Which role is primarily responsible for ensuring the team adheres to Agile principles and practices?

The Scrum Master plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the team adheres to Agile principles and practices. This is largely due to the Scrum Master's responsibilities as a servant leader and facilitator for the Scrum team. They help create a supportive environment where team members can collaborate effectively and adhere to Agile methodologies.

The Scrum Master focuses on coaching the team in Agile practices, ensuring that processes run smoothly, and helping to remove any impediments that may hinder the team’s progress. Through continuous improvement efforts, the Scrum Master encourages adherence to Agile values and principles, facilitates discussions, and organizes the necessary training sessions. Additionally, they help the team understand the importance of Agile concepts such as self-organization, iterative progress, and embracing feedback.

While the Product Owner is responsible for managing the product backlog and maximizing the value of the team's work, and the Release Train Engineer focuses on larger program-level coordination, neither of these roles are specifically tasked with ensuring adherence to Agile principles within the team. The Agile Coach, on the other hand, may operate at a broader organizational level, helping multiple teams adopt Agile practices rather than focusing on a single team's adherence.

Overall, the Scrum Master's combination of coaching, facilitating, and removing obstacles is what places them at the center of upholding Agile principles within