Free and Premium Scrum SAFe-Practitioner Dumps Questions Answers

According to the Scaled Agile Framework, the ART Planning Board is a visualization of the PI’s feature delivery dates, feature dependencies among teams, and relevant milestones1. Features are the primary elements that are planned and tracked on the ART Planning Board2.

Epics, user stories, and tasks are not found on the ART Planning Board, but they are related to features in different ways. Epics are large initiatives that span multiple ARTs and PIs, and they are decomposed into features and enablers2. User stories and tasks are smaller units of work that are used by teams to implement features within iterations2.

Customer Centricity is a mindset that helps organizations make decisions that are based on a deep understanding of its effect on customers and end-users. It motivates teams to focus on the customer, understand their needs, think and feel like them, build whole product solutions, and know their lifetime value. Customer Centricity is related to Design Thinking, which provides the tools and practices to support creating desirable products that are profitable and sustainable over their lifecycle. References: Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework, Design Thinking - Scaled Agile Framework, What is Customer Centricity in SAFe® 5.0? - Praecipio

The Portfolio Canvas is a tool that defines the current state of the portfolio, as well as the future state vision, using the Business Model Canvas template1. It describes the development value streams, the solutions they deliver, the customers they serve, the budget allocated to each value stream, and other vital activities and events required to achieve the portfolio vision2. The Portfolio Canvas is used to capture and analyze the current state of the portfolio, as well as to generate and evaluate multiple future state scenarios, based on the SWOT and TOWS analysis2. The Portfolio Canvas provides input for defining the future state vision and the portfolio backlog2. References: Business Model Canvas, Portfolio Vision

= The SAFe Lean-Agile principle that involves delivering a continuous flow of value to customers in the shortest sustainable lead time is “Make value flow without interruptions”. This principle is based on the Lean concept of optimizing the whole value stream, from concept to cash, by eliminating delays, queues, handoffs, and rework. By applying practices such as limiting work in progress (WIP), reducing batch sizes, managing queue lengths, and implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), SAFe teams and trains can accelerate the flow of value and feedback, improve quality and reliability, and reduce waste and overhead. References: = SAFe Lean-Agile Principles - Scaled Agile Framework, Accelerating Flow with SAFe - Scaled Agile Framework1, The Five Principles of Lean - Project Management Institute

This statement is one of the Lean budget Guardrails, which describe the policies and practices for budgeting, spending, and governance for a specific portfolio1. Continuous Business Owner engagement means that the Business Owners, who are key stakeholders for each Agile Release Train (ART), are actively involved in the planning, execution, and review of the value delivery1. They provide feedback, guidance, and approval for the PI objectives, features, and enablers, as well as participate in the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshop and the Program Increment (PI) system demo2. Continuous Business Owner engagement helps ensure alignment, transparency, and accountability for the value streams and ARTs1. References: Lean Budget Guardrails, Business Owners

Culture is the first element of the CALMR approach to DevOps in SAFe. It refers to the shared mindset and values that support successful DevOps adoption. Culture in SAFe is influenced by the Lean-Agile principles and practices that guide the entire framework. Culture in DevOps requires customer-centricity, collaboration, trust, empowerment, learning, and feedback among all the stakeholders involved in the value stream. Culture also fosters a shift-left mentality, where operational and quality concerns are addressed early and often in the development process. Culture is the foundation for the other elements of CALMR: automation, lean flow, measurement, and recovery1. One of the aspects of culture is to establish a work environment of shared responsibility, where everyone in the value stream is accountable for the quality and security of the solution, and for the outcomes delivered to the customer2. This means breaking down the silos and barriers between development, operations, security, and other teams, and creating a culture of mutual trust and respect3. Shared responsibility also means that everyone in the value stream has the authority and autonomy to make decisions and take actions that support the delivery of value, while following the guardrails and policies established by the enterprise4. References: CALMR - Scaled Agile Framework, Culture - Scaled Agile Framework, What Is DevOps? - Scaled Agile Framework, Decentralize Decision Making - Scaled Agile Framework

During the second team breakout session, the teams finalize their plans and objectives for the upcoming PI. They also review and adjust their load and capacity based on the feedback from the draft plan review. The teams then commit to do everything they can to meet the agreed-to-objectives, which are captured in the SMART format (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). References: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework, PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework

The Lean Thinking principle, “make value flow without interruptions” means identifying and eliminating any delays that prevent the smooth and fast movement of work product from step to step in a value stream. Delays are a form of waste that reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the system, increase the lead time and cost, and lower the customer satisfaction. Delays can be caused by various factors, such as handoffs, queues, bottlenecks, rework, defects, approvals, dependencies, and variability. To make value flow without interruptions, SAFe applies the following eight flow accelerators: Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths Implement full test automation and continuous integration Take an economic view Apply product development flow principles Understand and exploit variability Implement fast feedback and integrated learning Build quality in Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems References: Principle #6 - Make Value Flow Without Interruptions - Scaled Agile Framework, Accelerating Flow with SAFe - Scaled Agile Framework

