PMI-ACP Practice Questions #13
A team experiences a recurring issue that has caused delays in work integration, leading to missed sprint goals. Some team members are frustrated because preventive action for this issue was identified during a previous retrospective but was not acted upon. What should the agile practitioner do?
A. Collaborate with the team during the next retrospective to review the status of the unaddressed actions.
B. Schedule a team meeting to address the issue immediately and assign clear accountability for closing the actions.
C. Review the preventive actions identified in the previous retrospective and maintain visual tracking of their progress.
D. Discuss the dissatisfaction expressed by the team members one-on-one and explain the challenges faced in acting on the preventive actions.
Analysis
The scenario presents a recurring integration issue that has led to missed sprint goals. The team had already identified preventive actions in a previous retrospective, but these actions were not implemented, causing frustration among team members.
Agile principles emphasize continuous improvement, accountability, and transparency. A high-performing Agile team should not only identify improvement actions but also track and implement them effectively. The best approach in this situation is to ensure visibility and tracking of retrospective action items so that they do not get forgotten or deprioritized.
Analysis of Options
A: Collaborate with the team during the next retrospective to review the status of the unaddressed actions.
While retrospectives are the right forum for discussing past actions, waiting until the next retrospective does not solve the immediate issue. The team is already frustrated because previous actions were not followed up on, and simply discussing them again in the next retrospective does not ensure implementation. This option does not provide an immediate solution.
B: Schedule a team meeting to address the issue immediately and assign clear accountability for closing the actions.
While assigning accountability is important, calling a special meeting mid-sprint contradicts Agile principles, which discourage unnecessary disruptions. Agile teams should address issues within existing cadences (such as standups, backlog refinement, or impromptu discussions) rather than introducing new formal meetings. This is not the best approach as it disrupts team flow.
C: Review the preventive actions identified in the previous retrospective and maintain visual tracking of their progress.
This is the best option because it ensures accountability and transparency without disrupting workflow. Agile teams should track retrospective action items and ensure visibility so that they are not forgotten. Maintaining a visual tracking mechanism (such as an improvement backlog, action item board, or Kanban-style tracking) ensures that the team remains aware of their commitments and can take incremental steps toward resolution. This is an Agile-aligned approach to continuous improvement.
D: Discuss the dissatisfaction expressed by the team members one-on-one and explain the challenges faced in acting on the preventive actions.
While addressing concerns individually may help in understanding frustrations, it does not solve the core issue—the lack of action tracking and follow-through. Agile teams should focus on resolving the issue collaboratively rather than just explaining the difficulties faced in implementing solutions. This option does not lead to an actionable resolution.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option C: Review the preventive actions identified in the previous retrospective and maintain visual tracking of their progress.
This approach ensures transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement without disrupting the sprint. By tracking and communicating the progress of retrospective actions, the team can effectively resolve issues and build trust that improvement discussions lead to real action.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Leadership | Facilitate Problem Resolution |
| Delivery | Perform Continuous Improvements |
Topics Covered:
- Tracking and maintaining visibility of retrospective action items.
- Ensuring accountability for continuous improvement initiatives.
- Facilitating problem resolution through transparent follow-up.
- Encouraging team ownership of improvement actions.
- Strengthening team trust and commitment to Agile practices.
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