PSM

Hopefully it can you pass your PSM exam ;) Status: Work In Progress

82 flashcards · Other · by claudehsu

In February 2001 at The Lodge at Snowbird ski resort in Utah, the Agile Manifesto was created. What are the 4 values? Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer Collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan
Both Scrum and traditional methods have effective planning followed by execution, monitoring and controlling. It is better to use ___ if there are lots of unknowns, where the projects are more complex, difficult to define detailed requirements upfront and therefore to define estimates at the beginning of the project. a). Scrum b). traditional methods Answer: a
In Scrum, is there a similar role to the project manager in the traditional project management?
No, there is no that kind role. The Scrum Master makes sure the Scrum framework is followed, but not like the traditional project manager. Scrum Master is a servant lead.
The Product Owner creates and maintain the Product Backlog, but does not manage the day to day activities of the developers. Is that true?
Yes, that's true. The Product Owner trusts the developers and s/he is not the traditional project manager.
Can a contractor take the Product Owner role?
Yes. Product Owner doesn't have to be from the customer. S/he is one of the people from the performing organization, the organization in charge of producing the final product, a contractor in some cases.
Recall the Scrum framework diagram
How can Product Owner organize the Product Backlog? Using User Stories?
Using User Story is one popular approach, but it's not the only way. Scrum is a framework, it does not force you to use User Story to arrange the Product Backlog.
The Product Backlog is not 100% prepared, what should the team do?
It depends. In Scrum, team doesn't wait until the Product Backlog is 100 prepared with all the details to start the Sprint. Team starts the Sprint as soon as the Product Backlog is mature enough for the near future and keep updating the backlog all the way through the project. It reflect the Agile Principle: The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
What are the 3 roles in Scrum Product Owner Scrum Master Developers
Note in version 2020 the word 'team' is dropped from the 3rd one
Can Product Owner by a part-time person?
Yes, it's possible, as long as the person can fit PO's role and get the job down well.
Can a committee take the PO role?
No, PO needs to be one single person to reduce the complexity. Maybe there is a committee to review the requirement/design or other things to give the advice or feedback, but PO has the final call instead of those advisors.
The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog, including prioritizing the items in it and providing enough detailed information for Scrum Teams and stakeholders to understand items easily.
Should the Product Owner keep the Product Backlog intact or static so that other people can more easily understand the scope?
No, the Product Backlog is a living dynamic object. PO should communicate effectively with the customers, stakeholders, developers or get feedback to keep the Product Backlog updated with all the changes.
Can executives, such as CEO, override Product Owner's decision?
No, no one can.
Can executives, such as CEO or CTO, tell the developers what item to deliver or how it should be done?
No, no one can. Leave it to the self-managing team to discuss and decide.
Can a Product Owner delegate some of the responsibilites to some developers?
Yes, PO can do the delegation, but PO holds the accountability.
How can we understand that Scrum Master is a management position?
a management position that manages the Scrum process(ensuring the Scrum framework is implemented correctly) a servant-leader for the Scrum Team
What does Scrum Master usually do to help team?
Facilitate Scrum events Remove impediments Trains or coach team
Can a part-time person be Scrum Master?
Yes, that' possible. Keep in mind that coaching/help org on understanding Scrum is part of Scrum Master's job.
Should Scrum Master help those outside the Scrum Team understanding the appropriate interactions with the Scrum Team?
Yes, so that the value created by the Scrum Team can be maximized.
A person cannot be either a developer or a Scrum Master on the Scrum Team. Is that ture?
No, s/he can be both Scrum Master and Developer. However, it's usually not recommended.
Can Developers be part time on the Scrum Team?
No, they need to be full time.
Once a Developer takes the task, s/he will be responsible and accountable for that task. Is that true?
No, that's not true. No individuals own a task. The whole Development Team tasks accountability.
If we need to change/switch Developers on the team, for instance due to turnover, what should we pay attention to?
Shouldn't do the change/switch during a Sprint and there will be a short-term decrease in productivity.
What is the size of the Scrum Team?
The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically ten or fewer people.
How to understand developers? For example, in software development field, do they simply mean programmers? What about testers?
Programmers and testers are all treated as Developers. They are different parts of a cross-functional team.
Who holds the responsibilities of the project manager?
Simple answer: no single person but it is in the collective intelligence form. The project management responsibilities are distributed among the three roles of Scrum. There is no centralized project management in Scrum.
