PMI Updated PMP Exam Questions and Answers by caden

According to the PMBOK Guide, backlog grooming (also known as backlog refinement) is the process of reviewing, updating, and prioritizing the product backlog items to ensure that the product backlog is ready for the next sprint1. Backlog grooming is an ongoing activity that involves collaboration between the product owner, the development team, and the project manager (or scrum master). Backlog grooming helps to clarify the requirements, remove ambiguity, identify dependencies, estimate effort, and align the product backlog with the product vision and the customer needs2.

In this question, the project manager is faced with a problem that the product owner has uncovered a number of issues that they would like to be addressed before providing approval for the software built to date. These issues may indicate that the product owner is not satisfied with the quality, functionality, or usability of the software, or that the software does not meet the acceptance criteria or the customer expectations. The project manager should approach this problem by planning to address the issues through backlog grooming and incorporating them into the next sprint. This way, the project manager can ensure that the issues are properly documented, analyzed, and prioritized, and that the development team can work on them in the next iteration. This will also help to maintain the agile principles of delivering value, satisfying the customer, and embracing change3.

The other options are not the best ways to approach this problem. Referring the product owner to the change management plan, then escalating to the steering committee is not appropriate for an agile project, as it implies a rigid and formal process that may not be responsive to the customer feedback and the changing requirements. Referring the product owner to the signed business requirement document and explaining that the current plan cannot facilitate these changes is not helpful, as it may create conflict and dissatisfaction with the product owner, and it may also indicate that the project manager is not following the agile value of responding to change over following a plan3. Telling the product owner the issues will be addressed in the second version of the software is not acceptable, as it may delay the delivery of value, compromise the quality of the product, and lose the trust of the product owner.

 1: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, p. 179 2: Backlog Grooming: How to Do It and Why It Matters, ProjectManager.com, July 2020, 1 3: Manifesto for Agile Software Development, Agile Alliance, 2001, 2

The project manager should determine the critical requirements to bridge the gap and ensure the project delivers the expected business value. This is because the project manager is dealing with a new and innovative solution that may have unclear or ambiguous scope and expectations. The project manager should review the RFP and identify the key terms and conditions that define the project objectives, deliverables, and constraints. The project manager should also engage with the customer and other stakeholders to elicit, analyze, and prioritize the requirements that are essential for the project success. The project manager should ensure that the critical requirements are aligned with the project vision, scope, and business value, and that they address the compliance issues that may arise in the project context. The project manager should not document the risks and mitigations, as this would be a subsequent step after determining the critical requirements. The project manager should not define the project schedule, as this would be a premature and risky action without having a clear understanding of the project scope and requirements. The project manager should not create a project scope statement, as this would be a formal document that requires the approval of the customer and other stakeholders, and that may not be feasible or appropriate for a new and innovative solution. References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)

PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Section 5.2, “Collect Requirements”

PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Section 5.3, “Define Scope”

PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Section 5.4, “Create WBS”

PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Section 5.6, “Control Scope”

 The project manager should facilitate communication promoting a Scrum of Scrums so the different teams are aware of the dependencies and progress. A Scrum of Scrums is a technique to coordinate multiple agile teams working on a large-scale project. It involves a representative from each team meeting regularly to share information, resolve issues, and align their work. This way, the project manager can ensure that the teams are collaborating effectively, managing interdependencies, and delivering value to the customer. A project newsletter, combining all the projects into one, or aligning the schedules may not be sufficient or feasible to address the complexity and uncertainty of a digital transformation project with a hard deadline and a new product. References: Agile Practice Guide, 2017, page 37; PMP Exam Content Outline, 2021, page 13.

 According to the PMBOK® Guide, the project vision is a high-level description of the project’s purpose, scope, and objectives. It provides the direction and alignment for the project team and stakeholders. The project vision should be clear, concise, inspiring, and consistent with the organization’s strategy. When the scope has changed significantly and the product owner has been replaced multiple times, the project vision may become unclear or outdated. The team members may feel disassociated from the project and lose motivation and engagement. To ensure team alignment with the goals, the project manager should facilitate a discussion of the vision for the project, involving the new product owner and the team members. This will help to clarify the project’s value proposition, expected outcomes, and success criteria. It will also help to reestablish trust, collaboration, and commitment among the team and the product owner. Asking the new product owner to explain the importance of the project, emailing the team a detailed outline of the business requirements, or reviewing the project charter with the team are not sufficient or effective ways to ensure team alignment with the goals. These options may not address the underlying issues of the team’s disassociation, such as lack of involvement, ownership, or empowerment. They may also not reflect the current state of the project or the organization’s strategy. References: PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, pages 30-31, 89-90.