A Product Owner and a Scrum Master can ajust a few settings on the projects they are working on. This article will explain what is possible and how to change the default configuration on a project.
Let’s consider the project myProject. To change the project settings, locate the link called « Project : myProject » on the top of the page, next to the illustration of your role :
Opening the project panel (click to enlarge)
Clicking on this link will open the project panel. Here you have a recap of the project characteristics, you can also get the list of the members and access all the global charts.
Then, on the right part of the main window, you can find a few expandable panels, click on their header to see their contents. While the « Project Information » panel will only display a short text, the options available in the next panels depends on your role, which is detailled below.
As a Scrum Master I can …
The Scrum Master is the only one who can change the Members management settings. Note that all these options are cumulative. An indicator is display next to your role label when one of these options is enabled (see illustration).
A project with the « Disable role changes » and « Mask project » options enabled
Refuse new members
If the Scrum Master enables this option, then a new user won’t be able to join your project as an active member. New users can still join as Stakeholders – and Stakeholders only – and won’t be able to change their role even if the « Disable role changes » option is not enabled. While a Stakeholder field of actions is very restricted (see the article on the users rights), you may want to completely forbid anyone to join your project, in this case consider the « Mask project » option.
Note that any active members of the project (Member, Scrum Master, Product Owner) can still change their role at any time.
Disable role changes
Since the R2#15 version, this option has merely the same effect as the « Refuse new members » option, meaning that new users will be restricted in the role choice (they can choose Stakeholder or Member), but in addition, all roles are blocked, may it be an active Member, the Product Owner or even the Scrum Master, no one will be able to change its own role.
Mask project
When this option is enabled, the project will only be listed in the projects list (in the main menu) to the members of the project. Any new user will not see the project, so you can use this option to make a private-only project and prevent anyone to join.
As a Product Owner I can…
The Product Owner is the only one who can change the project characteristics or even decide to delete the entire project. Note that the « Activate End of Sprint Mail notification » action is currently not fully functionnal, so I won’t talk about it for now.
Auto-Reset Tests state each sprint
With this option enabled, when you start a new sprint, all the tests are reset to their initial state (Waiting). So you have to revalidate them in the following sprint.
Autochange story state to « Done » when all its tasks are done
When this option is enabled, a story will automatically be declared as « Done » when every tasks associated to it are done (in the Sprint Backlog). The Product Owner then won’t have to validate the story by himself, but use this option carefully, since a « Done » story cannot be « undone » !
Update project characteristics
This action allows the Product Owner to changes the project characteristics : name, description, starting date, and the planning poker numeric suite (Fibonacci or Naturals).
Delete project
Well, the title is explicit enough, it will delete the entire project. Don’t play with this action, you may regret it later 
As a Member or a Stakeholder, I can…
Members and Stakeholders cannot change any project-level settings.
Leave project
The user can decide to leave the project, he will be removed from the project’s members list. If the Scrum Master had enabled the « Mask project » option, he will no longer be able to see the project the next time he logs on the server !
Tags: configuration, icescrum2, tips