Scrum PSPO-I Practice Test - Questions Answers, Page 7

The Scrum Team is a self-organizing and cross-functional team that delivers valuable products in an agile way. The Scrum Team consists of one Product Owner, one Scrum Master, and Developers. They are all accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable product Increment each Sprint.

The Scrum Team is responsible for making sure everyone on the Scrum Team does their tasks for the Sprint. The Scrum Team does not rely on any external authority, manager, or leader to assign or monitor their work. The Scrum Team collaborates and coordinates their work as one unit, without any hand-offs or silos. The Scrum Team also inspects and adapts their work based on empirical evidence and feedback.

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and refining the Product Backlog, collaborating with the stakeholders and the Developers, and ordering the items in a way that best achieves goals and missions. The Product Owner represents the interests of everyone with a stake in the product and ensures that the Scrum Team works on the right things at the right time.

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. The Developers are responsible for planning and executing the Sprint Backlog, designing and building the product functionality, testing and improving the product quality, and delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Developers work closely with the Product Owner to understand and clarify the Product Backlog items, provide feedback and estimates, and suggest improvements and innovations.

The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Master does this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.

The other options are not valid or relevant answers for who should make sure everyone on the Scrum Team does their tasks for the Sprint. They are either nonexistent or irrelevant roles in Scrum. They are:

The Project Manager: There is no "Project Manager" role in Scrum. Scrum is a framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products, not projects. A project is a temporary endeavor with a fixed scope, time, and cost. A product is a valuable solution that evolves over time to meet customer needs and market conditions. A project manager is a role in traditional project management, a discipline for planning, executing, and controlling projects. A project manager coordinates and controls the activities of the project team and the stakeholders and ensures that the project meets the quality standards and expectations.

The Product Owner: The Product Owner is not responsible for making sure everyone on the Scrum Team does their tasks for the Sprint. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. The Product Owner does not assign or monitor tasks to the Developers. The Product Owner collaborates with them to clarify and refine the Product Backlog items and their acceptance criteria.

All of the above: This is not a valid answer because it includes two invalid options: The Project Manager and The Product Owner.

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Scrum Team: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-team

Product Owner: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner

Developers: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-developer-in-scrum

Scrum Master: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-master

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and refining the Product Backlog, collaborating with the stakeholders and the Developers, and ordering the items in a way that best achieves goals and missions. The Product Owner represents the interests of everyone with a stake in the product and ensures that the Scrum Team works on the right things at the right time.

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. The Developers are responsible for planning and executing the Sprint Backlog, designing and building the product functionality, testing and improving the product quality, and delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Developers work closely with the Product Owner to understand and clarify the Product Backlog items, provide feedback and estimates, and suggest improvements and innovations.

A Sprint is a timebox of one month or less within which a "Done" product Increment is created. A Sprint consists of the Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, the development work, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. A Sprint is also a feedback loop that allows the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to inspect and adapt the product and the process.

The Sprint Goal is a short statement of what the Scrum Team intends to achieve during a Sprint. It provides guidance and direction for the Scrum Team, as well as a basis for inspecting and adapting the product and the process. The Sprint Goal is aligned with the product vision and goals, and it reflects the value and purpose of the Sprint.

In the middle of a Sprint, if a customer decides that there are two new features she wants, there are two possible ways that a Product Owner could handle this situation:

Ask the Developers to consider whether they can add these features to the current Sprint without endangering the Sprint Goal: The Product Owner could discuss with the Developers if they have enough capacity and skills to accommodate these new features in their current Sprint Backlog. The Product Owner could also explain why these features are valuable or urgent for the customer or user. The Developers could then decide if they can or want to add these features to their current work plan, or if they prefer to defer them to a future Sprint. The Developers should not compromise on quality or scope to fit these features in their current Sprint. The Developers should also ensure that these features are aligned with or support the current Sprint Goal.

Add these features to the Product Backlog: The Product Owner could add these new features to the Product Backlog as new items. The Product Owner could then order these items based on their value, risk, priority, dependency, feedback, or market conditions. The Product Owner could also refine these items with more details or acceptance criteria. The Product Owner could then plan to include these items in a future Sprint, depending on their order and availability.

