What's the difference between a ScrumMaster and a Project Manager?

Question

I know that in Scrum there is no Project Manager, but there is a Scrum Master instead. So technically speaking, is the Scrum Master the same as Project Manager, or do they have different roles and responsibilities?

Answer 1

My personal view would be they can compliment each other.

Firstly, while the Project Manager is project objective focused (the big picture), the Scrum Master is value (the current release) focused.  

The difference in my view is:
The Project Manager is a facilitator and enabler of possible many Scrum Masters.

The Project Manager owns the project and is often the vocal point for the communication distribution to stakeholders who are not embedded with the team.

The Project Manager must also take a whole of project view in relation to scope, time, budget, quality and risk.

I 100% agree, that a Project Manager is not a Scrum Master, but keep in mind you can have a Scrum of Scrums ... just like you can have a Programme Manager and Project Managers, each have a key roles as projects scale up.

Please feel free to point me in the right direction if am missing the target here.

Just my 2 cents ...

- Projects.ie

Answer 2

This is a very hard question that is really open for debate.

In short, the Scrum Master is more technical than the Project Manager. He manages the tasks as well as the resources. The Scrum Master offers technical help. The Project Manager, on the other hand, manages at a higher level and deals with the "outside world".

Some people say that the roles intersect, and having both on the same project can lead to chaos, while others say that the Project Manager should be the same person as the Scrum Master. Again, this question is open for debate and I hope others will input their feedback as well.