Scaled Agile Updated SSM Exam Questions and Answers by franciszek

One recommended practice for Scrum Masters/Team Coaches when coaching teams on presenting a draft plan at PI Planning is to align on how the team will answer questions about their proposed objectives. This practice helps the team to prepare for the feedback and input they will receive from the business owners, product management, and other teams and stakeholders during the draft plan review. The team should agree on who will present the objectives, how they will explain the business value and technical feasibility, and how they will handle any objections or concerns. The team should also rehearse their presentation and anticipate potential questions and scenarios. By aligning on how to answer questions, the team can increase their confidence and clarity, and demonstrate their commitment and alignment to the vision and goals of the ART.

References:

• PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework
• Presenting PI Planning Draft and Final Plan Reviews Virtually
• SAFe Scrum Master/Team Coach - Scaled Agile Framework

One way to ensure a team is holding successful iteration reviews and demos is to have the team demo working, tested system components that meet the definition of done (DoD). This shows the team’s progress and value delivery, and allows them to receive feedback from the product owner and other stakeholders. The team should minimize the use of slides and the preparation time for the demos, and focus on the solution instead of the presentation. The team should also discuss the impact of the current solution on the nonfunctional requirements (NFRs) and identify any risks or impediments.

References:

• Iteration Review - Scaled Agile Framework
• Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master

According to the SAFe 6 Scrum Master documentation, one of the ways a Scrum Master/Team Coach can help improve ART performance is to facilitate cross-team collaboration. Cross-team collaboration is the ability of Agile teams to work together effectively and efficiently to deliver value to the customers and stakeholders. It involves sharing information, resolving dependencies, aligning on goals, and providing feedback. Cross-team collaboration is essential for achieving the ART vision and objectives, as well as for delivering integrated and high-quality solutions.

The Scrum Master/Team Coach plays a key role in facilitating cross-team collaboration by 1:

• Participating in the Scrum of Scrums (SoS) and ART Sync meetings, where they communicate the team’s progress, impediments, and dependencies, and coordinate with other teams and the Release Train Engineer (RTE)
• Helping the team prepare for and participate in the PI Planning event, where they collaborate with other teams to define and commit to the PI objectives and identify risks and dependencies
• Supporting the team in the System Demo, where they demonstrate the team’s work to other teams and stakeholders, and receive feedback and validation
• Assisting the team in the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event, where they review the ART performance, identify improvement opportunities, and create action plans
• Encouraging the team to adopt Communities of Practice (CoPs), where they share knowledge, best practices, and learnings with other teams and experts
• Promoting a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation among the team and other teams

(Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach
• Team Sync
• PI Planning
• System Demo
• Inspect and Adapt
• [Communities of Practice]

One benefit of holding regular system demos is that execution can be measured across the whole ART. A system demo is a significant event that provides an integrated view of new Features for the most recent Iteration delivered by all the teams in the Agile Release Train (ART). Each demo gives ART stakeholders an objective measure of progress during a Program Increment (PI). The system demo offers the ART a fact-based measure of current, system-level progress within the PI. It’s the true measure of ART velocity and progress. Achieving this requires implementing the scalable engineering practices necessary to support Continuous Integration across the ART. By holding regular system demos, the ART can evaluate the quality, functionality, and usability of the solution, as well as identify and resolve any issues, risks, or dependencies. The system demo also provides an opportunity for feedback and learning from the customers, Business Owners, and other stakeholders, which can help the ART to align with the vision and goals, and to adapt to changing needs and expectations. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• System Demo - Scaled Agile Framework
• SAFe Scrum Master Course Outline