SAFe Scrum Master

Hackathons are one of the activities that can be done during the IP Iteration to foster innovation and learning. They allow the team members to work on whatever they want, with whomever they want, as long as the work reflects the mission of the company. The teams then demo their work to others at the end of the hackathon. Hackathons can help the team explore new ideas, technologies, and solutions that can benefit the business and the customers. They can also increase the team's engagement, creativity, and collaboration.

Reference: Innovation and Planning Iteration - Scaled Agile Framework,Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe Scrum Master

One example of an Agile Team development practice is to demo working functionality frequently to the product owner and other stakeholders. This practice helps the team to get fast feedback, validate their assumptions, and ensure that they are delivering value that meets the customer needs and expectations. Demoing frequently also helps the team to improve the quality of their work, as they have to ensure that the functionality is tested and meets the definition of done before showing it to others. Demoing frequently is part of the SAFe Scrum and SAFe Team Kanban practices, and is done at the end of each iteration in the Iteration Review event.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, Scrum Masters or Team Coaches can escalate Agile Release Train (ART) level impediments during the Scrum of Scrums (SoS) meeting. However, this option is not listed in your provided choices.

From the options you've provided, the closest event where a Scrum Master or Team Coach might escalate ART-level impediments would be the System Sync.

Here's a brief explanation of each event:

System Sync

This is a meeting where teams synchronize their work and resolve any dependencies and issues. It's a suitable place for Scrum Masters or Team Coaches to escalate ART-level impediments.

Coach Sync

This is a meeting for Agile Coaches to align on coaching strategies and share insights. It's not typically a place to escalate ART-level impediments.

PO Sync

This is a meeting for Product Owners to align on the backlog and priorities. It's not typically a place to escalate ART-level impediments.

Product Sync

This is not a standard event in SAFe. It might refer to a meeting where teams align on product features or strategy, but it's not typically a place to escalate ART-level impediments.

Here's a table summarizing the above:

Respect is one of the five Scrum values that can help Agile Teams create transparency. Respect
means that team members value each other’s opinions, skills, and contributions, and treat each
other with dignity and professionalism. Respect also means that team members are honest and open
with each other, and share information and feedback without hiding or withholding anything. By
respecting each other, Agile Teams can foster a culture of trust and collaboration, where everyone
feels comfortable to express their ideas, concerns, and issues, and work together to solve them.
Transparency is essential for Agile Teams to inspect and adapt their work, and to align their actions
with the vision and goals of the organization.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, the Agile Release Train (ART) is a long-lived team of agile teams, which, along with other stakeholders, incrementally develops, delivers, and where applicable operates, one or more solutions in a value stream.

The information shared between the teams on an ART includes:

Option 1: A set of metrics

Metrics are used to measure the progress and performance of the teams. They are shared among the teams to ensure everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.

Option 2: A set of regulations

Regulations may be shared among teams to ensure compliance with certain standards or practices. However, this is not a primary focus of the ART.

Option 3: A common mission using a single backlog

This is the correct answer. In an ART, all teams work towards a common mission and use a single backlog. This ensures that all teams are aligned and working towards the same objectives.

Option 4: A commitment to business agility

While a commitment to business agility is important in SAFe, it is not a type of information that is shared among teams on an ART.

Here is the answer in a table format:

The correct answer to your question is:

To identify how the Story can be validated

Explanation

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, acceptance criteria serve as a set of conditions that a software product must meet to be accepted by a user, a customer, or other system. They are used to describe the functional and non-functional requirements of a feature (or "Story" in Agile terminology) and are defined by the product owner or business representative.

The main purpose of acceptance criteria is to provide clear guidelines on when the implemented story is considered "done". This means they are used to identify how the Story can be validated, ensuring that the developed feature meets the desired functionality and quality.

