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Sprint planning objectives

Last post 03:54 pm March 14, 2020 by Félix Calero
6 replies
01:01 pm March 12, 2020

I'm doing some test for certification and i don't understand why answers b), c) and d) area false.

 

Sprint planning helps in:

a) Building entire technical architecture

b) Staffing plan

c) Testing strategy

d) release plan

e) None of the above

 

The correct is e)


03:21 pm March 12, 2020

Where is this question exactly coming from? What source?


04:35 pm March 12, 2020

It belongs to the book "Scrum Narrative and PSM Exam Guide"


07:21 pm March 12, 2020

If you look at the Scrum Guide, what would the Sprint Planning help with?


09:06 pm March 12, 2020

I understand that Sprint planning helps in getting the Sprint Backlog and the plan for delivering it. So that i understand that the staffing and testing plan could be part of this second outcome.

I don't know if i'm wrong about it.

Tks in advance


08:56 pm March 13, 2020

If you have a Development Team as part of a Scrum Team, why do you need a staffing plan (option B)?  The staffing plan is the make up of the Development Team.  That project management artifact is pretty much irrelevant in the Scrum Framework.  

As for the testing strategy (option C), I'll go to the Scrum Guide section where Sprint Planning is described (emphasis added by me)

The work to be performed in the Sprint is planned at the Sprint Planning. This plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.

Sprint Planning answers the following:

  • What can be delivered in the Increment resulting from the upcoming Sprint?
  • How will the work needed to deliver the Increment be achieved?

Testing is usually considered part of the work to be performed in the Sprint so I would expect that the testing strategy be considered as part of those discussions. 

Now, release plan (option D). The goal of a Sprint is to create a potentially releasable increment of value.  There is no requirement that it be released.  The Scrum Guide section that describes the Increment (https://scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html#artifacts-increment) states 

The increment must be in useable condition regardless of whether the Product Owner decides to release it.

To me this implies that the decision on when to release is not tied to a specific Sprint at all.  It is a just-in-time decision made by the Product Owner based on all the information available to them at the time they need to make a decision. A lot plays into that such as 

  • are the stakeholders ready for a release? 
    • have you done a large number and are the stakeholders keeping up with them?
    • are there any market/economic conditions that would prevent the stakeholders from taking advantage of the release? For example, retail and freight shipment companies will typically not take on a release during holiday seasons.
  • is our company prepared to release at this time?

These are usually considerations in preparing a release plan even in waterfall methods but in the case of agile, these decisions are made closer to the actual activity based on current information and not planned months/years in advance with the hope that you have guessed correctly. 

I said this in one of your other posts asking for clarification of questions from this book and I'll say it again.  I would not trust the tests included in that book.  The self-assessments provided on this site are the true preparatory materials you should use for the PSM certifications.  The book you should use is the Scrum Guide provided for free at https://scrumguides.org/


03:54 pm March 14, 2020

Tks a lot Daniel with your detailed response


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