Team and Technical Agility is one of the core competencies of the Lean Enterprise that helps drive Agile Quality practices. This competency describes the critical skills and Lean-Agile principles and practices that high-performing Agile teams and teams of Agile teams use to create high-quality solutions for their customers. The main aspects of this competency are: team and technical agility, Agile team, Built-in Quality, and Agile architecture. Built-in Quality is a set of practices to help ensure that the outputs of Agile teams in business and technology domains meet appropriate quality standards throughout the process of creating customer value. Built-in Quality practices include test-first, test automation, continuous integration, refactoring, pair work, code reviews, exploratory testing, and more. References: Team and Technical Agility - Scaled Agile Framework, Built-In Quality - Scaled Agile Framework

 Empathy maps are a design thinking tool that promotes customer identification by helping teams develop a deep, shared understanding of others. They enable teams to imagine what a specific persona is thinking, feeling, hearing, and seeing as they use the solution. Empathy maps help teams to design with empathy, which is a key behavior of customer centricity. Empathy maps can be used to explore different aspects of the problem and solution space, and to validate assumptions and hypotheses about the customer’s needs and preferences. References: Design Thinking, Customer Centricity

According to the SAFe-for-Teams-SAFe-Practitioner-6-0 documents, enabler stories are short descriptions of a small piece of desired functionality that support exploration, architecture, infrastructure, or compliance. Among these four types of enabler stories, exploration is the one that is used for building and evaluating prospective solutions alternatives. Exploration enabler stories support research, prototyping, and other activities needed to develop an understanding of customer needs, including the exploration of prospective solutions and evaluation of alternatives. They help validate assumptions, reduce uncertainty, and increase the likelihood of building the right thing. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Exploration. References: Enablers - Scaled Agile Framework, Story - Scaled Agile Framework, Features, Capabilities, & Enablers - Productfolio

Relentless improvement is the fourth pillar of the SAFe House of Lean, which represents the foundational beliefs that are key to SAFe’s effectiveness1. Relentless improvement encourages learning and growth through continuous reflection and process enhancements2. It uses informed decision-making through fast feedback, which means that teams and individuals use empirical data and validated learning to evaluate their assumptions and outcomes, and adjust their actions accordingly3. This enables them to deliver value faster, with higher quality and lower risk, and to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation4. References: Core Values - Scaled Agile Framework, Relentless Improvement - Scaled Agile Framework, Principle #4 - Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles - Scaled Agile Framework, How does relentless improvement support value in the SAFe house of lean …

 Continuous Deployment is the process of releasing every good build to users through a delivery pipeline that performs various tests, deployments, and validations1. Deploy, verify, monitor, and respond are the four activities of Continuous Deployment that ensure the quality and reliability of the software2. References: 1: Continuous Deployment2: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner

 Story Mapping is a design-thinking technique that helps break down Features while considering the end-to-end user flow. It is a collaborative practice that visually maps the user journey and the activities that the user performs to reach a desired outcome. Story Mapping helps teams understand the user needs, prioritize the backlog, and plan the iterations and PIs. References: Story Mapping, Story, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner

Stories are the primary means of expressing needed functionality in SAFe. They largely replace the traditional requirements specification with new paradigms based on Lean-Agile development. Stories are elaborated by a user-voice statement and acceptance criteria, and they are used to describe the features and behaviors of the system at various levels of abstraction. Stories are also testable, estimable, and prioritizable, which makes them suitable for planning and delivering value in an iterative and incremental way. References: SAFe Requirements Model, What replaces detailed requirements documents in agile?, What replaces detailed requirements documents in SAFe?

The final plan review is the last activity of the PI planning event, where the teams present their final plans and objectives to the group. The Business Owners review the plans and propose adjustments or accept the plan, in which case, the team brings out their PI Objective sheet for everyone to view1. The final plan review is also an opportunity to assess the program risks and ROAM them (Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated)2. The final plan review helps achieve alignment and commitment among all the stakeholders and teams on the ART3. References: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework, ROAMing Risks - Scaled Agile Framework, Final Plan Review - Scaled Agile Framework

A team’s commitment at the end of PI Planning is based on the PI Objectives that they have defined and negotiated with the Business Owners and other stakeholders. PI Objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that reflect the expected business and technical outcomes for the upcoming PI. A team does not commit to uncommitted objectives, which are stretch goals that may or may not be achieved depending on the actual capacity and velocity of the team. Uncommitted objectives are not included in the vote of confidence or the business value assessment. References: PI Objectives - Scaled Agile Framework, SAFe® for Teams - Know Your Role on an Agile Team | Scaled Agile, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner - scaledagile.com

 WIP stands for work in process, which is the amount of work that is currently being done in a system. One way to understand WIP is to make it visible to all stakeholders, using tools such as Kanban boards, cumulative flow diagrams, or burn-up charts. By making WIP visible, we can see the current state of the work, identify bottlenecks, limit WIP to match capacity, and improve flow efficiency. References: Principle #6 – Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths, Make Value Flow without Interruptions, SAFe Principle 6: Visualise and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queued lengths

One of the steps for setting initial velocity is to assess the team’s capacity, which is the amount of time available for the team to work on the backlog items. The team members assess their availability, acknowledging time off and other potential duties that may reduce their capacity, such as meetings, training, support, etc. The team then calculates their capacity by multiplying the number of team members by the number of hours per day by the number of days in the Iteration. The team’s capacity is used as an input for estimating the initial velocity, which is the amount of work the team can complete in an Iteration. References: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, Capacity Allocation, Velocity

