Chapter 3

Question 1

1.Why is using the MoSCoW Approach in DSDM so important?

1. To make sure that the least important features are finished last
2. It incorporates the Pareto principle.
3. It allows for timeboxing the approach.
4. To make sure that the most important features are in the ultimate solution no matter what

Answer 1

1. To make sure that the most important features are in the ultimate solution no matter what

The MoSCoW approach to determining value is based on brainstorming what is the most important feature today and that it must be in the increment, following by what should be, what could be, and what won’t be.

Question 2

2.The Pareto principle is seen in many project management and quality methodologies. Why is the principle so important to use when determining cause and effect?

1. Eighty percent of all effort produces 20 percent of the result.
2. Improving to 80 percent productivity will produce better results.
3. Roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes.
4. Twenty percent of the defects are created by 80 percent of the effort.

Answer 2

2. Roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes.

The Pareto principle was created by Vilfredo Pareto as a way to study distribution of wealth in Italy. It was adapted by Joseph Juran to determine what causes have the most effect on the results. Identify those causes and you can fix the defects.

Question 3

3.Which of the following is a correct statement?

1. Lean is the opposite of value.
2. Haste makes waste.
3. There are ten forms of waste.
4. Waste is the opposite of value.

Answer 3

3. Waste is the opposite of value.

In a Lean environment, determining waste in approach and result is the best way to remove it from the process. Waste is the opposite of value because it provides no value and instead produces problems in the increment and/or the process to create it.

Question 4

4.Other than defects, which of the following is included in the seven wastes of Lean software development?

1. Handoffs
2. Poorly designed backlog
3. Too many meetings
4. Lack of pair programming

Answer 4

4. Handoffs

In Lean, too many handoffs of pieces or parts of work create numerous problems regarding the quality and to the process, and it is considered one of the seven wastes of Lean.

Question 5

5.Using Kanban methodology, which of the following is the best way to show performance and WIP to the team and to the customer?

1. Scrum board
2. Kanban board
3. Work radiators
4. Status reports

Answer 5

5. Kanban board

A Kanban board is one of the most effective ways to show information and radiate it out to stakeholders. The Kanban board is a visual board displaying Kanban cards and using a pull system to replace work that has been deployed and pull more into the work in progress (WIP). Kanban boards are like Scrum boards, except in Scrum new work isn’t added until the next sprint.

Question 6

6.Why is a pull system so important in the practice of Kanban?

1. To limit work in progress
2. To protect the quality
3. To use the team wisely
4. To update progressively

Answer 6

6. To limit work in progress

Limiting work in progress (WIP) allows the team to focus only on the work that is to be accomplished and not pull any additional work in until the team is ready to perform it.

Question 7

7.Why was Feature-Driven Development created?

1. To accommodate larger teams
2. To create features that are developed
3. To incorporate many stakeholders in the process
4. To complement Scrum

Answer 7

7. To accommodate larger teams

Originally, Feature-Driven Development was created to counteract a more Waterfall type of methodology. Because larger teams were working on an increment or result, it was necessary to compartmentalize work by feature so that there wasn’t any confusion or duplicate work occurring on larger teams.

Question 8

8.Which of the following is the best way to complete the sentence: In Crystal methods,____________ increases with team size.

1. The number of stakeholders
2. The framework
3. Criticality
4. Output

Answer 8

8. Criticality

Increasing criticality is the best way to manage projects that have a sliding scale of noncritical to critical work being accomplished. Larger projects with more intricate results need a heavier method than one that needs a lighter framework to produce to spec.

Question 9

9.Mission focused, feature based, iterative, timeboxed, risk-driven, and ____________ are all characteristics of an ASD life cycle.

1. Plan-driven
2. Adaptive
3. Rule-oriented
4. Change-tolerant

Answer 9

9. Change-tolerant

All frameworks and Agile methods are tolerant of changes and, in fact, expect changes to occur. This allows for flexibility in the design to best meet the needs of the client and to help the team adapt as needed to produce the increment.

Question 10

10.Your team is currently a bit behind schedule, and it is worried that it won’t complete the work before the iteration ends. If you are practicing good servant leadership, what should you do first?

1. Hold stand-up meetings.
2. Communicate with stakeholders.
3. Coach them on Agile principles.
4. Take on administrative work as needed.

Answer 10

10. Take on administrative work as needed.

Servant leadership is different from management in the sense that you will take on administrative work as needed to help your team be most successful. This could be anything from doing updates to status, or even coaching the other stakeholders in your Agile framework so that they don’t inadvertently add more work to the team’s plate.

Question 11

11. One of your team members comes to you with a problem about something that they are experiencing with key stakeholders on the project. They seem upset and are looking for you to provide some feedback. If you are actively listening to your team member, what thoughts should be running through your mind?
12. “I need to handle this very carefully.”
13. “I’ll have to make sure to handle it in the appropriate manner because the team member clearly needs me to help them through this problem.”
14. “My team member is upset about something and needs to express him- or herself and gain support.”
15. “I should tell the team member to bring this issue up at the next stand-up meeting as a description of the impediments that stand in their way.”

