PMP Practice Questions #146
You are the project manager of a software development project employing Agile approach. During the current sprint, you’ve noticed that the development team frequently misunderstands the requirements, resulting in significant rework and delays. Which of the following actions would be most effective in addressing this problem right away?
A) Extend the current sprint duration to allow more time for the team to properly understand and implement the requirements.
B) Facilitate a mid-sprint review meeting between the developers and the product owner to clarify and realign on the misunderstood requirements.
C) Serve as an intermediary in discussions between the developers and the product owner during the sprint to ensure clarity and understanding of the requirements.
D) Quickly draft a preliminary “Definition of Ready” checklist for the remaining items in the sprint to prevent further misunderstandings.
Analysis
The scenario presents a software development project managed using the Agile methodology, where the project manager identifies frequent misunderstandings of requirements by the development team. This has led to significant rework and delays. The critical task is to identify an immediate solution to improve the understanding and implementation of requirements within the ongoing sprint.
Analysis of Options:
Option A: Extend the current sprint duration to allow more time for the team to properly understand and implement the requirements. Agile approaches emphasize maintaining consistent sprint durations to foster predictability and rhythm. Adjusting the time box should be a last resort, not a first step, as it can disrupt the pace and undermine the discipline of time boxing.
Option B: Facilitate a mid-sprint review meeting between the developers and the product owner to clarify and realign on the misunderstood requirements. This option promotes immediate and direct interaction between the developers and the product owner, which is essential in Agile for quick clarifications and adjustments. Although Agile methodologies typically include numerous meetings, the urgency of resolving misunderstandings justifies an additional focused meeting. This option supports effective communication and collaboration, which are pivotal in Agile settings.
Option C: Serve as an intermediary in discussions between the developers and the product owner during the sprint to ensure clarity and understanding of the requirements. Acting as an intermediary could potentially make the project manager a bottleneck, contrary to Agile practices which encourage direct communication between stakeholders and developers. This approach may temporarily alleviate misunderstandings but doesn’t empower the team or improve long-term communication skills.
Option D: Quickly draft a preliminary “Definition of Ready” checklist for the remaining items in the sprint to prevent further misunderstandings. While a “Definition of Ready” checklist is a proactive approach to ensuring all stakeholders have a mutual understanding before sprint items are accepted, creating one mid-sprint addresses neither the immediate misunderstandings nor the need for it to be collaboratively developed. This option might be beneficial in future sprints but does not resolve the current issue directly.
Conclusion: Given the urgency to resolve misunderstandings within the current sprint, Option B is the most effective. It directly facilitates the necessary interaction between the developers and the product owner to clarify requirements. This interaction is crucial for immediate resolution of issues and for maintaining the sprint’s momentum. This option best aligns with Agile principles of collaboration and rapid adjustment to changes, making it the optimal choice for addressing the problem right away.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| Process | Task 8: Plan and manage scope |
Topics Covered
- Agile Ways of Working
- Sprint Execution
