Scrum PSPO-I Practice Test - Questions Answers, Page 8

The reasons why it is important that there is only one Product Owner per product are:

It is clear who is accountable for the ultimate value of the product. 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.

It helps avoid barriers to effective communication and rapid decision-making. 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. They must also collaborate with the Developers and the stakeholders to refine, order, and prioritize the Product Backlog items based on value and impact.

The Scrum Team always knows who determines the order of the Product Backlog. The Product Owner has the final authority to decide what items are more important and valuable for the product. They must communicate this order clearly and consistently to the Scrum Team and the stakeholders. They must also respect and support the self-management of the Developers in choosing how best to accomplish their work.

Other options, such as the Scrum Master knowing who acts as their backup while on vacation or it would confuse the stakeholders if they had to work with more than one person, are not valid reasons why it is important that there is only one Product Owner per product. They may reflect a misunderstanding of the roles and accountabilities of the Scrum Team or the stakeholders.

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

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

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

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

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

If the Developers find out during the Sprint that they are not likely to build everything they forecast, the best response from the Product Owner is to re-work the selected Product Backlog items with the Developers to meet the Sprint Goal. This is because:

The Sprint Goal is a short-term objective that provides guidance and focus to the Scrum Team throughout the Sprint. It is a flexible and negotiable commitment that can be adjusted as more is learned throughout the 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.

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.

If the Developers find out during the Sprint that they are not likely to build everything they forecast, it means that there is a gap between their initial plan and their actual progress. This may happen due to various reasons, such as new insights, changing requirements, technical challenges, or unforeseen circumstances.

In this situation, the Product Owner should work with the Developers to re-work the selected Product Backlog items to meet the Sprint Goal. This may involve adding, removing, or modifying some items, as long as they still support the Sprint Goal and deliver value. The Product Owner should also communicate any changes or impacts to the stakeholders and customers as appropriate.

Other options, such as skipping Product Backlog refinement activities, informing management that more Developers are needed, changing the Sprint Goal, or canceling the Sprint, are not valid responses from the Product Owner as they do not reflect what should happen in Scrum or how to deal with uncertainty and complexity.

[Scrum Guide], page 15, section "Sprint Goal"

[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 Scrum Team member who is accountable for creating a valuable and usable Increment each Sprint is 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 Increment is a concrete and usable outcome of the Sprint that provides a measure of progress and value delivery. It must be in useable condition regardless of whether it will be released or not.

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 CEO, the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, or the Scrum Team, are not accountable for creating a valuable and usable Increment each Sprint. 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 10, section "Increment"

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

The two best responses to a Project Manager who has raised concerns about progress and money spent are:

Promote transparency by sharing the Product Backlog and ensuring the Project Manager has access. This helps communicate what is needed to improve the product, what is planned for each Sprint, and what has been done so far. It also helps align expectations and priorities among different stakeholders.

Have a discussion with the Project Manager; share the current impediments and forecast for the Sprint. This helps address any issues or risks that may affect the delivery of value and the achievement of the Sprint Goal. It also helps provide feedback and adaptation based on the empirical evidence and data.

Other options, such as showing the Earned Value Analysis (EVA) report, Scrum does not have Project Managers so disregard their concerns, or sharing the last stakeholder briefing document prepared by the Product Owner, are not the best responses as they do not reflect how to effectively collaborate and communicate with the Project Manager or how to apply the Scrum values and principles.

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

[Scrum Guide], page 15, section "Sprint Backlog"

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

[Scrum Guide], page 5, section "Scrum Theory"

[Scrum Guide], page 4, section "The Scrum Team"

The best way to minimize dependencies between the Scrum Teams is to work with the Developers on how to best analyze and break apart the work. 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 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.

The Developers are cross-functional, meaning they have all the skills and competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others who are not part of the team.

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.

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.

When there are multiple teams working on one product, it is important to minimize dependencies between them to avoid delays, conflicts, or waste. Dependencies may arise due to technical, functional, or organizational factors that affect how the teams can deliver value independently and effectively.

To minimize dependencies, the Product Owner should work with the Developers on how to best analyze and break apart the work into smaller and more manageable pieces that can be delivered by each team without relying on others. This may involve applying techniques such as feature slicing, component splitting, or domain-driven design. The Product Owner should also communicate and coordinate with other Product Owners and stakeholders to align expectations and priorities across teams.