Answer 11

11. “My team member is upset about something and needs to express him- or herself and gain support.”

Notice that the only answer that doesn’t include I is the correct answer. Active listening as a servant leader is making sure that you are there for the team member, not thinking about yourself or what you need to do next. Once you have listened, you can then coach the team member through the issue.

Question 12

12.If you are leading an Agile team and spend most your time focusing on inspiring and collaborating with your team, what kind of leadership are you practicing?

1. Effective leadership
2. Leadership by management
3. Agile leadership
4. Adaptive leadership

Answer 12

12. Adaptive leadership

Adaptive leadership is less about management and more about inspiration, active listening, coaching when needed, and helping your team to be more successful. This is a major trend in Agile projects and heavily tested on the PMI-ACP exam.

Question 13

13.The team space is key in Agile projects. What is the one thing that is recommended above all others for Agile teams?

1. Scrum boards
2. Colocation
3. Caves and common rooms
4. Information radiators

Answer 13

13. Colocation

Colocation is highly important for Agile project teams. Even if the team is remote or virtual, it is recommended that the team be collocated for at least two iterations to build as a team and to focus on how to get the work accomplished as a team.

Question 14

14.On a collocated team, what is one of the major benefits of everyone sitting together in the same work space?

1. The Scrum Master can find everyone.
2. Daily stand-up meetings are easier to organize.
3. Osmotic communication is enhanced.
4. It builds relationships and trust.

Answer 14

14. Osmotic communication is enhanced.

Osmotic communication is part of being collocated. It allows everyone to hear everything being communicated, and the individual can choose to listen if it relates to them or choose to ignore it if it serves no purpose. This communication method is highly regarded as one of the best knowledge transfer techniques.

Question 15

15.Leadership tasks are designed to help your team be most successful and to remove roadblocks preventing the team’s success. Which of the following best describes this mindset?

1. Motivate, compensate, and encourage
2. Colocation and osmotic communication
3. Information radiators
4. Daily stand-up meetings

Answer 15

15. Motivate, compensate, and encourage

Being a good leader is much more than seating your team together and having daily stand-up meetings. It’s practicing motivating your team when needed, compensating and celebrating successes, and encouraging your team to be self-directed and self-managed while taking on administrative work as needed.

Question 16

16.What percentage of time should an Agile project manager spend communicating daily?

1. 85 percent
2. 95 percent
3. 90 percent
4. 65 percent

Answer 16

16. 90 percent

Even though this may not be the case in your current environment, it is important to note that Agile project managers spend most of their time communicating with their teams, product owners, customers, and other stakeholders.

Question 17

17.Lean was originally designed for which of the following?

1. Manufacturing
2. Software development
3. Waterfall project management
4. Visual project management

Answer 17

17. Manufacturing

Lean was created to help with the supply chain in Toyota manufacturing plants and was later adapted for Agile frameworks as a complementary process rather than an actual methodology.

Question 18

18.Adaptive software development replaces ____________ with a repeating series of speculate, collaborate, and learn cycles:

1. Lean
2. FDD
3. Waterfall
4. Kanban

Answer 18

18. Waterfall

The traditional cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act in Waterfall was replaced by the ASD framework as a way to improve continuously in an adaptive way.

Question 19

19. One of your key stakeholders comes to you after a meeting and says, “I don’t see you doing a lot of normal paperwork associated with project management. Instead, I see you talking to your team a lot. Why aren’t you doing your management duties?” How would you respond to this statement?
20. “In Agile project management, paperwork is a waste of time. My team needs me around in case they have questions.”
21. “In Agile project management, I do paperwork at the last responsible moment. Until then, I do management activities like hold stand-up meetings.”
22. “In Agile project management, we practice servant leadership. I don’t do any amount of management tasks, but I serve my team as they need me to.”
23. “In Agile project management, my role is that of a servant leader. I do an appropriate amount of documentation, but I serve mostly as a coach and leader for my self-directed team.”

Answer 19

19. “In Agile project management, my role is that of a servant leader. I do an appropriate amount of documentation, but I serve mostly as a coach and leader for my self-directed team.”

The Agile project manager’s role is as a servant leader. The management tasks are done, but to a lesser degree than with Waterfall project managers. It is more important to serve your team as a leader. Your team is self-directed and self-managed. This concept is difficult for stakeholders new to Agile project management.

Question 20

20.A key stakeholder has asked for information on the team’s progress through the iteration. What would be the best way to present information about team progress?

1. Earned value report
2. Kanban board
3. Detailed notes on stand-up meetings
4. A Gantt chart

Answer 20

20. Kanban board

Using Kanban or Scrum boards is one of the best ways to show visually what work is in the backlog, what work is in progress, and what work has been done. Most progress is shown visually throughout the iterations in one form or another.

Question 21

21.What would be the reasoning behind having an Iteration Zero?

1. To prove the process will work
2. To determine a process that works
3. To prove that the product should be built
4. To prove that the product will be built correctly

Answer 21

21. To determine a process that works

Much like the initiation phase in a Waterfall project, Iteration Zero allows the team to prepare for the iterations to come by creating a plan for the process and identifying the team roles and responsibilities and to determine officially the process that will be used.