This is the best answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to educate and coach the Scrum Team and the organization on the Scrum framework and its principles 1 2 .  By coaching the Product Owner and the Developers on the purpose of Scrum events, the Scrum Master can help them understand that the Daily Scrum is not a status report or a performance review, but a time to inspect and adapt their progress toward the Sprint Goal 3 4 .  By letting them figure out how to deal with this situation, the Scrum Master can also respect and enable their self-organization and collaboration 1 2 .

A “Quality Assurance and Release Readiness Sprint” is not a Scrum concept, but a sign of poor engineering practices and weak adherence to the Scrum values and principles. It indicates that the Scrum Team is not delivering a potentially releasable product Increment every Sprint, which is one of the core commitments of Scrum. This could be due to a weak or incomplete Definition of Done, which allows technical debt to accumulate and compromises the quality and usability of the product. It could also be due to the Developers finding it nearly impossible to create a valuable, useful product Increment in a Sprint, which could be caused by various factors such as lack of skills, tools, collaboration, feedback, or empowerment. The Definition of Done is not being met every Sprint, which means that the Scrum Team is not fulfilling its accountability for the Increment and is not transparent about the state of the product.

References :

Scrum Guide 2020 , section “Commitments”, “Definition of Done”, “The Sprint”, “The Increment”.

Advanced Knowledge of Scrum , section “Definition of Done”, “Technical Debt”.

Scrum Master Accountabilities , section “Accountability for Effectiveness”.

 Done means that the Increment is in a usable condition and meets the Scrum Team’s Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. Having an Increment that could be released to end users means that it is potentially releasable, which is one of the goals of Scrum. All work performed meets the Definition of Done means that the Developers have ensured that every Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint conforms to the agreed quality standards.

References:

The Scrum Guide , November 2020, p. 10-11

What is a Definition of Done? , Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023

DONE Understanding Of The Definition Of "Done” , Scrum.org, December 16, 2019

A. Having one Product Owner will improve the clarity of accountability to the teams and to the product management department. This is a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single person who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog. Having one Product Owner also avoids confusion, duplication, or conflict among multiple Product Owners who may have different visions, priorities, or expectations for the product.

D. A single Product Backlog should be maintained holding all requirements for the new product. This is also a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single source of truth for the product requirements and that they are transparent and visible to all stakeholders. Having a single Product Backlog also enables the Product Owner to order the items based on their value, risk, dependency, and urgency, and to collaborate with the Scrum Teams to select and refine the items for each Sprint.

References:

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)

A: You organize an offsite team building activity to establish a foundation of trust. You observe whether the problem persists after the offsite activity. This is a good way to foster a positive team culture and improve the relationships among the team members. The offsite activity can help the team to have fun, relax, and bond with each other. It can also create an opportunity for the team to discuss their issues and concerns in a more informal and friendly setting. The Scrum Master can observe whether the problem of disagreement is resolved or reduced after the offsite activity, and provide feedback and support as needed.

E: To every team member expressing this concern you suggest raising this with the full team. You offer to help initiate the conversation but not to resolve the concern yourself. This is a good way to empower the team to address their own problems and find their own solutions. The Scrum Master can encourage the team members to speak up and share their perspectives and feelings with the whole team, rather than keeping them to themselves or complaining to others. The Scrum Master can also facilitate the conversation and ensure that it is respectful, constructive, and productive, but not intervene or impose their own opinion or decision.

References:

Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: “The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.”

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 20: “The Scrum Master can help the team to build trust by creating a safe environment where people can express themselves openly and honestly, without fear of judgment or retaliation.”

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 21: “The Scrum Master can help the team to resolve conflicts by facilitating dialogue, listening actively, asking powerful questions, and supporting collaborative decision making.”

 As a Scrum Master, you could help the Product Owner by suggesting working with the program manager and the project managers of the other components on the ordering and the value of your open Product Backlog items to redefine the possible delivery date. This would allow you to collaborate with the stakeholders and align on the expectations and priorities of the product. You could also inspect and adapt your integration process and communication channels with the other teams to minimize the impact of changes and dependencies.

