Scrum Master Vs Project Manager

Scrum Master definitely works towards tracking the tasks and resolving blockers and hence performs jobs that are improtant for project manager. This is directly related to tracking the time and resources involved in the project and a timeframe for making a sensible delivery. The best situation is when the project Manager and scrum master are the same.

For many large corporate organisations, the reality is that often an agile project is operating within a "traditional" waterfall project framework upwards (with all the controls that implies).

I've found the best approach is to be a Scrum Master inwards (with, and for, the team) and a Project Manager outwards. So one person, dual role but also dual facing.

I have over 4 years of experience working in an Enterprise Scrum and Agile based project.

Some of the thoughts and ideas mentioned in this thread are pretty interesting and worth trying out in your projects.

Although I like the idea of having the PM be the SM as well, and be a SM for a Team while looking at them (inward) and being a PM while looking at outside infuences and people (outward), it is not that easy to do in real life, I think it is easier said that done. To make this work, everyone involved must be well educated about Scrum. Otherwise it may lead into a command and control format where the SM will be "considered" a Supervisor or someone with a lot of power over you, hence the team is no more self managed. The Team would hesistate to bring up ideas or be self managed, they would look to the SM (perceived as PM or your boss!) for assigning them tasks. Think about it, say If you have joined a team in a project, when you hear the word PM - what comes to mind first?? Boss or someone higher in the chain? or do you think Team member with expert knowledge of Scrum?

My point being, the project members will have to be trained and that perception of your SM being your supervisor would need to be removed by a third party Scrum Trainer or someone who is an expert in Scrum, even if it means you make a verbal contract.

In our project, both our Projects managers were asked specifically NOT to be take up the Scrum Master role, because they had a lot of power, even if they truely did not want to intend to be that way. Scrum Masters were hired seperatly or picked from within the Team and given Scrum Training. The SM works very well, I would say if he is a part of the Team, like 30% SM and 70% developer or QA. From personal expereince I can say a SM who runs Scrum meetings for 2 -3 Teams, and has no clue what actual work they are doing, is bound to be very less productive. A SM needs to know the Teams in and out, he should also be able to pick up tasks, if he can't then he is just a manager in my eyes, directing work, and delegating , and taking tasks themselves. Scrum is based on the concept of accountability, an SM should be held accountable too!

Unlike Waterfall, a SM and his Team members are on the same level, there is no hierarchy here, an SM is an expert in Scrum, and some people management, and PM expereince defiently is a bonus! but keeping the PM title and being a SM may not always work! An SMs main responsibilty is to make sure everyone is following scrum, coach the team members and even PMs at times about Scrum, make sure agile practices like TDD and Continiuous builds are followed, make sure Teams are collocated, make sure impediments are resolved, help the Team BECOME self managed, and not direct work.

All in all, on a funny note, a SMs job if you follow it by the book really sucks!! You have no power over your Team members, yet somehow in the organisation you after the Product Owner are held responsible for the Teams failure or success and Teams quality of work.
I think the Scrum Process makes it a real cake walk for the PMs (not SMs), the PM only has to worry about budgeting, hiring, and firing but does not have to worry about telling people what to do, guess why? Teams are self managed!!! I hope this gives an idea of the difference between a PM and a SM.

All the views are based on my expereince, please do not take offense to anything content here. Thanks for your views too, they are much needed to progress Scrum to be an even better process