The other options are not valid or relevant ways that a Product Owner could handle this situation. They are either too disruptive, impractical, or irrelevant. They are:

Introduce these features at the next Daily Scrum: This is not a valid way for a Product Owner to handle this situation. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers to inspect their progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt their plan for the next 24 hours. The Daily Scrum is not a status meeting or a reporting session for anyone else. The Product Owner may attend the Daily Scrum as an observer or as an invited participant if they have something valuable to contribute or if they need some clarification from the Developers. However, introducing new features at this event would be disruptive and inappropriate for both parties.

Have the Scrum Master add these features to the current Sprint: This is not a valid way for a Product Owner to handle this situation. The Scrum Master is not responsible for adding or removing any work from the current Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Master does this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Product Owner: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner

Developers: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-developer-in-scrum

Sprint: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-in-scrum

Sprint Goal: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-goal

Daily Scrum: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-daily-scrum

Scrum Master: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-master

The Product Owner must spend enough time with the Developers so that they are confident the Increment will meet the intended value. This is because:

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment in every Sprint. They must ensure that every Product Backlog item they work on meets the Definition of Done before it is considered complete.

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. They must inspect the Increment at the end of each Sprint and assess how it delivers value and contributes to the Product Goal.

The Product Owner and the Developers must collaborate closely throughout the Sprint to ensure that they have a shared understanding of what they are building and why. The Product Owner must provide clarifications, feedback, and guidance to the Developers as needed to help them create a valuable Increment.

The amount of time that the Product Owner must spend with the Developers may vary depending on the context, complexity, and uncertainty of the product development. However, it should be enough so that both parties are confident that the Increment will meet the intended value.

Other options, such as 40%, as much time as the Developers tell them to be present, or 100%, are not valid answers as they imply a fixed or arbitrary amount of time that does not reflect the actual needs and dynamics of the product development.

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "Developers"

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section "Product Owner"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Definition of Done"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Increment"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Product Goal"

The practices that might help the Product Owner minimize waste in developing and sustaining the Product Backlog are:

Remove items from the Product Backlog that have not been addressed in a long time. This helps keep the Product Backlog relevant, concise, and focused on delivering value. Items that have not been addressed in a long time may indicate that they are not important, feasible, or desirable anymore. They may also clutter or confuse the Product Backlog and make it harder to order and prioritize.

Only fully describe Product Backlog items when it seems likely they will be implemented. This helps avoid spending too much time or effort on items that may change or be discarded later. Items that are likely to be implemented soon should have more detail and precision than items that are further away or uncertain. The level of detail and precision required for each item depends on its order, size, and complexity.

Other options, such as avoiding distracting the Scrum Team by maintaining newly gathered Product Backlog items in a separate Product Backlog until they are fully understood or handing off ownership of the Product Backlog to someone else, are not practices that might help minimize waste in developing and sustaining the Product Backlog. They may actually create more waste by reducing transparency, collaboration, alignment, or ownership.

[Scrum Guide], page 11, section "Product Backlog"

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section "Product Owner"

[Scrum Guide], page 12, section "Product Backlog Refinement"

When there are multiple teams working on one product, each Scrum Team should not have a separate Product Owner. This is because:

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. They are responsible for identifying and articulating the Product Goal, which is a long-term objective for the product that guides all the activities of the Scrum Team.

The Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog, which is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. They must ensure that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible, and understood by everyone who needs to work on it.

Having multiple Product Owners for one product may lead to conflicts, inconsistencies, or confusion among the Scrum Teams and the stakeholders. It may also reduce the alignment, collaboration, and ownership of the product development.

Instead of having multiple Product Owners, it is recommended to have one Product Owner who works with representatives from each Scrum Team to ensure that they have a shared understanding of the product vision, goals, and priorities. The Product Owner may also delegate some of the Product Backlog management tasks to these representatives, but they remain accountable for the final decisions.

