Pass the Scrum Professional Scrum Master PSM-II Questions and answers with CertsForce

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality standards required for the product. The purpose of the Definition of Done is to:

During the Sprint, it helps the Developers identify the work remaining for an Increment to be ready for release by the end of a Sprint (B), by providing a clear and shared understanding of what “Done” means for each Product Backlog item and the Increment as a whole.

It creates transparency into the state of the Increment when it is inspected at the Sprint Review ©, by ensuring that everyone involved in the product development has the same expectations and criteria for evaluating the value, usability, and quality of the Increment.

It guides the Developers when creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning (D), by enabling them to estimate how much work they can realistically complete within a Sprint, based on their capacity, skills, and Definition of Done.

References: : [Scrum Guide], The Definition of Done : [Scrum Guide], The Increment : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Review : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Planning

Adding a second team to work on the same product will introduce some challenges and overheads that can affect the velocity of the original team. For example, the teams will need to coordinate and communicate more frequently, integrate their work more often,resolve any dependencies or conflicts, and align their standards and practices. These activities will consume some time and effort that could otherwise be spent on delivering value. Therefore, the velocity of the original team is likely to decrease and be lower than 18, at least in the short term.

References:

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Adding more people to a complex product development effort does not necessarily increase productivity or reduce time to market.In fact, it often has the opposite effect.”

Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: “When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of “Done” and a single Product Backlog.”

B. You inform management of organizational impediments that prevent the Scrum Team from being more productive. You enlist their help to remove these impediments.

This is a good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to serve the Scrum Team and the organization by identifying and addressing the factors that hinder the team’s effectiveness12. By informing management of the organizational impediments, you can leverage their authority and influence to resolve them. By enlisting their help, you can also foster a collaborative and supportive relationship with them. C. You explain how a Scrum Team uses the velocity of a Sprint primarily to forecast work for the next Sprint, not to perfectly predict future productivity. You refer management to the Product Owner for all information concerning the progress of development.

This is another good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to educate and coach the organization on the Scrum framework and itsprinciples12. By explaining how velocity is used in Scrum, you can help management understand that it is not a reliable metric for measuring performance or comparing teams. By referring management to the Product Owner, you can also respect the Product Owner’s accountability to manage the product backlog and communicate the value and status of the product34.

References: 1: What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org 2: What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian 3: What is a Product Owner? | Scrum.org 4: What is a product owner? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian : Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides

 The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team1. One of the ways to do this is to order the Product Backlog in a way that reflects the flow of value to the stakeholders and customers2. The Product Owner can use various factors to order the Product Backlog, such as value, risk, dependencies, learning opportunities, and feedback loops3.

However, sometimes the Product Owner may face challenges or constraints that affect the ordering of the Product Backlog, such as external dependencies, market changes, technical issues, or stakeholder requests4. In such cases, the Product Owner needs to balance between delivering value and managing risks. The Product Owner may need to adjust the Product Backlog ordering to account for these factors, but not at the expense of compromising the value delivery5.

In this scenario, the Developers are waiting for an external supplier to deliver a specific product component that they need to integrate and use. Without that component there will not be enough work in the next Sprint to occupy the full team. They ask their Product Owner to re-order the Product Backlog. The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master for help. A good advice for the Product Owner would be to tell them that their primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies and require some level of Product Backlog re-ordering.

This advice would help the Product Owner to focus on delivering value while also considering the impact of the external dependency. The Product Owner could work with the Developers and stakeholders to identify and prioritize other valuable work that can be done in the next Sprint without relying on the external component. The Product Owner could also communicate with the external supplier and try to minimize or eliminate the dependency as much as possible.

The other options are not good advice for the Product Owner. Telling them that they need to re-order the Product Backlog to maximize utilization of the Developers would imply that keeping productivity high is more important than delivering value. This would go against the Scrum values of focus and respect. Telling them to remove all work involving the external component from the Product Backlog and create a new backlog for it would imply that they are ignoring or avoiding the dependency rather than managing it. This would go against the Scrum values of courage and openness.

References:

The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Product Owner”

What is a Product Backlog?| Scrum.org, section “Ordering”

Product Backlog Ordering - Zen Ex Machina, section “Ordering by Value”

Product Backlog Ordering - Zen Ex Machina, section “Ordering by Risk”

Ordered Not Prioritized | Scrum.org, section “Ordering by Dependencies”

[The Scrum Values | Scrum.org], section “The Scrum Values”

A: Opportunities to inspect and adapt the Sprint Backlog are reduced. Re-aligning is bound to become even more difficult. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can inspect the progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog accordingly. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may miss some opportunities to adjust their plan and collaborate effectively.

C: Less progress information will be shared, causing the plan for the Sprint to become inaccurate and transparency over progress toward the Sprint Goal is reduced. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can share their work status, challenges, and dependencies with each other. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may have less visibility and awareness of what is going on in the Sprint, and may face more surprises or risks.

D: Impediments are raised and resolved more slowly which might impact productivity and progress. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can identify and communicate any impediments or issues that hinder their work. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may have to wait longer to get help or support from their peers or the Scrum Master, and may lose some momentum or efficiency.

