PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Add more user stories to the backlog to increase team motivation.

  Why it's wrong here

  Adding more user stories to the backlog does not address the underlying reasons for decreased velocity or motivation. Instead, it can overwhelm the team, dilute focus, and lead to further burnout, directly contradicting the agile principle of sustainable pace. Velocity measures completed work, not merely assigned work, so increasing the latter without resolving impediments is counterproductive and likely to worsen the situation.

• ✗

  Ask the product owner to speak with the team about the importance of the sprint goals.

  Why it's wrong here

  Asking the Product Owner to lecture the team about sprint goal importance bypasses the Scrum Master's primary role as a facilitator and servant leader. The Scrum Master is responsible for helping the team self-organize and resolve internal impediments, which includes clarifying understanding and fostering commitment. Delegating this critical facilitation task abdicates the Scrum Master's accountability for team health and effectiveness, rather than proactively addressing the issue.

• ✓

  Facilitate a meeting with the team to review and clarify the sprint goal and ensure alignment.

  Why this is correct

  The Scrum Master's core responsibility is to ensure the team understands and commits to the Sprint Goal, acting as a servant leader and impediment remover. A decrease in velocity often signals a lack of clarity, shared understanding, or alignment with the current goal, hindering the team's ability to focus and deliver. Facilitating a discussion to review and clarify the Sprint Goal directly addresses this potential root cause, empowering the team to regain focus and improve performance.

• ✗

  Report the velocity drop to senior management and ask for intervention.

  Why it's wrong here

  Reporting a velocity drop directly to senior management without first attempting internal resolution undermines the team's autonomy and the Scrum Master's role in fostering self-organization. This premature escalation can create an environment of distrust and external pressure, hindering the team's ability to openly discuss issues and find solutions. The Scrum Master should first facilitate problem-solving within the team, protecting them from external interference while they address impediments.