Preparing for Success (Chapter 5)

Question 1

How many Instrumental Success Factors (ISFs) are there?

Answer 1

6

Question 2

What are the six ISFs?

Answer 2

1. Embracing the DSDM approach
2. Effective SDT
3. Active and ongoing business engagement
4. Iterative development, integrated testing and incremental delivery
5. Transparency
6. The Project Approach Questionnaire (PAQ)

Question 3

What are the ISFs?

Answer 3

Factors key to the success of DSDM projects.

Question 4

It is important that all project stakeholders and participants understand the DSDM approach. What else must they do?

Answer 4

Accept it (i.e. buy in to it)

Question 5

The SDT must be effective. What four elements will enable them to deliver successfully?

Answer 5

1. Empowerment
2. Stability
3. Skills
4. Size

Question 6

Each role within the SDT should refer senior management when making decisions. True or false?

Answer 6

False - each role within the SDT should be empowered to make decisions based on their expertise.

Question 7

The SDT as a whole are not allowed to make decisions. True or false?

Answer 7

False - the SDT should be empowered to make decisions within the boundaries agreed at Foundations.

Question 8

Regarding empowerment of the SDT, what should senior management ensure? Why?

Answer 8

That they select members with the appropriate knowledge, authority and responsibility to join the SDT because they will need to make day-to-day decisions.

Question 9

Regarding stability, what does the SDT rely on?

Answer 9

Continuous, informal, ideally face-to-face communication.

Question 10

A DSDM project will be fine if team members are swapped in and out. True or false?

Answer 10

False - this risks the stability of the SDT and reduces ‘team velocity’.

Question 11

It is important that all business and technical knowledge required for the delivery of the solution is present in the SDT.

Do all SDT members need to be multi-skilled?
What do all SDT members need?

Answer 11

No - they can be a mix of specialists and generalists

Good communication skills and a willingness to work with others.

Question 12

What is the suggested size for the SDT?

Why?

Answer 12

Seven +/- two people.

DSDM relies on informal communication; this is the optimum size for that to be effective.

Question 13

It is okay to have more than 9 people in an SDT. True or false?

Answer 13

False - ideally any more than 9 will be split into multiple SDTs.

Question 14

Active and ongoing business engagement relies on three elements. What are they?

Answer 14

1. Commitment of business time throughout a project
2. Active involvement of the business roles
3. A supportive commercial relationship

Question 15

What does ‘commitment of business time throughout a project’ mean?

Answer 15

In early phases, business time is needed to shape the project.

In later phases, business time is needed to guide the detail of solution development.

Question 16

Contact with business roles must be ongoing and frequent throughout the project. Why? (2 points)

Answer 16

1. To guide the solution’s evolution at the detailed level

2. To accept that the solution is evolving day to day.

Question 17

Ideally, each timebox should deliver…

Answer 17

A complete, potentially deployable increment of the solution.

Question 18

Integrated solution testing is important to…(2 points)

Answer 18

1. Reducing project risk

2. Increasing project success

Question 19

Transparency is about…

Answer 19

Making progress and ongoing work available to all.

Question 20

How can you be transparent? (3 ways)

Answer 20

1. Demonstrating the Evolving Solution at the end of each timebox.
2. Team Boards
3. Daily Stand-Ups

Question 21

What does demonstrating the Evolving Solution at the end of each timebox do?

Answer 21

Provides physical, objective and unquestionable proof of progress.

Question 22

Transparency underpins…

Answer 22

The demonstration of control.

Question 23

What is the Project Approach Questionnaire (PAQ)?

Answer 23

A simple checklist used to assess whether the ISFs are likely to be met or whether action needs to be taken to meet them.

Question 24

When is the Project Approach Questionnaire (PAQ) used? It is used twice.

Answer 24

1. During the Feasibility phase, to help shape the work

2. At the end of Foundations, to to help finalise the approach