Here's a simplified version of your options in a table:

One Agile development value is customer collaboration over contract negotiation. This value is one of the four core values of the Agile Manifesto, which states: ''We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.''1This value emphasizes the importance of building a trusting and collaborative relationship with the customers, rather than relying on rigid and formal contracts that may limit the ability to respond to changing needs and expectations2Customer collaboration means involving the customers throughout the development process, seeking their feedback, input, and validation, and delivering solutions that meet their requirements and expectations3Customer collaboration also means respecting the customers' opinions and perspectives, and resolving any conflicts or issues in a constructive and respectful manner4Customer collaboration helps the Agile teams to deliver value faster and more effectively, as well as to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty

(Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

A Team's velocity is calculated by summing up the points of the fully completed stories, so it’s 8+1=9 points, excluding story C which is not completed 100%.

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology identifies seven core competencies that are critical to achieving business agility. These competencies are:

1. Lean-Agile Leadership
2. Team and Technical Agility
3. Agile Product Delivery
4. Enterprise Solution Delivery
5. Lean Portfolio Management
6. Organizational Agility
7. Continuous Learning Culture

From the options you provided, Agile Product Delivery and Built-in Quality are recognized as core competencies in the SAFe 6.0 methodology.

Here is a brief explanation of these two competencies:

• Agile Product Delivery: This competency is about delivering valuable outcomes in a lean, reliable, and continuous flow. It involves three dimensions: Customer Centricity and Design Thinking, DevOps and Release on Demand, and Developing on Cadence and Releasing on Demand.
• Built-in Quality: This competency ensures that each solution element, at every increment, meets appropriate quality standards throughout development. It involves five specific aspects: Flow, Architecture and Design Quality, Code Quality, System Quality, and Release Quality.

The other two options you provided, "Growth Mindset" and "Design Thinking Practices", are important aspects of the SAFe methodology, but they are not recognized as standalone core competencies. They are incorporated within other competencies. For example, Design Thinking is a part of the Agile Product Delivery competency, and Growth Mindset is a part of the Continuous Learning Culture competency.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, the organizing attribute that teams share with the other teams on their Agile Release Train (ART) is:

Synchronization to a common cadence

This is a key principle of SAFe. All teams on an ART align to a common iteration length and schedule, which is typically 10-12 weeks. This synchronization allows for better planning, coordination, and predictability across the ART.

Here's a brief explanation of the other options:

• Simultaneous release in one pipeline: While it's true that teams on an ART aim to release together, this is not an organizing attribute. It's more of a result of the synchronization and coordination efforts.
• Facilitation techniques amongst all meetings: Facilitation techniques can vary from team to team and are not necessarily shared across all teams on an ART.
• Prioritization across all backlogs: Prioritization is done at the team level, based on the Program Increment (PI) objectives and the team's understanding of the work. While there is alignment and coordination at the ART level, each team maintains its own backlog and prioritizes its work independently.

According to SAFe, one output of a successful Iteration Retrospective is the creation of a few improvement Stories that enter the Team Backlog for the next iteration. These stories reflect the team’s agreement on what they can do better in terms of their process, practices, and performance. The improvement stories are visible and prioritized along with the other stories in the backlog. They help the team implement the concept of relentless improvement, which is one of the core values of SAFe.

References: Iteration Retrospective - Scaled Agile Framework, Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, all four characteristics mentioned are crucial for a high-performing team. However, in the context of your question, where two developers have different ideas on how to implement a solution, the most relevant characteristic would be Healthy Conflict.

Explanation

• Healthy Conflict: This is a key characteristic of high-performing teams. It allows for the open discussion of ideas, where each team member feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions. In this scenario, the two developers can engage in a constructive debate about their differing ideas, which can lead to a more robust and well-thought-out solution.

Here's a brief overview of how the other characteristics contribute to a high-performing team:

• Mutual Trust: This is the foundation of any team. It allows team members to feel safe in expressing their ideas and opinions, knowing that they will be respected and considered.
• Effective Decision-Making: This characteristic ensures that decisions are made in a timely and efficient manner, with the input of all team members. It's crucial for moving projects forward and avoiding stagnation.
• Clear Goals and Purpose: Having a clear understanding of the team's goals and purpose helps to align all team members and keeps everyone focused on the same objectives.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, the absence of DevOps can lead to several issues. However, based on the options provided, the most relevant issue is:

Challenges between teams that build Solutions and those who operate the Solutions

This is because DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It aims to shorten the systems development life cycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. Without DevOps, there can be a disconnect between the teams that build the solutions and those who operate them, leading to inefficiencies and potential issues in the software development process.

