Planning and Control

Question 1

What does planning in DSDM start with and what are the two options considered

Answer 1

Agreement of strategy

• Incremental delivery of the solution - in Project Increments and Timeboxes
• Quality Assurance of the solution - how review and testing activity will be integrated into development

Question 2

what is the role of SDT in the empowerment framework?

Answer 2

planning the detail of all the work of each Timebox with team members agreeing amongst themselves who will do what work to achieve the objectives agreed at the Kick-Off of that Timebox

Question 3

What are the two horizons covered by DSDM?

Answer 3

Delivery Plan, being the end of the project or Project Increment

Timebox Plan being the end of a Timebox

Question 4

What are the three things found in a Typical Delivery Plan?

Answer 4

• Will provide a schedule of Timeboxes and any other high-level activities for the imminent Project Increment
• Will have a planning horizon of perhaps 6 weeks to 6 months
• Is likely to include only high objectives and delivery dates for future Project Increments

Question 5

What are the three things found in a Timebox Plan?

Answer 5

• Will have a much shorter planning horizon (typically 2-4 weeks)
• Is likely to be much more detailed - maybe describing exactly who intends to do what and when
• Will normally be informally presented on a Team Board and updated at each Daily Stand-up

Question 6

By the end of the Foundations phase, there is a need to be more precise with estimates, why?

Answer 6

the delivery dates and associated costs need to be committed at this point.

Question 7

Estimating accuracy can be improved by following which two essential aspects of estimating best practices?

Answer 7

estimating using more than one technique

estimating in groups.

Question 8

What are the 6 stages of test concepts?

Answer 8

• Testing integrated throughout
• Collaborative testing
• Repeatable testing
• Prioritised testing
• Independent testing
• Test-Driven Development

Question 9

why should testing should be considered part of the Iterative Development process with testing activity as fully embedded as it can be

Answer 9

This is because the earlier a defect is found, the easier and cheaper it is to fix.

Question 10

Effective and productive testing in a project increases what exactly?

Answer 10

collaboration of all stakeholders on the project to increase the productivity of the test-fix-and-retest cycle.

Question 11

What can be used to reduce the effort associated with repeating tests?

Answer 11

Automation tools

Question 12

What method can be used to prioritise testing on the basis of risk?

Answer 12

MoSCoW rules could be applied to both the execution of tests and the rectification of defects found

Question 13

To ensure the fulfilment of the requirement of a product is completed correctly, what needs to be done?

Answer 13

A product should always be tested by someone other than its creator

Question 14

What does research show in regards with the practice of Test-Driven Development ?

Answer 14

the practice of Test-Driven Development significantly increases the overall quality of the solution.

Question 15

What helps with defining a requirement in the project?

Answer 15

Using a test-driven approach the design and build of the test precedes development of the solution

Question 16

What supports the structure of nested plans to support outcome-based measurement?

Answer 16

Timeboxes

Question 17

What provides the clearest possible indicator as to whether the Project Increment and ultimately the project as a whole is on track ?

Answer 17

understanding what has actually been delivered compared with what was planned provides

Question 18

At Timebox level, where does transparency of process and progress come from?

Answer 18

the use of a Team Board and the Daily Stand- up that should take place near the Team Board

Question 19

What does the Team board show?

Answer 19

clearly shows who is doing what work to meet any particular requirement and, based on estimates of effort required to complete that work,

Question 20

The Daily Stand-up, provides an opportunity for each member of the team to describe what?

Answer 20

• What they have done since the last Stand-up (describing progress)
• What they intend to do before the next Stand-up (planning in detail to a very close horizon)
• What, if anything, may be blocking their work (making issues visible)

Question 21

What is essential when responding to change?

Answer 21

it is essential that change is not only accepted as inevitable but that it is welcomed as part of the process of getting the solution right

Question 22

At the SDT level most of the change will come as a result of what?

Answer 22

a deepening understanding of a requirement or how that requirement will be fulfilled in the Evolving Solution