A scrum master needs to set up a team for a long-term project that has the potential for significant budgeting and tracking overhead.
What type of team should the scrum master set up?
Answer : A
A long-standing team is best suited for a long-term project with the potential for significant budgeting and tracking overhead. In Disciplined Agile (DA), a long-standing team is a stable, cross-functional team that remains intact over time and works on various projects or continuous delivery of value. This type of team reduces overhead associated with forming and disbanding teams and allows for more consistent tracking, budgeting, and management of resources. Additionally, long-standing teams develop stronger team dynamics and improve performance over time due to their stability.
B . A project team is typically temporary and disbanded once the project ends.
C . A cross-functional team is a characteristic of many Agile teams but does not specifically address the need for long-term stability.
D . A shared services team supports other teams by providing specialized skills but is not focused on long-term projects with budgeting needs.
Which of the following statements accurately describes a complex adaptive system?
Answer : D
A complex adaptive system is characterized by the idea that understanding the individual components does not necessarily provide a clear understanding of the system's overall behavior. These systems are composed of interacting agents that adapt and learn from their experiences, leading to emergent behavior that cannot be easily predicted from the properties of the individual components. This concept is critical in Agile and Disciplined Agile practices, where teams and organizations are viewed as complex adaptive systems that evolve and adapt over time in response to their environment.
PMI Disciplined Agile (DA) Toolkit, which discusses the concept of complex adaptive systems in the context of agile teams and organizational dynamics.
PMI Agile Practice Guide, which explains how Agile frameworks view teams and organizations as complex adaptive systems to embrace change and continuous improvement.
Which characteristic describes a good user story according to the f.N.V.E.S.T. mnemonic?
Answer : D
According to the INVEST mnemonic, a good user story should be Valuable. This means that the user story must deliver value to the customer or stakeholder. Each user story should have a clear purpose, ensuring that the effort invested in its development contributes to the overall product value. Other criteria of the INVEST mnemonic include Independent, Negotiable, Estimable, Small, and Testable, but 'Valuable' is key to justifying the user story's inclusion in the product backlog.
PMI Disciplined Agile (DA) Toolkit, which outlines the INVEST criteria for user stories and emphasizes the need for stories to deliver value.
PMI Agile Practice Guide, which describes the characteristics of well-formed user stories using the INVEST mnemonic.
Who defines the amount of work to be completed during an iteration?
Answer : D
In Disciplined Agile, the team members are responsible for defining the amount of work to be completed during an iteration based on their understanding of the team's current capacity. This is aligned with Agile principles that promote self-organizing teams and emphasize the importance of team members making commitments based on their realistic assessment of what they can achieve. This collaborative decision-making process helps to ensure that the team is neither over-committing nor under-utilizing its capacity, leading to sustainable delivery and higher quality outcomes.
PMI Agile Practice Guide, which supports the principle of team autonomy in deciding how much work they can complete in an iteration.
PMI Disciplined Agile (DA) Toolkit, which promotes self-organization and team-based decision-making regarding workload capacity.
What are the eight principles of Disciplined Agile?
Answer : B
The eight principles of Disciplined Agile (DA) provide a foundation for making sound decisions within an agile framework. The correct principles are:
Delight Customers: Focus on delivering high-quality products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations.
Be Awesome: Encourage team members to be the best they can be and create an environment that enables them to excel.
Pragmatism: Apply practical approaches and techniques that are most suitable for the given context.
Context Counts: Understand that every situation is unique, and practices should be tailored accordingly.
Choice is Good: Promote multiple ways of working and allow teams to choose the most appropriate techniques.
Optimize Flow: Focus on improving the flow of work to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
Enterprise Awareness: Ensure teams understand and align with the organization's broader goals and strategies.
Organize around products/services: Structure teams and workflows around delivering value to customers through products or services.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. Delight Customers, Be Awesome, Pragmatism, Context Counts, Choice is Good, Optimize Flow, Enterprise Awareness, Organize around products/services.
What is the Disciplined Agile principle of being pragmatic characterized by?
Answer : D
The Disciplined Agile (DA) principle of being pragmatic is characterized by the focus on 'being as effective as you can and continuously improving.' According to PMI's Disciplined Agile Toolkit, being pragmatic means applying an agile mindset that is not constrained by a rigid set of rules or practices. Instead, it emphasizes being practical and outcome-focused, aiming for the best results in each unique context while continually seeking opportunities for improvement.
Disciplined Agile promotes pragmatic decision-making by suggesting that teams should balance their approach by being both goal-driven and situation-aware. This means that instead of strictly adhering to a single agile framework or methodology, teams should assess their situation, leverage their experience, and apply the most suitable tools and techniques available. Furthermore, continuous improvement (Kaizen) is a fundamental aspect, meaning teams should regularly reflect on their practices and make iterative enhancements to achieve effectiveness.
This principle also aligns with DA's guidance to 'Optimize Flow' and 'Be Awesome,' as it encourages teams to deliver value while recognizing that every situation might require different tools, techniques, and practices. Thus, 'D. Being as effective as you can and continuously improving' best captures the essence of DA's pragmatic approach.
PMI, 'Choose Your WoW! A Disciplined Agile Delivery Handbook for Optimizing Your Way of Working (WoW),' which details the core principles of Disciplined Agile, including being pragmatic by focusing on effectiveness and continuous improvement.
PMI Disciplined Agile (DA) Toolkit, which explains how being pragmatic involves choosing the best approach for your specific context rather than adhering to a strict methodology.
Which of the following roles would fall under that of a "specialist" on a Disciplined Agile Delivery Team?
Answer : A
In the context of the Disciplined Agile (DA) framework, a 'specialist' on a Disciplined Agile Delivery Team is someone with a specific, specialized skill set or domain expertise that contributes to the overall development and delivery process. While the DA framework promotes cross-functional team members, it acknowledges that certain roles require specialized knowledge.
A Business Analyst (BA) is considered a specialist role because they bring specific expertise in requirements gathering, process analysis, stakeholder communication, and translating business needs into actionable tasks for the development team. According to PMI's Disciplined Agile guidelines, BAs provide value by ensuring that the requirements are well-understood and clearly defined, which is crucial in aligning the team's efforts with stakeholder needs.
On the other hand, the roles of Product Owner (B) and Project Manager (C) are more related to leadership, decision-making, and coordination, rather than specialized technical or analytical expertise. Stakeholders (D) are external to the delivery team and are not considered specialists within the team itself.