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section "Product Owner"

[Scrum Guide], page 11, section "Product Backlog"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Product Goal"

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 6, section "Product Vision"

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 9, section "Business Strategy"

If the Product Backlog is not sufficiently clear at Sprint Planning, the Developers will find it difficult to create a Sprint forecast they are confident they can meet. This is because:

Sprint Planning is an event where the Scrum Team plans for the upcoming Sprint. The purpose of Sprint Planning is to align the entire Scrum Team around a common goal and a plan for delivering an Increment that meets that goal.

The Developers are accountable for creating a Sprint forecast, which is a selection of Product Backlog items that they intend to work on during the Sprint. The Sprint forecast should be realistic, achievable, and valuable.

The Product Owner is accountable for ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible, and understood by everyone who needs to work on it. They must collaborate with the Developers and provide clarifications, feedback, and guidance on what items are most important and valuable for the product.

If the Product Backlog is not sufficiently clear at Sprint Planning, it means that there are items that are not well defined, ordered, or estimated. This may make it hard for the Developers to understand what they are supposed to build and why. It may also make it hard for them to estimate how much work they can do or how long it will take them to do it. This may result in a poor or inaccurate Sprint forecast that may affect the quality or value of the Increment.

Other options, such as the Product Owner selecting the Sprint Goal for the Scrum Team so that work can begin, nothing in particular happening, the Scrum Master not allowing this to happen or looking for a new Scrum Master and re-starting the Sprint, or Sprint Planning being canceled so refinement can be done first, are not valid answers as they do not reflect what typically happens or what should happen in Scrum.

[Scrum Guide], page 14, section "Sprint Planning"

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "Developers"

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section "Product Owner"

[Scrum Guide], page 11, section "Product Backlog"

The Product Owner wants the Developers to adhere to its Definition of Done to have complete transparency into what has been done at the end of each Sprint. This is because:

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders of what "Done" means for any Product Backlog item that is selected for a Sprint.

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment in every Sprint. They must ensure that every Product Backlog item they work on meets the Definition of Done before it is considered complete.

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. They must inspect the Increment at the end of each Sprint and assess how it delivers value and contributes to the Product Goal.

Having a clear and consistent Definition of Done helps the Product Owner have complete transparency into what has been done at the end of each Sprint. It also helps them make informed decisions about releasing, adapting, or continuing the product development.

Other options, such as predicting the team's productivity over time, knowing what the team will deliver over the next three Sprints, or reprimanding the team when they do not meet their velocity goal for the Sprint, are not valid reasons for wanting the Developers to adhere to its Definition of Done. They may reflect a misunderstanding of what a Definition of Done is or how Scrum works.

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Definition of Done"

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "Developers"

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section "Product Owner"

The work to make sure Product Backlog items conform to the Definition of Done is done by the Developers. This is because:

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment in every Sprint. They must ensure that every Product Backlog item they work on meets the Definition of Done before it is considered complete.

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders of what "Done" means for any Product Backlog item that is selected for a Sprint.

The Developers are self-managing professionals who organize and manage their own work. They decide how to best accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the Scrum Team.

Other options, such as the Product Owner, the Quality Assurance Team, the Scrum Team, or the Scrum Master, are not responsible for making sure Product Backlog items conform to the Definition of Done. They may have different roles and accountabilities in Scrum, but they do not do the actual work of creating a "Done" Increment.

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "Developers"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Definition of Done"

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "The Scrum Team"

Cross-functional teams are not optimized to work on one component or layer of a system only. This is because:

Cross-functional teams are teams that have all the skills and competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others who are not part of the team.

Cross-functional teams are able to deliver value across the entire product, rather than focusing on a specific component or layer. They can work on any aspect of the product that is needed to achieve the Sprint Goal and the Product Goal.

Cross-functional teams are more agile, collaborative, and creative than teams that are specialized or siloed. They can reduce dependencies, handoffs, and delays, and increase feedback, learning, and adaptation.

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "Developers"

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section "Product Goal"

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section "The Scrum Team"