What are the two essential characteristics of Scrum Teams? Self-organizing Cross-functional
What are the Five Scrum Events? The container: Sprint The event to pick the items from Product Backlog: Sprint Planning The event happens everyday: Daily Scrum The event to inspect the increment: Sprint Review The event to adapt to be better: Sprint Retrospective
What is the time box of Sprint Planning for one month long Sprint? Answer: 8 hours
Enter the Arabic number
What's the time box of Daily Scrum for one month long Sprint? Answer: 15 mins
Enter the Arabic number
For a short Sprint, is the time box of Daily Scrum the same as the one month long Sprint?
Yes, it's not like the Sprint Planning.
What's the purpose of Sprint Review?
To inspect the increment and get feedback. Note, the Sprint Review should not be treated as a release gate.
What's the time box for a Sprint?
Less than one month. Sprints should not be too long to increase complexity/risk and lose the connection to stakeholders not be too short so that tam cannot deliver items
Can an Increment not be released at the end of the Sprint?
Yes. Product Owner can choose to not release the Increment.
Should an item in Sprint Backlog be finished in two Sprints?
No, usually it should be finished in one Sprint.
A 99% completed item can be part of the Increment, because it is almost done. Is that true?
No, only items meets the DoD can be treated as done, and therefore be part of the Increment.
What is Product Backlog grooming? Is it mandatory?
The activity of reviewing and revising/refining Product Backlog. It is not mandatory in Scrum. However in Nexus it is a mandatory Event. The grooming is not time-boxed and it's an ongoing activity.
Does Scrum Master has the authority to cancel a Sprint?
No, only Product Owner has the authority to do that.
When should a Sprint be canceled?
When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
When a Sprint gets canceled, what happens to the items in the Sprint Backlog?
The 'Done' items will be inspected and maybe accepted. The rest of the items go back to the Product Backlog.
Who should attend the Sprint Planning meeting?
All three roles of the Scrum team should attend the Sprint Planning.
Regarding the detail plan of how to complete Sprint Backlog items, should it be made very detailed and deliberated for all the items in the Sprint Planning?
No. Some tasks may even be created during the Sprint when more info emerges.
The Sprint Backlog consists of?
Sprint Goal(why) The selected Product Backlog Items(what) Actionable plan to deliver the increment(how)
Who should attend the Daily Scrum?
Developers. Scrum Master makes sure the event happens, but do not make input into the Daily Scrum, unless the Scrum Master also takes the Developer role.
What do Developers usually do in the Daily Scrum?
Inspect the current state of the Increment and do adaptation. One popular tool is the burn-down chart.
What's the timebox of a Sprint Review event for a month long Sprint? Answer: 4 hours
Enter Arabic number
Is it suitable to discuss the Product Backlog in the Sprint Review?
Yes. The Sprint Review is more than a simple demo meeting. The purpose is to collect feedback and inspect the change. That will be the input/source for Product Owner to adapt the Product Backlog.
For a month long Sprint, what is the time-box of the Sprint Retrospective event? Answer: 3 hours
Enter Arabic number
What's the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective?
Inspect and Adapt to make improvement on things like process, tools, people, relationship and etc. The output of Sprint Retrospective can be the input of next Sprint.
What are the artifacts in Scrum? Product Backlog Sprint Backlog Increment
What is the Product Backlog?
An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.
Is the Product Backlog a dynamically changing and improving object, or a statical fixed object?
A dynamically changing and improving one.
Regarding the Product Backlog, when should the Team start the first Sprint?
Don't wait until the Product Backlog is complete. Start the first Sprint when the Product Backlog is showing the near feature.
Usually the items at the top of the Product Backlog are more detailed and clear. Is that correct?
Yes, that's true.
Developments estimate the work items, but Product Owner can override their estimation. Is that correct?
No, that's incorrect. The estimation is done by Developers solely. PO can provide additional information to help developers estimate.
The items in the Product Backlog will eventually be implemented by Developers, so those items can be very technically and we don't expect other non-tech people to understand them easily. Is that correct?
No, that's not correct. PBIs should be easy to understand for non-tech stakeholders.
When is the Sprint Backlog created? During the Sprint Planning
Should the team craft everything about the detailed plan during Sprint Planning?