Other options, such as creating an independent Product Backlog per Scrum Team, dividing Product Backlog items among six Product Owners, identifying the dependencies and re-ordering the Product Backlog for the other five Product Owners, or raising this as an impediment with the Scrum Master, are not valid answers as they do not reflect how to minimize dependencies between the Scrum Teams or how to apply the Scrum values and principles.

[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"

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

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

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 8, section "Release Management"

A Product Owner should not measure product value by the increase in the team's velocity. This is because:

Velocity is a measure of how much work a Scrum Team can deliver in a Sprint. It is based on the estimation of Product Backlog items that are selected for a Sprint and completed according to the Definition of Done.

Velocity is not a measure of product value. It does not reflect how well the product meets the needs and expectations of the customers, users, and stakeholders. It does not reflect how much value or impact the product creates in terms of revenue, satisfaction, or social good.

Velocity is not a goal or a target for a Scrum Team. It is a planning tool that helps them forecast their future work based on their past performance. It is not a metric that should be used to compare or judge teams or individuals.

A Product Owner should measure product value by using indicators that are relevant, meaningful, and actionable for their product context. These may include metrics such as customer feedback, usage data, market share, return on investment, or social impact.

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

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

[Scrum Guide], page 15, section "Sprint Backlog"

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 5, section "Product Value"

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

A Product Backlog is:

Managed by the Product Owner. 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.

An inventory of things to be done for the Product. The Product Backlog contains all the features, functions, requirements, enhancements, and fixes that constitute the changes to be made to the product in future releases. The Product Backlog items have a description, an order, an estimate, and a value.

Ordered based on priority, value, dependencies, and risk. The Product Owner orders the Product Backlog items based on various factors that affect their importance and urgency for the product. These may include customer needs, business value, stakeholder feedback, technical dependencies, or market opportunities.

Other options, such as an exhaustive list of upfront approved requirements to be implemented or only visible to the Product Owner and stakeholders, are not valid descriptions of a Product Backlog. They may reflect a misunderstanding of what a Product Backlog is or how Scrum works.

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

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

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 7, section "Product Backlog Management"

It is not true that a Product Owner must create clear and unambiguous acceptance criteria for each Product Backlog item before it may be selected in Sprint Planning. This is because:

Acceptance criteria are a set of conditions that a Product Backlog item must satisfy to be accepted by the Product Owner or the stakeholders. They are used to verify that the item meets the expected quality and value standards.

Acceptance criteria are not mandatory or prescribed in Scrum. They are one of the possible techniques that a Product Owner may use to communicate their expectations and requirements to the Developers and the stakeholders. They are not part of the Scrum Guide or the Definition of Done.

Acceptance criteria do not need to be created before Sprint Planning. They can be created or refined at any time during the product development process, as long as they are clear and agreed upon before the item is considered complete. They can also be changed or updated based on feedback or new insights.

The only requirement for a Product Backlog item to be selected in Sprint Planning is that it is sufficiently clear and ready for selection. This means that it has enough detail and precision for the Developers to understand what they are supposed to build and why. It also means that it has been refined and ordered by the Product Owner based on value and impact.

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

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

[Professional Scrum Product Owner Training], page 7, section "Product Backlog Management"

The Developers need a Sprint Goal because it gives them a common yet specific goal to focus on during the Sprint. This is because:

The Sprint Goal is a short-term objective that provides guidance and focus to the Scrum Team throughout the Sprint. It is a flexible and negotiable commitment that can be adjusted as more is learned throughout the 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 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.

The Developers need a Sprint Goal to align their efforts and collaborate effectively as a team. The Sprint Goal helps them prioritize and optimize their work based on value and impact. The Sprint Goal also helps them cope with uncertainty and complexity by providing a clear direction and a shared purpose.

Other options, such as a Sprint Goal only giving purpose to Sprint 0, Sprint Goals being not valuable, or a Sprint Goal ensuring that all of the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint are implemented, are not valid reasons why the Developers need a Sprint Goal. They may reflect a misunderstanding of what a Sprint Goal is or how Scrum works.

[Scrum Guide], page 15, section "Sprint Goal"

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

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

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