Most Recent Scaled Agile SAFe-SASM Exam Questions & Answers

Anti-Pattern Explanation: Iteration Planning should not be the first time the team hears about the business intent of the work they are about to start. This should have been communicated earlier through backlog refinement sessions and ongoing interactions with the Product Owner (PO).

Business Intent Communication: The PO should regularly update the team on the business context and intent behind backlog items to ensure alignment and readiness for Iteration Planning.

Impact: Introducing business intent for the first time during Iteration Planning can lead to confusion, inadequate preparation, and a rushed planning session, which undermines the effectiveness of the iteration.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference:

SAFe emphasizes the importance of continuous backlog refinement and clear communication of business intent to ensure that teams are well-prepared for Iteration Planning.

When a team struggles with breaking down large stories into smaller ones, the Scrum Master can coach them by demonstrating specific story-splitting techniques. This hands-on approach provides practical examples of how large stories can be decomposed into smaller, more manageable tasks. Techniques might include splitting by workflow steps, by business rules, by user roles, or by data boundaries. By using a specific example, the Scrum Master can illustrate the process and benefits, helping the team develop this essential skill.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference

SAFe Agile Principles: continuous delivery of value

SAFe 5.0 framework: techniques for effective story splitting

Agile Team Composition: According to SAFe, an Agile Team is composed of cross-functional members who work together to deliver value. The team includes:

Scrum Master: Facilitates the team's processes, helps remove impediments, and supports continuous improvement.

Product Owner: Represents the customer and stakeholders, prioritizes the backlog, and ensures the team is working on the most valuable items.

Developers: The team members who design, build, and test the product.

Key Role: The Product Owner is essential to the Agile Team as they provide the vision, set priorities, and ensure that the team is delivering value that aligns with the customer and business needs.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference:

The SAFe framework emphasizes the critical role of the Product Owner within the Agile Team, ensuring alignment and effective backlog management.

To resolve the issue of the team being unclear on the scope of new stories during Iteration planning, the Scrum Master should ensure that both the Product Owner and the team come to the planning session well-prepared. Proper preparation involves:

The Product Owner refining and prioritizing the backlog items before the planning session, ensuring that stories are well-defined and understood.

The team reviewing the backlog items ahead of the planning session, allowing them to ask questions and clarify any uncertainties.

Conducting pre-planning sessions or backlog refinement meetings to discuss and break down stories, ensuring they are ready for planning.

This preparation helps ensure that the planning session is productive and that the team can commit to well-understood and scoped stories.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference

SAFe Iteration Planning guidelines

SAFe 5.0 framework: ensuring effective preparation for planning sessions

The program predictability measure is the primary metric used during the quantitative measurement part of the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe. This measure assesses how reliably the Agile Release Train (ART) can deliver business value within the Program Increment (PI) timebox. It helps to:

Evaluate the team's ability to meet their commitments.

Identify areas where predictability can be improved.

Ensure that the business value planned for the PI is actually delivered.

By focusing on the predictability of business value, organizations can better align their planning and execution efforts, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and achieving strategic goals more effectively.

SAFe Scrum Master Reference

SAFe Inspect and Adapt events

SAFe 5.0 framework: using program predictability as a key metric to assess and improve ART performance.