No, normally the detailed plan is not complete at the end of the Sprint Planning. It will become more complete as the Sprint continues.
How to understand that an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal?
An Increment is a sum all completed Product Backlog Items additive to the Product. By saying 'completed' it means to meet the Definition of Done.
Is Increment a cumulative concept, meaning each Increment also contains the features of the previous ones?
Yes, Increment is a cumulative concept. When a PBI is finished with meeting the DoD, an Increment is generated. It is additive to the previous Increment.
How to understand DoD?
A formal description of the state of the increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
Is Burndown chart mandatory to the Scrum Team?
No, although it is commonly used.
What are the '3 pillars' of empirical process control? Transparency Inspection Adaptation
Scrum Master is a servant leader and coach for an Agile Team and for an organization.
Is there any hardening Sprint in Scrum?
No. All Sprints are the same and Increments are supposed to be created.
PO have the final call to manage the PBIs so PO works closely with stakeholders to get the requested value right. Does this mean Developers do not work with Stakeholders?
No, Developers can also interact with Stakeholders, for example, at Sprint Review. In addition, domain experts may also be the stakeholders and they may be invited to Sprint Planning.
A Development Team gets into a situation where a conflicting team members' behavior causes issues to progress. Who is responsible for removing this issue?
Scrum Masters are responsible for removing impediments outside the Development Team's influence. The issue faced by the Development Team is well within the influence of the Development Team to resolve. So, the Scrum Master should coach the team to resolve such items themselves. If the Scrum Master actively takes steps such as removing this person from the Team, it will lead to a diminished inclination of the Development Team to resolve internal problems for themselves in the long run. It is the…
The purpose of Sprint Retrospective is to inspect and adapt, so adaptation occurs in Sprint Retrospective only. Is that correct?
No adaptation occurs during all Scrum events. For example, Daily Scrum can be another good place to inspect and adapt. In fact, when team detect the issue, they can adapt immediately.
Scrum is simple to understand, difficult to master.
The customer wants a new feature to be added in the current Sprint. How should the Development Team respond?
This is up to the Product Owner to reject this request, rather than the developers. So, they should just refer the customer to the Product Owner.
Performance measuring Measuring the project performance is the responsibility of the Product Owner Measuring the Sprint performance is the responsibility of the Developers
Is Product vision a mandatory item in Scrum?
No, the Scrum guide doesn't mention it. However, it's recommended to have one , and use it to help align the decisions and development with the expected outcome of the project.
Is there any prerequisite of starting the Sprint Planning meeting?
There is none. If even the one item from Product Backlog is not ready for the first Sprint, then entire Scrum Team may begin to groom Product Backlog and make all other activities during the Sprint Planning. Nothing stops our flow of Sprints, and for example, we do not delay the Sprint because the items are not ready. In such cases, the "unready" items would be selected for the Sprint anyway, and refined during the Sprint.
How to understand the estimation provided by the Developers?
What we have in the Sprint Backlog is our best guess on what we can deliver. If there's a pressure on the developers to finish everything, they will start adding margins to their estimates, which turns into less productivity because of the Parkinson's law.
If Developers find they are not able to finish all the SBIs at the end of the Sprint, what should they do?
They get help from the Product Owner to adjust their work (tasks), to ensure they will deliver maximum value by the end of the Sprint. Remember that they get help from the Product Owner to make better decisions.
How to understand cross-functional dev team vs. cross-functional team members?
It doesn't mean we need cross-functional individuals. Each individuals are experts in one or more technical layer or aspect of the project. and as a whole, the team is cross-functional.
Is there baselined Product Backlog? Baseline is a term used in traditional environments for referring to a finalized upfront plan that would be followed in the future, and used for evaluating the actual performance.
No. There is no upfront planning and no baseline in Scrum.
Who should participate in the Sprint Retrospective?
The whole Scrum Team. Sprint Retrospective is internal to the team. As usual, others can attend, but they cannot participate so there is no particular need to invite stakeholders.
What is technical debt?
Technical debt is shortcomings in the code that makes it less than "good enough", and therefore creates risks in the future.
Who set the DoD?
The development organization may have a definition of "Done" composed for all projects, in which case the team will use it as a minimum. Otherwise, the Development Team would be responsible for composing the definition of "Done".
Can PO and Scrum Master attend the Daily Scrum?
Yes they can, but they don't participate, unless they are developers at the same time.