An ART event is a meeting or ceremony that involves all the teams in an Agile Release Train (ART) and helps them align, collaborate, and deliver value. An example of an ART event is the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration, which is a two-week period at the end of each Program Increment (PI) that provides time for innovation, planning, and improvement activities. During the IP Iteration, teams can explore new ideas, work on technical debt, conduct hackathons, prepare for the next PI Planning, and conduct the Inspect and Adapt workshop. References: Agile Release Train, Scaled Agile: ART Events Overview, Innovation and Planning Iteration

Story points are a relative measure of the effort required to implement a user story. They take into account the volume, complexity, knowledge, and uncertainty of the work. Volume refers to how much work there is, complexity refers to how hard it is, knowledge refers to what is known or unknown, and uncertainty refers to the risk or variability involved. Story points help agile teams estimate their work and plan their iterations. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, Story Point - Scaled Agile Framework, Understanding complexity | Range

The SAFe Implementation Roadmap is a strategy and an ordered set of activities that have proven to be effective in successfully implementing SAFe. It is based on organizational change management strategies and provides the critical moves for adopting SAFe. The roadmap consists of 14 steps, from reaching the tipping point to sustaining and improving1. References: 1: Implementation Roadmap - Scaled Agile Framework

One of the roles of Product Management is to assign business value to Features. Features are services provided by the system that fulfill stakeholder needs. They are the primary artifact for defining, managing, and prioritizing the work of the Agile Release Train (ART). Product Management is responsible for defining and prioritizing the features in the Program Backlog, as well as assigning a business value to each feature based on its expected benefits and costs. The business value is used to guide the economic decision-making and trade-offs during PI Planning and execution. Product Management also collaborates with other roles, such as Solution Management, System Architects, and Business Owners, to ensure that the features align with the solution vision and roadmap, and meet the quality standards and nonfunctional requirements. References: Features - Scaled Agile Framework, Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework

The Inspect and Adapt (I&A) is a significant event held at the end of each Program Increment (PI), where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated by the train. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured, problem-solving workshop. The I&A event consists of three parts: the PI System Demo, where the features developed during the PI are shown and feedback is collected; the quantitative and qualitative measurement, where the teams assess their performance and progress using various metrics and surveys; and the retrospective and problem-solving workshop, where the teams identify and analyze the root causes of their most critical issues and devise action plans to address them12. References: Inspect and Adapt, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner

 User Stories are the types of work that are found within the Agile Team Backlog. User Stories are short descriptions of a small piece of functionality that provides value to a user or customer. They are written from the perspective of the user or customer and follow the format: “As a , I want , so that ”. User Stories are the primary way of expressing the requirements and features in the Agile Team Backlog. They are estimated, prioritized, and implemented by the Agile Team in Iterations. User Stories are derived from Features in the Program Backlog, as well as from the team’s local context and other stakeholders. References: Team Backlog, User Stories, Story

 A quality of an Agile team is that it is cross-functional, meaning that it has all the skills and roles necessary to deliver value to the customer. A cross-functional team can work independently and collaboratively, without relying on external dependencies or handoffs. A cross-functional team can also adapt to changing requirements and feedback, and deliver work in small increments. References: Agile Teams - Scaled Agile Framework, Top 8 Characteristics of High-Performing Agile Team - Techtic Solutions, Agile Q&A: Team Qualities | Agile Alliance, Agile Team Roles and Responsibilities: A Brief Guide - Teamhood

 Story point size is a relative measure of the effort and complexity involved in implementing a user story. It is not based on the team size, the number of days it will take, or the priority of the story. Rather, it is based on the comparison of the story with other stories of similar or different sizes. Story points help teams estimate how much work they can complete in an iteration, based on their past performance and current capacity. Story points also help teams plan and track their progress at the program level, by aligning the features and capabilities with the stories that implement them. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, A Guide to Story Point Estimation - DEV Community, What should be taken into account when estimating Story poin - Madanswer

Lowering the work in process (WIP) limits improves the flow of value through the system by reducing the amount of work that is started but not finished, minimizing the waste of context switching and multitasking, and increasing the focus and collaboration of the teams. Lower WIP limits also help identify and eliminate bottlenecks, balance demand and capacity, and accelerate feedback and learning. According to the SAFe Principle #6, visualizing and limiting WIP is one of the key practices to achieve continuous flow and deliver value in the shortest sustainable lead time. References: Principle #6 - Visualize and Limit WIP, Reduce Batch Sizes, and Manage Queue Lengths - Scaled Agile Framework, Understanding SAFe Work In Progress Limits - Strongback Consulting

The concept of “shift-left” means moving testing and validation activities earlier in the work cycle to get faster or continuous feedback. This helps to identify and fix defects, errors, or issues as soon as possible, reducing the cost and risk of rework and delays. Shift-left testing also supports the agile principle of delivering working software frequently and the lean principle of building quality in. By shifting testing left, teams can ensure that the solutions they deliver meet the customer needs and expectations, as well as the quality standards and compliance requirements. References: Built-In Quality, Shift Left Testing: What, Why & How To Shift Left, What Executives Should Know About Shift-Left Security, What is Shift Left Security?

