-in. An organized team of influential strategic thinkers that can launch and support the transformation is quickly becoming the standard. These Centers of Excellence teams are becoming more popular as larger organizations undergo Agile transformation initiatives.
Scrum@Scale recommends an Executive Action Team (EAT). The primary function of the EAT is to coordinate the Agile parts of the organization and to interface with those parts that are not Agile. EAT teams are made of Agile change agents that are financially and politically empowered to make decisions that remove impediments and move Agility forward in the organization.
The EAT acts as a central Scrum Master to the organization and is responsible for the quality of Scrum. They help launch the transformation and create the necessary teams such as the Executive Metascrum.
Once the initiative is launched, the EAT owns a prioritized transformation backlog and is accountable for ensuring its execution. They provide the direction that Agile teams use to improve their Agility within and across teams. They also assist with connecting the Agile changes to the larger organization as well as identify new opportunities to adopt Agile.
The EAT has a number of responsibilities that include:
Creating a scaled Agile structure for the organization.
Organizing a small set of teams that implement Scrum well.
Implementing Agile operational rules, procedures, and guidelines.
Measuring and improving the quality of Scrum.
Developing Agile capabilities within the organization.
Facilitating continuous learning for Scrum professionals.
Supporting new and improved ways of working.
It is important that you have a centralized approach to move your Agile transformation forward when implementing a large Scrum transformation or when working with multiple Scrum teams. The EAT also works through impediments that may be blocking your Agile transformation and can be a powerful force for scaling Scrum across the organization. By establishing an EAT, you ensure that the necessary considerations are addressed on an ongoing basis to improve your chances of a successful Agile implementation.
