Pass the Scaled Agile SAFe for Teams SP-SAFe-Practitioner Questions and answers with CertsForce

The SAFe Core Competencies of Business Agility are the seven essential skills that enable enterprises to achieve true business agility and thrive in the digital age1. The built-in quality dimension is one of the five dimensions of Team and Technical Agility, which is the competency that describes the critical skills and Lean-Agile principles and practices that high-performing Agile teams and teams of Agile teams use to create high-quality solutions for their customers2. The built-in quality dimension ensures that every element and every increment of the solution reflects quality standards throughout the development lifecycle2. The other options are incorrect because:

A. Agile Product Delivery is the competency that describes how to deliver innovative solutions to the market that delight customers and meet their needs and expectations3. It does not include the built-in quality dimension, although it does rely on it as a prerequisite for achieving continuous delivery and release on demand3.

C. Organizational Agility is the competency that describes how to adapt strategy and operations quickly to meet the changing needs of customers, competitors, and markets4. It does not include the built-in quality dimension, although it does depend on it as a foundation for enabling faster feedback and learning cycles4.

D. Enterprise Solution Delivery is the competency that describes how to build and evolve the world’s largest applications, networks, and cyber-physical systems5. It does not include the built-in quality dimension, although it does require it as a key enabler for achieving solution integrity, compliance, and alignment with the enterprise architecture5. References: 1: Business Agility - Scaled Agile Framework, 2: Team and Technical Agility - Scaled Agile Framework, 3: Agile Product Delivery - Scaled Agile Framework, 4: Organizational Agility - Scaled Agile Framework, 5: Enterprise Solution Delivery - Scaled Agile Framework

 An Iteration is a fixed timebox during which an Agile team delivers a potentially releasable increment of value. The recommended length of an Iteration is two weeks, as this allows for fast feedback, adaptation, and learning cycles. Longer Iterations may increase the risk of overcommitment, scope creep, and reduced quality. Shorter Iterations may increase the overhead of planning and coordination, and reduce the amount of value delivered per Iteration. References: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, [Iteration]

cumulative flow diagram (CFD) is a graphical tool that shows the status of work items for a given period of time. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the number of work items. The CFD is composed of different colored bands, each representing a different stage of the workflow (such as “to do”, “in progress”, “done”, etc.). The CFD helps visualize the flow of work, identify bottlenecks, and monitor cycle time and throughput1. A cumulative flow diagram focuses on two main curves: the arrival curve and the departure curve. The arrival curve is the top edge of the “to do” band, and it shows the rate at which new work items are added to the system. The departure curve is the top edge of the “done” band, and it shows the rate at which work items are completed and delivered. The difference between the arrival curve and the departure curve represents the amount of work in progress (WIP) in the system2. By comparing the arrival curve and the departure curve, one can assess the stability and predictability of the system. Ideally, the arrival curve and the departure curve should be parallel and close to each other, indicating a smooth and consistent flow of work. If the arrival curve is steeper than the departure curve, it means that more work is entering the system than leaving it, which can lead to increased WIP, longer cycle time, and lower quality. If the departure curve is steeper than the arrival curve, it means that more work is leaving the system than entering it, which can lead to reduced WIP, shorter cycle time, and higher quality3. References: Cumulative Flow Diagram - Scaled Agile Framework, Cumulative Flow Diagrams - Kanbanize, Cumulative Flow Diagram - LeSS

= The Agile Team responsibility that is associated with the Iteration Retrospective is “Improve relentlessly”. This responsibility reflects the SAFe Core Value of Relentless Improvement, which means that the team continuously reflects on their practices, identifies improvement opportunities, and implements them in the next iteration. The Iteration Retrospective is a regular event where the team members discuss the results of the iteration, review their practices, and identify ways to improve. The team uses various techniques to collect feedback, perform root cause analysis, and prioritize improvement actions. The improvement actions are added to the Team Backlog and reviewed in the next Iteration Planning event. References: = Relentless Improvement - Scaled Agile Framework, Iteration Retrospective - Scaled Agile Framework1

 Pair work is a practice where two knowledge workers collaborate over the same asset in real time, providing feedback and quality assurance to each other. It comes from pair programming, a technique defined by the Extreme Programming (XP) agile development framework, where two developers work together on the same code. Pair work can be applied to other domains and disciplines, such as testing, design, business analysis, and more. Pair work can improve the quality, speed, and creativity of the work, as well as enhance the learning and collaboration of the team members. References: Pair Work (Pair Programming) - businessagility.institute, Built-In Quality - Scaled Agile Framework

 A user story is a short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective and in their language. A user story has three primary components, each of which begin with the letter ‘C’: Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. The card is a written or digital note that captures the essence of the user story using the format: “As a (who), I want (what), so that (why).” The conversation is the ongoing dialogue between the team and the customer or product owner to elaborate and refine the user story details. The confirmation is the set of acceptance criteria and tests that verify the user story is done and meets the customer’s expectations12. References: What is User Story? - Visual Paradigm, The Anatomy of a User Story | Scrum Alliance | Includes Template

 During the team breakout session, each team creates and estimates their Stories, and sequences them into a draft plan for the upcoming PI. This is where the team backlog is refined and prioritized, and dependencies are identified and resolved. References: SAFe for Teams - Know Your Role on an Agile Team, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, SAFe for Teams | SAFe Practitioner (SP) Certification

The role of the System Architect/Engineer in SAFe is to guide the teams and support the Architectural Runway, which is the existing code, components, and technical infrastructure needed to implement near-term features without excessive redesign and delay. The System Architect/Engineer defines and communicates the technical and architectural vision for the solutions developed by an Agile Release Train (ART), ensuring that they fit the intended purpose and align with the enterprise and solution architecture. The System Architect/Engineer also collaborates with various roles, teams, and stakeholders within and outside the ART to ensure that the system architecture supports the evolving business needs and enables fast and reliable implementation. References: System Architect/Engineering - Scaled Agile Framework, Architectural Runway - Scaled Agile Framework

Objectives and key results (OKRs) are a framework for defining and tracking measurable goals and outcomes. OKRs consist of an objective, which is a concise, qualitative, and inspirational statement of what is to be achieved, and one or more key results, which are specific, quantitative, and time-bound measures of progress toward the objective. OKRs help align teams and individuals around a common vision, focus on the most important outcomes, and foster a culture of feedback and learning. In SAFe, OKRs are used at the portfolio, solution, and program levels to communicate and evaluate strategic intent and business value delivery12. References: Objectives and Key Results - Scaled Agile Framework, OKRs: A Simple Way to Set and Achieve Your Goals.

The confidence vote is a measure of the teams’ and ARTs’ belief in their ability to deliver the established PI objectives. It is conducted at the end of the PI planning event, after the teams have presented their plans and identified the risks. Each person votes using their fingers (fist of five) or a digital tool for remote events. The scale is as follows:

5: I am confident we can meet or exceed our objectives

4: I am confident we can meet our objectives

3: I think we can meet our objectives, but I have some concerns

2: I doubt we can meet our objectives, and I have major concerns

1: I am sure we cannot meet our objectives

The purpose of the confidence vote is to surface any issues or impediments that might prevent the teams from achieving their goals. It also helps to align the expectations of the stakeholders and the teams. If the average vote is below 3, the teams and the ARTs need to revisit their plans and address the root causes of the low confidence. The confidence vote is repeated until the average vote is 3 or higher, or until the timebox expires. References: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework, Confidence Vote - Scaled Agile Framework, Confidence Vote in PI Planning: Role and Benefits - Dee Project Manager