Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Flashcards

In agile projects, how should a Scrum Master handle a stakeholder who frequently interrupts the development team with direct requests?

Answer: Shield the team by routing requests through the Product Owner

The Product Owner acts as the single point of contact for stakeholder requests, protecting the team's focus during the Sprint.

Which agile practice best ensures ongoing stakeholder alignment throughout a project?

Answer: Holding Sprint Reviews at the end of each iteration

Sprint Reviews provide a regular forum for stakeholders to inspect the increment and adapt priorities, ensuring continuous alignment.

A product owner discovers that two key stakeholders have conflicting priorities for the next release. What is the BEST approach?

Answer: Facilitate a prioritization session using relative ranking techniques

Facilitating collaborative prioritization sessions (e.g., MoSCoW or dot voting) helps stakeholders reach consensus on relative value.

What does the concept of an 'information radiator' mean in agile communication?

Answer: A highly visible display of project information accessible to all

Information radiators are large, visible displays (like task boards or burn-down charts) that passively communicate project status to anyone who sees them.

During Sprint Planning, a stakeholder insists on adding new items to the Sprint backlog mid-session. What should the Scrum Master do?

Answer: Acknowledge the request and route new items through the Product Owner for backlog refinement

New scope requests should go through the Product Owner for proper prioritization and backlog refinement rather than disrupting committed Sprint scope.

Which communication technique is most aligned with the agile value of 'individuals and interactions over processes and tools'?

Answer: Face-to-face conversation as the preferred communication mode

The Agile Manifesto explicitly identifies face-to-face conversation as the most efficient and effective method of conveying information.

A stakeholder map categorizes stakeholders by power and interest. Which group requires the MOST active engagement from the agile team?

Answer: High power, high interest stakeholders

Stakeholders with high power and high interest have both the ability to influence the project and strong motivation to do so, making them the most critical to engage actively.