DAF Foundations OF Agile — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE of the following are elements of 'Agile Governance'?

Accepted Answer

Continuous risk management. Agile governance is lightweight, transparent, and built into the workflow.

Answer

Requiring a signature for every small change

Answer

Strict adherence to a detailed yearly budget

Question 2

Which THREE factors influence a team's ability to be 'Agile'?

Accepted Answer

Team skill sets. Team agility is influenced by team size, skills, and the culture of the organization.

Answer

The type of software used for scheduling

Answer

The name of the project manager

Question 3

A team is preparing for their 'Transition' phase. What is the primary focus of this phase according to the Disciplined Agile toolkit?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring the product is ready to be deployed, including support and organizational readiness.. The Transition phase focuses on ensuring the solution is ready for release, including deployment, training, and operational support.

Answer

Starting the development of the next major release.

Answer

multi_select

Answer

Writing all the requirements documentation for the next phase.

Answer

multi_select

Answer

Conducting a final design review with external auditors.

Question 4

What is the primary benefit of the 'Iterative' approach over a 'Big Bang' delivery approach?

Accepted Answer

It allows for early detection and correction of errors. The iterative approach focuses on risk reduction and feedback through smaller, frequent releases.

Answer

It eliminates the need for project managers

Answer

It requires less documentation than waterfall

Answer

It ensures that all team members are always busy

Answer

It guarantees that no changes will be made to requirements

Question 5

A team is experiencing 'analysis paralysis' during the initial phase of their project. Which Disciplined Agile strategy is best to move forward?

Accepted Answer

Implement 'Just-in-Time' planning to reduce upfront analysis. Disciplined Agile suggests 'Evolutionary' approaches, where the team performs just enough planning to start, then adapts.

Answer

Extend the sprint duration to allow more time for analysis

Answer

Switch to a full Kanban system without any planning

Answer

Mandate a strict waterfall phase gate review

Question 6

A team is struggling with 'technical debt'. According to Disciplined Agile, which action is most appropriate to address this during the iteration?

Accepted Answer

Include 'refactoring' and 'testing' tasks within each iteration. Technical debt is a reality in complex systems. It should be managed proactively by including refactoring and testing in the 'Definition of Done'.

Answer

Outsource the technical debt resolution to a different team

Answer

Ignore the debt until the project is near completion

Answer

Create a separate 'technical debt sprint' once a year

Question 7

Your team is struggling with scope creep due to unclear requirements from stakeholders. Using Disciplined Agile principles, what is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Increase the frequency of stakeholder feedback loops. Disciplined Agile promotes the use of techniques like 'Envisioning' and 'Active Stakeholder Participation' to manage requirements iteratively.

Answer

Hire a dedicated business analyst to write detailed documentation

Answer

Lock down the scope for the next six months

Answer

Ignore the stakeholders until the product increment is finished

Question 8

During a project, the team realizes the initial plan is no longer viable due to market changes. What should they do?

Accepted Answer

Update the plan and pivot the strategy accordingly. Agile teams embrace change and pivot based on empirical evidence and feedback.

Answer

Wait for the end of the year to reassess

Answer

Ask the stakeholders to force the team to continue

Answer

Stick to the original plan to show commitment

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the 'Disciplined Agile Mindset' regarding process?

Accepted Answer

Be pragmatic and choose your way of working (WoW). The DA mindset is 'pragmatic', meaning you choose the most effective way of working for your unique context.

Answer

Copy the processes of the most successful competitors

Answer

Follow the Scrum guide verbatim

Answer

Focus exclusively on speed of delivery

Question 10

Your team needs to balance the 'Adaptive' vs 'Predictive' lifecycle. Which criteria should you prioritize when making this choice?

Accepted Answer

The level of uncertainty and risk in the project. DA encourages choosing a lifecycle based on factors like technical complexity, team size, and uncertainty, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Answer

The tenure of the team members

Answer

The total budget allocated to the project

Answer

The seniority of the stakeholders

Question 11

A team is transitioning from a traditional project management approach to Disciplined Agile. Which mindset shift is most critical for the team to embrace during their first iteration?

Accepted Answer

Focusing on delivering high-value, working software early and often. The core of Disciplined Agile is the pragmatic shift towards value delivery over rigid adherence to process, emphasizing a 'choose your way of working' approach.

Answer

Eliminating all documentation throughout the lifecycle

Answer

Strict adherence to the project charter

Answer

Reducing the team size to improve velocity

Question 12

When considering 'Continuous Feedback', what is the most effective approach?

Accepted Answer

Solicit feedback throughout the lifecycle from users and stakeholders. Feedback is most effective when it is frequent, actionable, and involves the right stakeholders.

Answer

Use automated dashboards as the only source of feedback

Answer

Collect feedback only at the end of the project

Answer

Limit feedback to the internal team members only

Question 13

What is the role of the 'Definition of Done' (DoD) in an agile project?

Accepted Answer

To create a clear, shared understanding of what constitutes a completed work item. The DoD provides a shared understanding of quality and completeness for an increment.

Answer

To replace the need for project manager oversight

Answer

To tell the team how long a task should take

Answer

To act as a contract for external vendors

Question 14

What is the primary objective of 'Iterative' development in a project?

Accepted Answer

To deliver working, tested functionality frequently. The primary objective is to deliver value in small, manageable increments.

Answer

To avoid all documentation

Answer

To ensure the project manager has total control

Answer

To allow the team to work on different projects simultaneously

Question 15

When planning, what is the difference between 'Predictive' and 'Adaptive' planning?

Accepted Answer

Adaptive planning evolves as the project progresses based on feedback. Predictive planning is upfront and detailed, while adaptive is rolling-wave and iterative.

Answer

Predictive planning is not allowed in Disciplined Agile

Answer

Predictive planning is better for high-uncertainty projects

Answer

Adaptive planning is always faster than predictive