Respect for People is one of the four SAFe Core Values. It means that the enterprise fosters a culture of mutual influence, trust, empowerment, and collaboration among all the people involved in delivering value, including customers, employees, partners, and suppliers. Respect for People also implies that the enterprise values diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety, and that it treats people as the most important asset. Respect for People supports the following practices in SAFe1:

Turn mistakes into learning moments. Mistakes are inevitable in complex and uncertain environments, and they provide opportunities for learning and improvement. Instead of blaming or punishing people for making mistakes, the enterprise encourages them to share their learnings, experiment with new ideas, and apply the Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) cycle.

Create a trust-based environment. Trust is the foundation of effective collaboration and high performance. The enterprise builds trust by being transparent, honest, supportive, and accountable. It also empowers people to make decisions, take ownership, and self-organize around value delivery.

Visualize work. Visualization helps people see the flow of value, identify bottlenecks, dependencies, and waste, and collaborate on solutions. The enterprise uses various tools and techniques to visualize work, such as Kanban boards, Cumulative Flow Diagrams, Program Boards, and Value Stream Maps. References: 1: Respect for People and Culture - Scaled Agile Framework

A program board is a visual summary of the features or goals, when they need to be reached, and any cross-team dependencies impacting their delivery. The program board helps teams within the Agile Release Train (ART) to coordinate their work and communicate their plan to the entire organization. One of the main purposes of the program board is to help teams identify and manage dependencies between teams, which can affect the delivery of value and increase the risk of delays or failures. By visualizing and tracking dependencies on the program board, teams can avoid or resolve them during the Program Increment (PI) planning event or throughout the PI execution. References: SAFe Program Board 101: Everything You Need To Know, SAFe Program Board: Good Practices for SAFe PI Planning, Tips for using a SAFe program board

he Problem Solving Workshop is a structured approach to identifying the root cause and actions to address systemic problems. It is part of the Inspect and Adapt event that occurs at the end of each Program Increment. The six steps in the Problem Solving Workshop are:

Choose a problem to solve—agreement not required: The Release Train Engineer (RTE) facilitates a brainstorming session to generate a list of potential problems that affect the ART’s performance. The participants use dot voting to prioritize the problems and select the most important one to solve. Agreement is not required, as the majority vote determines the problem to focus on.

Perform root cause analysis: The RTE leads the team in applying the ‘Five Whys’ technique to drill down to the root cause of the problem. The team asks ‘why’ repeatedly until they reach a cause that is actionable and within their control.

Brainstorm solutions: The team generates a list of possible solutions to address the root cause. They use divergent thinking to come up with as many ideas as possible, without judging or evaluating them.

Decide on the best solution: The team uses convergent thinking to narrow down the list of solutions and select the best one. They can use criteria such as feasibility, impact, cost, and alignment with the SAFe Principles and Values to evaluate the solutions.

Define and visualize the improvement backlog items: The team defines the improvement backlog items that will implement the chosen solution. They write them in the format of ‘As a [role], I can [action], so that [outcome]’. They also visualize the items on a Kanban board or a similar tool to track their progress and status.

Assign owners and agree on the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals: The team assigns owners to each improvement backlog item and agrees on the SMART goals that will measure the success of the solution. They also define the acceptance criteria and the expected benefits of the improvement.

Uncommitted objectives are used to identify work that can be variable within the scope of a PI. The work is planned, but the outcome is not certain. Teams can use uncommitted objectives whenever there is low confidence in meeting the objective. They are not included in the team’s commitment or counted against teams in the ART predictability measure. They are extra things teams can do if they have time and capacity, but they will not be penalized if not achieved. References: PI Objectives, What is an uncommitted objective in SAFe?, SAFe 5.0, PI Objectives - Easy Agile

 Pair work is a practice where two knowledge workers collaborate over the same asset in real time, providing feedback and quality assurance to each other. It comes from pair programming, a technique defined by the Extreme Programming (XP) agile development framework, where two developers work together on the same code. Pair work can be applied to other domains and disciplines, such as testing, design, business analysis, and more. Pair work can improve the quality, speed, and creativity of the work, as well as enhance the learning and collaboration of the team members. References: Pair Work (Pair Programming) - businessagility.institute, Built-In Quality - Scaled Agile Framework

A Story is a short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective and in their language. A Story has three primary components: Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. The Card captures the essence of the Story using the format: “As a (who), I want (what), so that (why).” The Conversation is the ongoing dialogue between the team and the customer or product owner to elaborate and refine the Story details. The Confirmation is the set of acceptance criteria and tests that verify the Story is done and meets the customer’s expectations. A Story provides just enough information for both business and technical people to understand the intent, but not so much that it becomes a specification or a contract. Details are deferred until the Story is ready to be implemented, which allows for more flexibility and feedback. A Story is not a static artifact, but a dynamic one that evolves through collaboration and learning12. References: Story - Scaled Agile Framework, [What is User Story? -

n: Product Management is responsible for defining desirable, viable, feasible, and sustainable solutions that meet customer needs and supporting development across the product life cycle. They align the product strategy, vision, and roadmap to the portfolio’s strategic themes and lean budgets. They also create, maintain, and adjust the program backlog, which contains the features and enablers that the Agile Release Train (ART) will implement. They work with customers, teams, and product owners to understand and communicate their needs and participate in solution validation. They also collaborate with system architects and the release train engineer to guide the ART toward successful delivery12. References: Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework, Agile Release Train - Scaled Agile Framework

