• B: Ask the Developers and the Product Owner if removing regression testing from the Definition of Done allows the team to produce useful and valuable Increments at the end of every Sprint. This is a good way to challenge the decision and make them think about the consequences of lowering the quality standards. The Scrum Master can help them understand the importance of delivering a potentially releasable product increment that meets the expectations of the stakeholders and customers.
• C: Ask the Developers and the Product Owner what problem they are going to solve by altering the Definition of Done during the Sprint to remove regression testing. Will this raise transparency or improve quality? This is a good way to explore the root cause of the issue and find out why they are not able to complete regression testing for all of the selected Product Backlog items in the Sprint. The Scrum Master can help them identify and remove any impediments or inefficiencies that prevent them from achieving their Sprint Goal.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: “The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.”
• 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 12: “The Definition of Done is a crucial aspect of transparency. If it is not clear when work is done, then stakeholders may make wrong assumptions about the state of the software.”

A. Developers collaboratively select and re-plan their work during the Sprint. This situation demonstrates that the Scrum Team is self-managing, as it shows that the Developers have the autonomy and authority to decide how to best accomplish their work, without being directed by others outside the team. The Developers can also adapt their plan based on new insights, feedback, or impediments that arise during the Sprint.

C. The Developers create their own Sprint Backlog, reflecting all work that is part of the Definition of Done. This situation also demonstrates that the Scrum Team is self-managing, as it shows that the Developers have the responsibility and accountability to create a realistic and achievable plan for the Sprint, based on their understanding of the Sprint Goal and the Product Backlog items. The Developers also ensure that their work meets the quality standards defined by the Definition of Done.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.2 (The Daily Scrum), page 9
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.5 (The Sprint Planning), page 10
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.6 (The Sprint Review), page 11
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint), lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)
• The Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) Assessment, question 39

The best two answers are A and C.

A. Timeboxing work to allow for frequent inspection. This is a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it helps the Scrum Team to organize their work into fixed-length Sprints and other events, such as the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Planning, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. Timeboxing enables the Scrum Team to inspect their progress, adapt their plan, and deliver value regularly and predictably.

C. Creating a valuable and useful Increment by the end of each Sprint. This is also a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it guides the Scrum Team to focus on delivering a product Increment that meets the Sprint Goal and the Definition of Done. Creating a valuable and useful Increment requires the Scrum Team to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate effectively, and to apply their skills and creativity to solve complex problems.

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 3.4 (The Increment), page 10
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint), lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)
• The Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) Assessment, question 40

According to the Scrum Guide 2020, the Developers can choose the location and structure of their Daily Scrum, as long as it is consistent and conducive to inspection and adaptation. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers, not for the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, or the management. The Developers are responsible for planning their work for the next 24 hours and synchronizing their progress toward the Sprint Goal.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 12: “The Daily Scrum is held at the same time and place each day to reduce complexity.”

 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, such as Phil and the Product Owner.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

• A: Preparing the Sprint Backlogs each day for the teams so Phil can spend some time in each team. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role. The Sprint Backlog is owned and managed by the Developers, not by the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master should not interfere with or dictate how the Developers plan and execute their work. The Scrum Master should also not impose a solution that may not be optimal or feasible for the teams or for Phil.
• B: Allocate Phil to one team per Sprint, so that over four Sprints every team will have had the support it requires. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role. The Scrum Master should not allocate resources or assign tasks to the teams or to Phil. The Scrum Master should also not impose a solution that may not be aligned with the Product Owner’s priorities or the teams’ needs.
• D: Ask Phil for a plan to hire and train additional people in his domain, and in the meantime work with the Product Owner and Developers to re-prioritize the work so that tasks not depending on Phil can be done first. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role. The Scrum Master should not ask Phil to do something that may be beyond his authority or responsibility. The Scrum Master should also not work with the Product Owner and Developers to re-prioritize the work, as this is the Product Owner’s accountability. The Scrum Master should respect the Product Owner’s decisions on what is valuable and what is not, and support the Developers in delivering that value.

References:

• What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org
• What is a Sprint Backlog? | Scrum.org
• Who is responsible for dependency management? | Scrum.org
• [Managing Dependencies in Scrum - Scrum Alliance]

Adding a second team to work on the same product will introduce some challenges and overheads that can affect the velocity of the original team. For example, the teams will need to coordinate and communicate more frequently, integrate their work more often, resolve any dependencies or conflicts, and align their standards and practices. These activities will consume some time and effort that could otherwise be spent on delivering value. Therefore, the velocity of the original team is likely to decrease and be lower than 18, at least in the short term.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Adding more people to a complex product development effort does not necessarily increase productivity or reduce time to market. In fact, it often has the opposite effect.”
• Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: “When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of “Done” and a single Product Backlog.”

• This is the best answer because it is consistent with the Scrum values of commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect12. By providing boundaries, such as the product vision, the product backlog, the budget, and the timeline, the organization can enable the team members to self-organize and form cross-functional and collaborative Scrum Teams3 . This way, the team members can commit to their own goals, have the courage to face challenges, focus on delivering value, be open to feedback and learning, and respect each other’s skills and perspectives12.