Here's the answer in a table format:

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), teams are typically advised to maintain a backlog with enough refined Stories to cover approximately 2-3 weeks of work. This allows for a manageable scope of work that the team can commit to completing within a reasonable timeframe, promoting agility and flexibility in responding to changing priorities and customer needs.

A constructive IP Iteration is one of the recommended practices for Scrum Masters/Team Coaches to help teams avoid burnout, address technical debt, and foster innovation. An IP Iteration is a unique, dedicated iteration that occurs every PI and provides an estimating buffer for meeting PI Objectives and dedicated time for innovation, continuing education, PI Planning, and Inspect and Adapt events. During the IP Iteration, teams can work on activities such as hackathons, research and design, spikes, refactoring, automation, training, and other improvement initiatives that are difficult to fit into a continuous, incremental value delivery pattern. An IP Iteration also allows teams to prepare for and participate in the PI Planning and Inspect and Adapt events, which are essential for alignment, collaboration, and learning across the ART. A constructive IP Iteration can improve the predictability and flow of value delivery, increase employee engagement and satisfaction, enhance the agility and resilience of the teams, and create a competitive advantage for the enterprise. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration is a special iteration dedicated to innovation, continuing education, PI Planning, and infrastructure work. It's also a time for teams to rest and prepare for the next Program Increment (PI).

If Team A decides to continue with their feature delivery work during the IP Iteration, they could potentially experience all of the effects listed in the options. However, the most significant effect would be:

They could lose an opportunity to manage risks and communication within the Agile Release Train (ART)

This is because the IP Iteration is a crucial time for teams to reflect on their work, identify and manage risks, and improve communication within the ART. By continuing with their feature delivery work, Team A might miss out on these opportunities, which could negatively impact their performance in the next PI.

Here's a table summarizing the potential effects:

The best examples are: Focus on business value delivery, Ask the Team for the answer and Facilitate Team problem-solving.
Focusing on business value delivery over fosucing on certain targets
Asking the Team for the answer over providing answers for the Team
Focusing on business value delivery over fosucing on certain targets

The purpose of the Coach Sync in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology is:

To share facilitation ideas

Here's a brief explanation:

The Coach Sync is a meeting where Agile coaches come together to share ideas, discuss challenges, and learn from each other. It's a platform for continuous learning and improvement, where coaches can share facilitation techniques, coaching strategies, and insights from their experiences. This helps to improve the overall effectiveness of the Agile Release Train (ART).

Here's the table with the correct answer:

Remember, the Coach Sync is not primarily about prioritizing backlogs, performing retrospectives, or gaining visibility into progress. While these activities may occur in the context of the Coach Sync, they are not its main purpose. The primary purpose is to share and learn facilitation ideas to improve the effectiveness of the Agile Release Train.

According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 6.0 methodology, the responsibility of a Scrum Master/Team Coach among the options provided is:

Answer

• Supporting Iteration Execution

Explanation

The Scrum Master/Team Coach plays a crucial role in facilitating the team's progress towards team goals. The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Agile Team, helping to remove impediments and fostering an environment for high-performing team dynamics, continuous flow, and relentless improvement.

Here's a brief explanation of each option:

1. Supporting Iteration Execution: This is a core responsibility of the Scrum Master. They facilitate the team's progress towards iteration goals.
2. Assigning points for each user story: This is typically a team responsibility, not specifically the Scrum Master's. The team collectively estimates the effort for each user story in the backlog.
3. Accepting completed work: This is typically the role of the Product Owner, not the Scrum Master. The Product Owner accepts user stories once they meet the acceptance criteria.
4. Attending PO Sync: While the Scrum Master might attend this meeting, it is not a primary responsibility. The main attendees of the PO Sync are the Product Owners.