References:

Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.”

Scrum Guide 2020, page 12: “The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work.”

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 14: “The Daily Scrum is a key opportunity for inspection and adaptation at the team level. It helps the team to synchronize their work, identify impediments, and collaborate on solutions.”

One of the ways to do this is by facilitating the Scrum events, such as the Sprint Review, where the Scrum Team and the stakeholders inspect the product Increment and adapt the Product Backlog2. In this situation, where there is a conflict among the stakeholders about the budget and the funding, your two best options are:

Encourage the stakeholders to focus on delivering the highest value items for the next Sprint.This option aligns with the purpose of the Sprint Review, which is to collaborate on what was done in the Sprint and what to do next2.By encouraging the stakeholders to focus on delivering value, you are helping them prioritize the most important features or functionalities that can maximize the return on investment and reduce risk3. This can also help them align their expectations and goals, and create a shared understanding of the product vision.

Ask for a short break for people to calm down and be objective.This option aligns with your role as a facilitator, who helps the participants have constructive and respectful conversations4. By asking for a short break, you are giving them a chance to cool off and regain their composure. This can also help them be more objective and rational, and avoid emotional reactions that can escalate the conflict or damage the relationship.

The other options are not advisable because:

It is the Product Owner’s meeting, so do nothing.This option is incorrect because it contradicts your accountability as a Scrum Master.The Sprint Review is not only the Product Owner’s meeting, but a collaborative event that involves the whole Scrum Team and the stakeholders2.As a Scrum Master, you have a responsibility to facilitate this event and ensure that it is productive and valuable1. Doing nothing would mean neglecting your duty and allowing the conflict to persist or worsen.

Defend the budget, asking the stakeholders to support the funding of the work.This option is incorrect because it goes beyond your scope as a Scrum Master.The budget and the funding are not your primary concerns, but rather the value and quality of the product that you deliver1. Defending the budget would mean taking sides in the conflict, which can compromise your neutrality and credibility as a facilitator. It can also create more tension and resentment among the stakeholders, who may feel that you are not listening to their perspectives or interests.

Argue that the Scrum Team needs to be kept busy while the funding is confirmed.This option is incorrect because it contradicts the principle of empiricism, which is the foundation of Scrum5.Empiricism means that you make decisions based on what is known, rather than what is assumed or predicted5. Arguing that the Scrum Team needs to be kept busy while the funding is confirmed would mean ignoring or denying the reality of the situation, which can lead to waste or inefficiency. It can also undermine the trust and collaborationbetween the Scrum Team and the stakeholders, who may feel that you are not transparent or accountable.

References:1: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-master 2: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-review 3: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/value-driven-development 4: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/facilitation-scrum-masters-superpower 5: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-empiricism-and-why-is-it-important-to-scrum

 The best action for the Scrum Master to take in this situation is to conduct a session to help the Scrum Team resolve the conflict and create a uniform Definition of Done. This is because the Scrum Master is a servant-leader, a facilitator, and a coach to the team, who should have the skills to help resolve conflicts if called upon by the team1. The Scrum Master can employ various strategies to effectively resolve conflicts within the Scrum Team, such as promoting open communication, facilitating active listening, mediating disagreements, and fostering collaboration2. The Scrum Master can also remind the team members that conflicting ideas are natural and can be beneficial for innovation and learning, but making it personal does not help and violates the Scrum values of respect and openness3. The Scrum Master can guide the team to create a clear and shared Definition of Done that reflects their quality standards and expectations for the product4.

The other options are not the best actions for the Scrum Master to take, because they either undermine the self-organization and autonomy of the team, escalate the conflict, or avoid addressing the root cause of the problem.

This is the best answer because it is consistent with the Scrum values of commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect12. By providing boundaries, such asthe product vision, the product backlog, the budget, and the timeline, the organization can enable the team members to self-organize and form cross-functional andcollaborative Scrum Teams3 . This way, the team members can commit to their own goals, have the courage to face challenges, focus on delivering value, be open to feedback and learning, and respect each other’s skills and perspectives12.

When multiple Scrum Teams work from the same Product Backlog, they need to collaborate and coordinate their work to deliver a potentially releasable Increment that meets the Definition of Done. This requires minimizing dependencies between Scrum Teams, such as technical, functional, or organizational dependencies. Dependencies can cause delays, rework, waste, and lower quality. Scrum Teams should strive to be cross-functional and autonomous, and use techniques such as feature slicing, dependency mapping, and integration testing to reduce dependencies123. References: 1: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/dependencies-between-scrum-teams  2: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/feature-slicing-how-make-it-work  3:https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/integration-testing-scrum-projects

According to the Scrum Guide 2020, the Developers can choose the location and structure of their Daily Scrum, as long as it is consistent and conducive to inspection and adaptation. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers, not for the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, or the management. The Developers are responsible for planning their work for the next 24 hours and synchronizing their progress toward the Sprint Goal.

References:

Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work.”

Scrum Guide 2020, page 12: “The Daily Scrum is held at the same time and place each day to reduce complexity.”