The Portfolio Kanban is a method to visualize, manage, and analyze the flow of portfolio epics from ideation to implementation1. It brings structure to analysis and decision making around epics by defining the states and Work in Process (WIP) limits for each state, as well as the entry and exit criteria1. The Portfolio Kanban also helps prioritize and sequence the epics based on the Lean business case and the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) technique1. The Portfolio Kanban enables the Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) to align the portfolio strategy and investment funding with the implementation capacity of the value streams2. References: Portfolio Kanban, Lean Portfolio Management

= According to SAFe, a Feature should be sized to fit into one Program Increment (PI), which is a timebox of 8 to 12 weeks, typically consisting of 4 to 6 iterations1. A Feature is a service provided by the system that fulfills some important stakeholder needs and delivers business value2. A Feature should be small enough to be completed by a single Agile Release Train (ART) within a PI, but large enough to provide significant and measurable value3. A Feature should also be testable, demonstrable, and deployable4. References: = 1: Program Increment - Scaled Agile Framework; 2: Features and Capabilities - Scaled Agile Framework; 3: Right-Sizing Features for SAFe Program Increments - Scaled Agile Framework; 4: Feature - Scaled Agile Framework

 Agile Product Delivery is one of the SAFe Core Competencies of Business Agility that includes the Customer Centricity and Design Thinking dimension. Agile Product Delivery is a customer-centric approach to defining, building, and releasing a continuous flow of valuable products and services to customers and users. It requires a close collaboration between the business and IT, and a focus on delivering solutions that meet the current and future needs of the customers and users. Customer Centricity and Design Thinking are key aspects of Agile Product Delivery that help enterprises understand their customers and users better, empathize with their problems and goals, and co-create solutions that delight them. Customer Centricity and Design Thinking also enable enterprises to validate their assumptions and hypotheses, and pivot when necessary to achieve the desired outcomes. References: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, Agile Product Delivery, Customer Centricity, Design Thinking

 The Product Owner (PO) is the Agile team member primarily responsible for maximizing the value delivered by the team by ensuring that the team backlog is aligned with customer and stakeholder needs1. As a member of the extended Product Management function, the PO is the team’s primary customer advocate and primary link to business and technology strategy1. The PO is also responsible for maintaining and prioritizing the Program Backlog, which is the single source of truth for the upcoming features of the system2. The PO works with the Product Manager, who owns the Vision and the Roadmap, to define and sequence the features in the Program Backlog2. The PO also collaborates with other POs in the Agile Release Train (ART) to manage dependencies and ensure alignment across teams1. References: Product Owner - Scaled Agile Framework, Program Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

cumulative flow diagram (CFD) is a visual tool that shows the amount of work in each stage of a process over time. It helps teams identify bottlenecks, work in progress (WIP), and the overall progress of a project or program increment (PI). By looking at the width of the bands in a CFD, teams can easily see how much work is in each workflow state at any given time. This allows them to monitor and optimize their flow of value delivery. References: Cumulative Flow Diagram SAFe: Complete Guide, Measure and Grow - Scaled Agile Framework

Enabling teams are one of the four team topologies defined by Skelton and Pais in their book Team Topologies. They are organized to assist other teams with specialized capabilities and help them become more proficient in new technologies. They provide guidance, coaching, and mentoring to stream-aligned teams, platform teams, or complicated subsystem teams, and help them adopt new practices, tools, or frameworks. They also collaborate with them to deliver specific features or components that require their expertise. Enabling teams are temporary and dissolve once their mission is accomplished or no longer needed. References: Organizing Agile Teams and ARTs: Team Topologies at Scale, Team Topologies at Scale: A Worked Example, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe Practitioner

According to the SAFe framework, an Agile Team is a cross-functional group of typically ten or fewer individuals with all the skills necessary to define, build, test, and deliver value to their customer. Agile Teams are self-organizing and self-managing and are accountable for delivering results that meet the needs and expectations of their customers and stakeholders. Agile Teams collaborate with other teams to deliver ART solutions. They contribute to the Vision and Roadmap, and participate in ART events. Agile Teams are not stand-alone units, nor are they large or phase-gated. They are agile, lean, and customer-centric1. References: Agile Teams - Scaled Agile Framework

n: = Separating release elements from the Solution means identifying specific release elements, such as Features or components, that can be released independently of the entire Solution. This technique provides several benefits, such as1:

It enables faster delivery of value to customers by releasing the most important or urgent elements first

It reduces the risk of releasing complex or interdependent elements that may cause errors or failures

It allows for more flexibility and responsiveness to changing customer needs and market conditions

It supports continuous integration and deployment by allowing smaller and more frequent releases

The Continuous Delivery Pipeline enables ongoing learning by providing fast and frequent feedback loops throughout the value delivery process. The pipeline consists of four aspects: Continuous Exploration, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Release on Demand, each of which supports the validation of assumptions, hypotheses, and outcomes. By applying the Lean Startup cycle of Build-Measure-Learn, the pipeline allows the organization to test and learn from the market, the customers, and the users, and to adapt and improve the solutions accordingly. The pipeline also fosters a culture of innovation and experimentation, where teams can explore new ideas and opportunities, and learn from failures and mistakes. References: Continuous Delivery Pipeline - Scaled Agile Framework, Build-Measure-Learn - Scaled Agile Framework

