SCRUM - Scrum Framework The Developers Role Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During Sprint Planning, the Product Owner proposes a Sprint Goal. After discussion, the Developers believe they cannot complete all the selected Product Backlog Items to achieve the goal. According to the Scrum Guide, what is the primary accountability of the Developers in this situation?
- To accept the Sprint Goal and work overtime to meet the Product Owner's expectations.
- To negotiate with the Product Owner about the scope of the work for the Sprint, ensuring a realistic plan to achieve the Sprint Goal. (Correct answer)
- To ask the Scrum Master to cancel the Sprint since the goal is unachievable.
- To begin the Sprint with the current plan and inform the Product Owner daily that the goal is at risk.
Correct answer: To negotiate with the Product Owner about the scope of the work for the Sprint, ensuring a realistic plan to achieve the Sprint Goal.
The Developers are accountable for creating the plan for the Sprint (the Sprint Backlog). This includes selecting the amount of work they can realistically complete. If the proposed work seems too much to achieve the Sprint Goal, they must collaborate and negotiate with the Product Owner to adjust the scope, ensuring the plan is feasible.
Question 2: Who is explicitly accountable for creating and managing the Sprint Backlog?
- The Product Owner
- The Scrum Master
- The entire Scrum Team
- The Developers (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The Developers
The Scrum Guide states that the Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. They are accountable for creating it during Sprint Planning and adapting it throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It consists of the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog Items, and the actionable plan for delivering the Increment.
Question 3: A new Developer joins a Scrum Team and notices there are no specific titles like 'QA Engineer' or 'Business Analyst' within the group of Developers. What does this lack of specific titles signify about the Developers in Scrum?
- That all Developers must be generalists with no specializations.
- That the Scrum Master is responsible for assigning all testing and analysis tasks.
- That accountability for creating a valuable Increment belongs to the Developers as a whole, regardless of individual specializations. (Correct answer)
- That the organization has a flat hierarchy, which is unrelated to Scrum principles.
Correct answer: That accountability for creating a valuable Increment belongs to the Developers as a whole, regardless of individual specializations.
In Scrum, there are no sub-teams or hierarchies within the Developers. While individual Developers may have specialized skills, accountability for delivering a 'Done' Increment belongs to the entire group of Developers. This structure encourages a 'one-team mentality' and shared ownership of the work.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key accountability of the Developers, as defined by the Scrum Guide?
- Maximizing the value of the product.
- Ensuring the Scrum framework is understood and enacted.
- Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done. (Correct answer)
- Facilitating stakeholder collaboration.
Correct answer: Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done.
The Scrum Guide explicitly lists four accountabilities for the Developers: Creating a plan for the Sprint (the Sprint Backlog), instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done, adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal, and holding each other accountable as professionals.
Question 5: During a Daily Scrum, a Developer explains they have completed their planned task and have no other work assigned from the Sprint Backlog. What is the most appropriate next action for this Developer?
- Wait for the Scrum Master to assign them a new task.
- Ask the Product Owner for a new Product Backlog Item to work on.
- Collaborate with other Developers to see how they can best contribute to achieving the Sprint Goal. (Correct answer)
- Start working on items from the next Sprint to get ahead.
Correct answer: Collaborate with other Developers to see how they can best contribute to achieving the Sprint Goal.
The Developers are a self-managing team focused on a collective Sprint Goal. The appropriate action is for the Developer to proactively collaborate with the rest of the team to help with ongoing work, remove impediments, or do whatever is needed to help the team achieve the Sprint Goal together.
Question 6: A Scrum Team is working on a product that involves data science, user interface design, and technical writing. According to the Scrum framework, who is considered a 'Developer'?
- Only the members who write production code.
- The Product Owner and Scrum Master, as they develop the product strategy.
- All team members who are actively working on creating any aspect of the usable Increment. (Correct answer)
- Only the data scientists and UI designers, as the technical writer's work is documentation.
Correct answer: All team members who are actively working on creating any aspect of the usable Increment.
The Scrum Guide uses the term 'Developers' to refer to anyone in the Scrum Team who is committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. This is intentionally broad and includes professionals with various skills like programming, testing, UX design, data science, and technical writing.
During Sprint Planning, the Product Owner proposes a Sprint Goal.
After discussion, the Developers believe they cannot complete all the selected Product Backlog Items to achieve the goal.
According to the Scrum Guide, what is the primary accountability of the Developers in this situation?