Agile Business Analysis FREE Agile Business Analysis Strategy and Initiative Horizons Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the context of agile business analysis, what is the primary purpose of defining initiative horizons?
- To prioritize initiatives based on their strategic time frames and certainty levels (Correct answer)
- To assign team members to specific project milestones
- To calculate the exact return on investment for each initiative
- To create a fixed project schedule with hard deadlines
Correct answer: To prioritize initiatives based on their strategic time frames and certainty levels
Initiative horizons help organizations categorize and prioritize work based on time frames and the level of certainty associated with each initiative.
Question 2: Which horizon typically represents initiatives that are well-understood, currently in progress, and expected to deliver value in the near term?
- Horizon 1 (Correct answer)
- Horizon 3
- Horizon 2
- Horizon 0
Correct answer: Horizon 1
Horizon 1 encompasses current, well-defined initiatives that are actively being worked on and will deliver value in the short term.
Question 3: How does an agile business analyst use strategy mapping to connect daily team activities to organizational goals?
- By creating a visual hierarchy that links strategic objectives to epics, features, and user stories (Correct answer)
- By writing detailed requirements documents for each strategic goal
- By scheduling weekly status meetings with all stakeholders
- By assigning story points to each strategic objective
Correct answer: By creating a visual hierarchy that links strategic objectives to epics, features, and user stories
Strategy mapping visually connects high-level organizational objectives down through epics and features to actionable user stories that teams deliver.
Question 4: When evaluating initiatives across multiple horizons, which factor becomes LESS certain as you move from Horizon 1 to Horizon 3?
- The expected business outcomes and delivery details (Correct answer)
- The organizational mission statement
- The identity of the executive sponsor
- The agile framework being used by the team
Correct answer: The expected business outcomes and delivery details
As initiatives move further into the future across horizons, the expected outcomes, scope, and delivery specifics become progressively less certain.
Question 5: What is the recommended agile approach when a Horizon 3 initiative is promoted to Horizon 2?
- Conduct further discovery and decompose it into smaller, more defined pieces of work (Correct answer)
- Immediately begin sprint planning and assign developers
- Lock down all requirements and create a fixed scope document
- Skip analysis and start building a minimum viable product
Correct answer: Conduct further discovery and decompose it into smaller, more defined pieces of work
When an initiative moves closer on the horizon, agile practice calls for progressive elaboration through discovery and decomposition into actionable work items.
Question 6: Which technique helps an agile business analyst assess whether a strategic initiative aligns with the current product vision and roadmap?
- Impact mapping (Correct answer)
- Burn-down charting
- Pair programming
- Continuous integration
Correct answer: Impact mapping
Impact mapping connects strategic goals to actors, impacts, and deliverables, making it effective for assessing initiative alignment with product vision.
In the context of agile business analysis, what is the primary purpose of defining initiative horizons?