 The Inspect and Adapt event is a significant event held at the end of each Program Increment (PI), where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated by the train. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured, problem-solving workshop. The Inspect and Adapt event consists of three parts: PI System Demo, Quantitative and qualitative measurement, and Retrospective and problem-solving workshop. The last part is where the practices of reflection, problem solving, and identifying improvement actions are demonstrated. The teams use a root cause analysis technique, such as the Five Whys, to identify the most critical impediments that impact their performance and quality. They then brainstorm and prioritize improvement actions that address the root causes and create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals for implementing them in the next PI. The improvement actions are added to the Program Backlog and reviewed in the next PI Planning event. References: = Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework, Scaled Agile Framework: Understand SAFe and Its 4 Core Values

 Continuous Exploration (CE) is one of the four aspects of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP), along with Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), and Release on Demand1. CE focuses on creating alignment on what needs to be built by applying design thinking and Lean startup principles2. CE involves generating and validating hypotheses, defining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and developing a vision, roadmap, and features for the solution2. CE enables the enterprise to understand the market problem or customer need and the solution required to meet that need2. References: Continuous Delivery Pipeline, Continuous Exploration

Building incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles is one of the ten SAFe Lean-Agile Principles. It means that the enterprise delivers value in small batches of work, frequently and reliably, to provide fast feedback and foster innovation. By building incrementally, the enterprise can reduce risk, complexity, and uncertainty, and validate assumptions before committing to large investments. By integrating frequently, the enterprise can ensure quality, collaboration, and alignment across the value stream. By creating learning cycles, the enterprise can test hypotheses, measure outcomes, and pivot as needed to achieve the desired results1. References: 1: Build Incrementally with Fast, Integrated Learning Cycles - Scaled Agile Framework

Design Thinking is a methodology that helps teams solve complex problems and create innovative solutions that meet the needs and desires of the users. One of the benefits of Design Thinking is that it produces solutions that are actionable, meaning that they can be implemented and tested in the real world. Actionable solutions are based on a deep understanding of the problem, a wide range of possible ideas, and iterative prototyping and testing. Actionable solutions are also aligned with the vision, values, and goals of the organization and the stakeholders. References: What is Design Thinking?, Design thinking, explained, What is design thinking?

 This statement is the second principle of SAFe, which states: "Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles"1. It involves delivering a continuous flow of value to customers in the shortest sustainable lead time by reducing the batch sizes of work, limiting work in process (WIP), implementing continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines, and applying DevOps and Release on Demand2. This principle helps improve quality, reduce risk, increase customer satisfaction, and accelerate feedback and learning2. References: SAFe Lean-Agile Principles, Accelerating Flow with SAFe

 The ART Planning Board, also known as the Program Board, is a visualization of the PI’s feature delivery dates, feature dependencies among teams, and relevant milestones. The primary purpose of the ART Planning Board is to show dependencies between teams relating to the Feature development, so that they can be identified, managed, and resolved during PI Planning and execution. The ART Planning Board also helps align teams and stakeholders to a shared mission and vision, and provides transparency and visibility into the ART’s progress and risks. References: ART Planning Board, PI Planning, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe Practitioner

 According to Kotter’s 8-step process for leading change, the first step is to create a sense of urgency among both managers and employees. This means making them aware of the existing problems or opportunities that require change, and motivating them to act with passion and purpose. Creating a sense of urgency helps to overcome complacency, resistance, and fear of change, and builds momentum for the change initiative. References: Kotter’s 8-step process for leading change, The Easy Guide to Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model, John Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model, Kotter’s 8 step Model of Change, How to Successfully Implement Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model

One of the results from Iteration Planning for SAFe Scrum Teams is the Iteration goals, which are short, specific, and measurable statements that describe what the Agile team intends to accomplish in an Iteration. The Iteration goals are derived from the team backlog, the PI objectives, and the team vision. The Iteration goals help to align the team to a common vision of work in the Iteration, and provide clarity, focus, and motivation. The Iteration goals also enable the team to communicate their progress and dependencies to other teams and stakeholders, and to demonstrate value delivery in the system demo. References: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, Iteration Goals

Strategic Themes are portfolio-level business objectives that provide competitive differentiation and strategic advantage. They influence portfolio strategy and provide business context for portfolio decision-making1. Lean budget Guardrails are the spending policies and guidelines that enable decentralized decision-making and empowerment for value streams2. Strategic Themes affect the allocation of funds and resources to value streams, as well as the guidance for investments in existing and new solutions1. Therefore, Strategic Themes influence Lean budget Guardrails directly. References: Strategic Themes, Lean Budgets, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe Practitioner

The Product Owner (PO) is the Agile team member primarily responsible for maximizing the value delivered by the team by ensuring that the team backlog is aligned with customer and stakeholder needs1. The PO has content authority to make decisions at the User Story level during PI Planning, as they are the team’s primary customer advocate and primary link to business and technology strategy1. The PO also works with Product Management and other stakeholders to define the features and enablers that are part of the Program Backlog2. During PI Planning, the PO presents the team backlog, reviews and revises the draft plan, and defines and communicates the team PI objectives2. References: Product Owner, PI Planning

= The Inspect and Adapt event is a significant event held at the end of each PI, where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured problem-solving workshop1. The Inspect and Adapt event always starts with the PI System Demo, which is the first part of the event. The PI System Demo shows all the Features the ART has developed during the PI, and provides an opportunity for feedback from stakeholders and customers2. The PI System Demo is followed by quantitative and qualitative measurement, where the ART reviews the progress and performance of the PI, and evaluates the business value achieved3. The last part of the Inspect and Adapt event is the Retrospective and Problem Solving Workshop, where the ART identifies the root causes of the most critical issues and creates improvement backlog items4. References: = 1: Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework1; 2: Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework1; 3: Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework1; 4: Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework1

In SAFe 6.0, during PI Planning, program risks are identified, categorized, and addressed in a process called the ROAM technique. ROAM stands for Resolved, Owned, Accepted, and Mitigated.