References:

The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module “The Scrum Master as a Coach”

The Professional Scrum Master II Course, topic “Stakeholder Management”

 The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching them and the organization how to work empirically, which means using an evidence-based approach to inspect and adapt the product and the process 1 .  The Scrum Master also facilitates Scrum events as requested or needed, such as the Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective 2 .  The Scrum Master ensures that these events are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox 2 .

The Scrum Master does not resolve every impediment that the Developers run into, but rather helps them to remove or overcome those impediments themselves 3 . The Scrum Master also does not never intervene in matters of the Scrum Team, but rather balances between providing guidance and allowing autonomy. The Scrum Master is not a passive observer, but an active servant leader who supports the team in achieving their goals.

References:

What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org , section “The Accountabilities of the Scrum Master”

The Scrum Guide 2020 , section “The Scrum Master”

What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian , section “Scrum master responsibilities”

[The 8 Stances of a Scrum Master by Barry Overeem], section “The Servant Leader”

[What Is a Scrum Master (and How Do I Become One)? - Coursera], section “What is a scrum master?”

The possible explanations for why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal are B, D, and E.

B. The Sprints are too long. A four-week Sprint is the maximum duration allowed by the Scrum Guide, and it may not be suitable for complex and uncertain work that requires frequent feedback and adaptation. A shorter Sprint may help the Scrum Team to focus on a clear and coherent Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and delivers a valuable Increment.

D. The Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints. The Product Goal is a long-term objective for the Scrum Team that provides direction and purpose for their work. The Product Owner is responsible for communicating the Product Goal to the Developers and collaborating with them to create Sprint Goals that move them closer to the Product Goal. Without a clear Product Goal, the Scrum Team may lack a shared vision and end up working on unrelated items.

E. The Scrum Team is too big. The Scrum Guide recommends that the Scrum Team consists of 10 or fewer people, including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. A larger team may have difficulties in collaborating effectively, self-organizing, and creating a meaningful Sprint Goal that reflects the collective commitment of the Developers. A smaller team may improve the communication, coordination, and cohesion among the Developers and help them to create and achieve a Sprint Goal.

References:

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8

The Scrum Guide, section 3.3 (The Sprint Goal), page 9

The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint) and lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal)

 The Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event in which the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done 1 .  The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness 1 . The Scrum Team should focus on improving the quality of the product Increment, not on increasing the measured velocity. Velocity is a metric that indicates how much work the team has completed in a Sprint, but it does not reflect the value or quality of that work. Working product is one of the primary measures of progress in Agile.

Some actions that the Scrum Master can take in this situation are:

Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the quality to a level sufficient for production, even if the measured velocity will drop in the next Sprint. This action will help the Scrum Team to identify and address the root causes of the quality issues, and to plan actions for improvement. The Scrum Master should encourage the Scrum Team to inspect their Definition of Done, their testing and quality assurance practices, their technical debt, and their collaboration with stakeholders. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to prioritize quality over quantity, and to understand that delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of every Sprint is one of the goals of Scrum.

Stress the value of working product over measured velocity. This action will help the Scrum Team to align their work with the Agile values and principles, and to focus on delivering value to the customers and users. The Scrum Master should remind the Scrum Team that velocity is not a goal or a measure of success, but a tool for planning and forecasting. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to avoid falling into the trap of velocity-driven development, where they sacrifice quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction for higher numbers.

Some actions that the Scrum Master should not take in this situation are:

Agree and praise the Developers for their hard work, so they are motivated to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather reinforce a false sense of achievement based on velocity. The Scrum Master should acknowledge and appreciate the Developers’ efforts, but also challenge them to inspect and adapt their work processes and outcomes. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to balance their motivation with realism, and to avoid overcommitting or overestimating their capacity.

