PMI-ACP Practice Questions #68
The team is struggling to adapt to delivering in smaller increments. They are accustomed to long-term planning and feel overwhelmed by the expectation of producing potentially shippable increments every sprint. As a result, you observe missed deadlines and incomplete user stories in the first few iterations.
What should you do to help the team adapt to iterative delivery?
A. Provide training to the Scrum Master on splitting work into smaller tasks and allocating them to team members to reduce the feeling of overwhelm.
B. Extend sprint durations to allow the team more time to complete their tasks without requiring smaller increments.
C. Continue running sprints but reduce the frequency of sprint reviews, conducting demos every two sprints to avoid exposing incomplete work.
D. Provide training to the team on breaking work into smaller, manageable, value-adding pieces, encourage collaboration during sprint planning, and celebrate small wins to build confidence.
Analysis
The team is struggling to adapt to iterative delivery, feeling overwhelmed by the expectation of producing potentially shippable increments every sprint. This is a common challenge for teams transitioning from traditional long-term planning to Agile, as they are not yet comfortable with breaking work into smaller, valuable pieces. The signs of difficulty—missed deadlines and incomplete user stories—suggest that the team needs support in learning Agile ways of working, rather than just modifying the process itself. The right approach should focus on helping the team break work into smaller increments, encouraging collaboration, and building confidence through incremental success rather than altering the Agile framework.
Analysis of Options
A: Provide training to the Scrum Master on splitting work into smaller tasks and allocating them to team members to reduce the feeling of overwhelm.
While training on breaking work into smaller pieces is important, this option places too much responsibility on the Scrum Master rather than the team. Agile encourages self-organization, meaning that team members should be involved in defining and breaking down work rather than relying on a single person to do it for them. The Scrum Master is a facilitator, not a task allocator, so this option misses the mark on team collaboration and does not align with Agile principles.
B: Extend sprint durations to allow the team more time to complete their tasks without requiring smaller increments.
While adjusting sprint length is possible, it does not address the root cause of the team’s struggles. If the team is not used to delivering smaller increments, simply giving them more time will not help them learn to break down work effectively. Instead, it might reinforce old habits of long-term planning rather than encouraging an Agile mindset. Agile favors short feedback cycles, and extending sprints without addressing the core issue may slow down the team’s learning process.
C: Continue running sprints but reduce the frequency of sprint reviews, conducting demos every two sprints to avoid exposing incomplete work.
This option undermines the core Agile principle of transparency and feedback. Sprint reviews are not just for showcasing completed work, but also for gathering insights and improving future iterations. Reducing the frequency of reviews delays feedback loops, making it harder for the team to adjust and improve. Instead of hiding incomplete work, the team should be encouraged to refine their approach to breaking work into smaller, deliverable increments.
D: Provide training to the team on breaking work into smaller, manageable, value-adding pieces, encourage collaboration during sprint planning, and celebrate small wins to build confidence.
This option is the best approach because it directly addresses the team’s challenge—adapting to iterative delivery. Instead of focusing solely on the Scrum Master, it empowers the entire team to improve their ability to break work into smaller, meaningful pieces. Encouraging collaboration during sprint planning ensures that everyone understands how to structure work effectively. Additionally, celebrating small wins builds confidence and reinforces the value of delivering incrementally, making the transition to Agile smoother and more sustainable.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option D, as it focuses on team-level learning, collaboration, and confidence-building, which are essential for adapting to iterative delivery. Option A is incorrect because it places too much emphasis on the Scrum Master rather than the team. Option B is incorrect because extending sprint durations does not solve the core issue of breaking work into smaller increments. Option C is incorrect because reducing sprint reviews weakens Agile’s feedback loop, preventing continuous improvement.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Leadership | Empower Teams |
Topics Covered:
- Empower Teams: Encouraging collaboration during sprint planning to break down work into manageable, value-adding increments, and fostering team autonomy to overcome challenges in iterative delivery.
- Fostering Continuous Improvement: Helping the team adapt to iterative delivery by providing training on Agile practices, especially breaking work into smaller pieces, and building confidence through small wins.
- Supporting Team Development: Providing the necessary training and support for the team to transition to Agile, with an emphasis on collaboration, self-organization, and building confidence in delivering incrementally.
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