PMI-ACP Practice Questions #4
An agile practitioner observes that the team’s completion of user stories during sprints is inconsistent. Many user stories have vague details when planned, leading to new discoveries, changes in size, and misalignment with sprint goals.
What should the agile practitioner do?
A. Work with the product owner and the team to ensure user stories are clearly defined before sprint planning.
B. Organize training for the product owner to improve their ability to clearly define user stories.
C. Guide the team to take responsibility for clarifying user stories and plan for uncertainties during the sprint.
D. Collaborate with the team and product owner to identify ways to improve predictability in sprint planning and execution.
Analysis
The scenario presents a challenge where user stories are inconsistently completed during sprints due to vague details, leading to scope changes, misalignment with sprint goals, and unpredictable outcomes.
Agile principles emphasize collaboration, continuous improvement, and team empowerment rather than imposing fixed solutions. The best approach involves working together as a team—both developers and the Product Owner—to improve predictability while refining the planning and execution process iteratively.
Instead of directly prescribing solutions (like training the Product Owner or enforcing stricter definitions before sprint planning), a collaborative, team-driven approach that empowers continuous improvement is preferred.
Analysis of Options
A: Work with the product owner and the team to ensure user stories are clearly defined before sprint planning.
This is a good approach but focuses too narrowly on story refinement before sprint planning rather than continuous improvement. While clear user stories are essential, Agile recognizes that uncertainty exists, and simply refining stories upfront may not fully address the root cause of inconsistencies. Agile prefers ongoing refinement and improvement through feedback loops, rather than just pre-sprint definition efforts.
B: Organize training for the product owner to improve their ability to clearly define user stories.
This assumes that the Product Owner is solely responsible for unclear user stories, which contradicts Agile principles of shared responsibility and team collaboration. While training might help, it is a reactive and one-dimensional solution that doesn’t necessarily solve the immediate issue of unpredictable sprint outcomes. Agile teams collectively refine stories through discussions, backlog refinement, and iterative learning, not just by training one person.
C: Guide the team to take responsibility for clarifying user stories and plan for uncertainties during the sprint.
This option aligns well with Agile principles, as teams should collaborate to clarify user stories. However, it still implies an individual directive—guiding the team—rather than an empowered, collaborative effort. While teams must address uncertainties, Agile prefers a holistic approach where improvements emerge from team-driven discussions rather than a top-down directive.
D: Collaborate with the team and product owner to identify ways to improve predictability in sprint planning and execution.
This is the best option because it focuses on collaborative problem-solving rather than imposing a fixed solution. Agile teams learn, adapt, and improve through retrospectives and ongoing discussions. By working together with the team and the Product Owner, rather than telling them what to do, the Agile practitioner facilitates an environment of continuous improvement, ensuring better predictability and alignment over time.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option D: Collaborate with the team and product owner to identify ways to improve predictability in sprint planning and execution.
Agile leaders empower teams rather than dictate solutions. The best approach is to engage both the team and the Product Owner in identifying and solving challenges collaboratively, ensuring continuous improvement in sprint execution and refining backlog management as a team-driven effort.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Leadership | Empower Teams |
| Leadership | Facilitate Problem Resolution |
Topics Covered:
- Promote collaborative problem-solving.
- Improve backlog refinement and sprint planning.
- Empower teams to take ownership of story clarity.
- Facilitate continuous improvement through retrospectives.
- Enhance predictability in sprint execution.
- Encourage team and Product Owner alignment.
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