Acknowledge the hard work, but remind the Developers that they need to improve to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather put pressure on them to increase their velocity. The Scrum Master should not imply that doing more work is equivalent to doing better work, or that higher velocity is expected or desired. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to avoid burnout, stress, and fatigue caused by unrealistic or unsustainable expectations.

References:

The Sprint Retrospective - What It Is & Tips for Making the Most of Your Meeting | Scrum Alliance

How to Measure Sprint Velocity in Agile | Parabol

What is a Sprint Retrospective? - Zeolearn

What Is the Goal of Sprint Retrospective Meeting? | Wrike

What is a Sprint Retrospective? | Scrum.org

[Principles behind the Agile Manifesto]

[What is a Product Increment? | Scrum.org]

[Velocity-driven development: A trap waiting for you | Agile Alliance]

 As the Scrum Master, your role is to serve the Scrum Team by helping them to work effectively and deliver value. You are not responsible for managing the work or assigning tasks to the Developers. You should respect the self-organization and autonomy of the Developers, and support them in finding their own solutions to the problem. You should also facilitate collaboration and communication among the Developers and with other stakeholders.

Some reasons why option B is the correct answer are:

Asking the Developers what value they get by having the Daily Scrum with all team members present and what might go wrong if all Developers do not attend. This action will help the Scrum Team to understand the purpose and benefits of the Daily Scrum, and to identify and address the risks and consequences of missing it.  The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work 1 2 .  The Daily Scrum also provides an opportunity for the Developers to identify and communicate any impediments that are hindering their progress, and request help from the Scrum Master or other team members to resolve them 1 2 .  The Daily Scrum improves communications, identifies impediments, promotes quick decision-making, and consequently eliminates the need for other meetings 1 2 .  The Daily Scrum is not a status meeting, but a way for the Developers to collaborate and self-organize around the most important work for the next 24 hours 1 2 . If a Developer is missing the Daily Scrum, they may miss important information, feedback, or support from their peers, or they may cause delays, confusion, or conflicts for their team. The Scrum Master should encourage the Developers to share their perspectives and experiences on how the Daily Scrum helps them achieve their Sprint Goal and create a valuable Increment.

The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to come up with their own solutions on how to ensure full attendance and participation in the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Master should not impose or dictate a solution, but rather coach and guide the Developers to find what works best for them. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to agree on some ground rules or norms for their Daily Scrum, such as when, where, and how to conduct it, what topics to discuss, and how to handle any issues or conflicts that may arise.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: You do not intervene. The Developers own the Daily Scrum, so they should deal with any issues with attendance. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum Master role.  The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as de fined in the Scrum Guide 1 , causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team 1 , and working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization 1 . The Scrum Master should not ignore or avoid a problem that affects the performance or well-being of the Scrum Team, but rather help them address it in a constructive and respectful way. The Scrum Master should also not assume that the Developers know how to deal with any issues with attendance, but rather teach them how to do so effectively.

C: Talk to the Developer who is missing the Daily Scrum and ask her to always attend the Daily Scrum. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role.  The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers 1 2 , not for reporting or accountability to anyone else. The Scrum Master should not interfere with or dictate how the Developers conduct their Daily Scrum, or make unilateral decisions on behalf of them. The Scrum Master should also not single out or confront a Developer who is missing the Daily Scrum, but rather involve all Developers in finding a solution that works for everyone.

D: Teach the Developers how to deal with this situation by attending the Daily Scrum yourself. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role.  The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers 1 2 , not for anyone else’s inspection or intervention.  The Scrum Master should not attend or participate in the Daily Scrum unless they are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog 1 2 . The presence of an outsider may disrupt or influence the dynamics of the Developers’ communication and collaboration. The Scrum Master should also not teach by doing, but rather by coaching and facilitating.

References:

What is a Daily Scrum? | Scrum.org

What Is a Daily Standup? | A Guide to Running Effective Standup Meetings | Atlassian