Resolved means the risk has been addressed and is no longer a concern.

Owned means someone takes responsibility for managing the risk.

Accepted means the risk is acknowledged and will be monitored.

Mitigated means steps are taken to reduce the impact or likelihood of the risk.

Thus, the correct category that addresses potential risks is Resolved (option A).

 = WIP limits are necessary in the ART Kanban to ensure large queues are not forming, which would slow down the flow of value and increase the lead time. WIP limits are a way of applying the Lean principle of reducing waste and optimizing the system for the whole. By limiting the amount of work that can be in progress at any stage of the Kanban system, the ART can balance the demand and capacity, avoid overloading the system, and focus on completing the work rather than starting new work. WIP limits also help to expose bottlenecks, dependencies, and impediments that need to be resolved to improve the flow efficiency and quality of the work. References: = ART Flow - Scaled Agile Framework, ART and Solution Train Backlogs - Scaled Agile Framework, Kanban And The Importance Of Work In Progress (WIP) Limits

 According to the SAFe Implementation Roadmap, culture change is the last step in the transformation process. It states that “culture change comes last, not first. You can’t change a culture until you have changed the underlying behavior and the results that the behavior produces” 1. Therefore, the best way to change the culture is to adopt new approaches that deliver better outcomes and then anchor them in the culture by reinforcing the benefits and values they bring. This is consistent with Kotter’s model of leading change, which also suggests that anchoring new approaches in the culture is the final stage of a successful change effort 23. References: Enhance the Portfolio, Leading Change (Step 8) – Anchor Change in the Culture, Anchor Change in Your Organization’s Culture

Refactoring is the process of improving the design and structure of existing code without changing its external behavior. It is a quality practice for software development because it helps to reduce technical debt, improve maintainability, readability, and testability, and enable faster delivery of value. Refactoring is one of the core engineering practices in SAFe, along with Test-First, Continuous Integration, and Pair Work. References: SAFe for Teams - Know Your Role on an Agile Team, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, SAFe for Teams | SAFe Practitioner (SP) Certification, Built-in Quality

The role of the Scrum Master in SAFe is to act as a servant leader who helps teams self-organize, self-manage, and deliver using effective Agile practices. The Scrum Master educates the team on various frameworks and methods, including Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and SAFe, ensuring that the agreed-upon Agile process is followed. The Scrum Master also helps remove impediments, facilitates team and program events, coaches the team and stakeholders on how to apply the SAFe principles and values, and fosters an environment of continuous improvement and high performance. References: Scrum Master - Scaled Agile Framework, SAFe Scrum Master Roles and Responsibilities - KnowledgeHut

 Business Owners assign business value to team PI Objectives to provide a common language for communicating with business and technology stakeholders, create the near-term focus and vision, enable the ART to assess its performance and the business value achieved, communicate and highlight each team’s contribution to business value, expose dependencies that require coordination, and provide an input to execution considerations. By assigning business value, Business Owners empower teams to make decisions around work that aligns with the business goals and priorities. References: PI Objectives, Business Owners, Your Guide to Writing Great Iteration and PI Objectives, PI Objectives - Easy Agile, Why do business owners assign business value to PI objectives?

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Quality is the first and foremost function of the second core value of SAFe, which is Built-in Quality1. Built-in Quality is a set of practices to help ensure that the outputs of Agile teams in business and technology domains meet appropriate quality standards throughout the process of creating customer value2. Built-in Quality requires a culture of shared responsibility, where everyone on the team is accountable for the quality of the work products and the system as a whole2. This culture fosters collaboration, feedback, and continuous improvement, and enables faster delivery and better outcomes2. References: Built-In Quality - Scaled Agile Framework, Quality is the first and foremost a function of what in a Lean-Agile …, Quality is first and foremost a function of what in a lean-agile …

The ART planning board, also known as the program board, is a visualization of the PI’s feature delivery dates, feature dependencies among teams, and relevant milestones. It helps the ART align on a common mission and vision, identify and resolve dependencies, and track progress and risks throughout the PI. The ART planning board does not show risks, capacity and load, or epics, although these may be discussed or tracked elsewhere during PI planning or execution. References: ART Planning Board, PI Planning, SAFe Program Board 101

Customer Centricity is a mindset that focuses on creating positive experiences for the customer through the full set of products and services that the enterprise offers. Customer-centric organizations deliver whole-product solutions designed with a deep understanding of customer needs. This results in greater profits, increased employee engagement, and more satisfied customers in the private sector. Nonprofits and the public sector (governments) can achieve the resiliency, sustainability, and alignment needed to fulfill their mission1. The purpose of Customer Centricity is to understand the customer’s needs and deliver solutions that meet or exceed them. References: 1: Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework

A dual operating system is a model of business agility that combines the entrepreneurial network and the hierarchical system. The network is optimized for speed and innovation, while the hierarchy is optimized for efficiency and stability. The dual operating system allows the organization to balance the competing demands of exploration and exploitation, and to respond effectively to fast-changing environments. SAFe implements the network as a set of development value streams and provides the necessary interfaces to the hierarchy to restore the system’s balance. References: Principle #10 – Organize around value - Scaled Agile Framework, Business Agility Flashcards | Quizlet, Balancing the Dual Operating System - Scaled Agile Framework

The modified Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that starts with 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100, and so on. It is used when estimating the relative size and complexity of backlog items, such as stories and features, using story points or normalized estimation. The modified Fibonacci sequence reflects the uncertainty in estimating larger items, as the gap between the numbers increases as the numbers get bigger. This means that the larger the item, the less precise the estimate, and the more likely it is to be split into smaller items. The modified Fibonacci sequence also helps to avoid the false sense of accuracy that comes from using linear scales, such as hours or days, which may not account for the variability and unpredictability of the work. References: Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner, Story, Feature, Estimating

A guardrail in Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) is a policy or practice that helps ensure that the portfolio is aligned and funded to create and maintain the solutions needed to meet business targets. One of the guardrails in LPM is the allocation of centralized vs decentralized decisions in the enterprise. This guardrail defines the boundaries and guidelines for decision making at different levels of the organization, such as strategic, tactical, and operational. Centralized decisions are those that require alignment and agreement across multiple value streams or portfolios, such as vision, strategy, budget allocation, and governance. Decentralized decisions are those that can be made by the value streams or teams closest to the customer and the work, such as backlog prioritization, solution design, and delivery. The goal of this guardrail is to empower the teams and value streams to make fast and effective decisions, while ensuring alignment and coherence at the portfolio and enterprise levels12. References: Lean Budget Guardrails - Scaled Agile Framework, Decentralize Decision Making - Scaled Agile Framework

Roadmaps are a visual tool that assists in the development and communication of planned deliverables, milestones, and investments over time and help distinguish different types of work1. Roadmaps are the glue that links strategy to execution and offer the ability to develop, evolve and adjust planned activities1. Roadmaps communicate intent, not commitment, as they are subject to change based on feedback, learning, and market conditions1. Roadmaps are not fixed at PI boundaries, but rather are updated frequently to reflect the current state of the solution and the environment1. Roadmaps provide multiple planning horizons, such as near-term, mid-term, and long-term, to show how the solution will evolve over time1. References: 1: Roadmap

 The Agile Release Train (ART) is a long-lived team of Agile teams that incrementally develops, delivers, and often operates one or more solutions in a value stream1. The ART aligns teams to a common mission using a single Vision and a Program Backlog. The Vision is a description of the future state of the solution under development. It reflects customer and stakeholder needs, as well as the features and capabilities planned for the solution2. The Program Backlog is the single source of truth for the upcoming features of the system. It contains the enablers necessary to build the Architectural Runway, as well as the user and business features that deliver customer value3. The Vision and the Program Backlog provide the context and the content for the ART to plan, commit, develop, and deploy together. References: Agile Release Train - Scaled Agile Framework, Vision - Scaled Agile Framework, Program Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

n: A backlog refinement session is a periodic activity teams use to define, discuss, estimate, and establish acceptance criteria for upcoming backlog items1. One key benefit of a backlog refinement session is that it provides time to identify dependencies and issues that could impact the next iteration. By doing so, teams can reduce uncertainty, avoid surprises, and plan more effectively. Backlog refinement also helps surface problems with the current plan, which may require discussion at the team, PO, or coach syncs2. Additionally, backlog refinement helps teams align their backlog with the ART backlog, the PI objectives, and the customer needs2. References: Backlog Refinement - Scaled Agile Framework, Team Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the Lean-Agile Leadership competency of SAFe, management must commit to quality and take responsibility to change the system for a successful Agile transformation. This means that leaders must lead by example, learn and model the Lean-Agile mindset, values, principles, and practices, and lead the change to a new way of working. They must also empower and engage individuals and teams to reach their highest potential, and create a culture of relentless improvement and innovation1. Management cannot delegate or outsource the responsibility of leading the Agile transformation, as they are the ones who have the authority and influence to change and improve the systems that govern how work is performed2. References: 1: Lean-Agile Leadership - Scaled Agile Framework2: What Must Management Do for a Successful Agile Transformation?

 A user story is a short description of a small piece of desired functionality written from the user’s perspective and in their language. A user story has three primary components, each of which begin with the letter ‘C’: Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. The card is a written or digital note that captures the essence of the user story using the format: “As a (who), I want (what), so that (why).” The conversation is the ongoing dialogue between the team and the customer or product owner to elaborate and refine the user story details. The confirmation is the set of acceptance criteria and tests that verify the user story is done and meets the customer’s expectations12. References: What is User Story? - Visual Paradigm, The Anatomy of a User Story | Scrum Alliance | Includes Template

According to the book Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais, the four types of team topologies are stream-aligned, platform, enabling, and complicated subsystem. These team types are designed to optimize the flow of work and information in an organization, and to align with the principles of DevOps and agile. A stream-aligned team is focused on a single stream of work, such as a product, a feature, a user journey, or a user persona. A platform team provides the infrastructure and services that enable other teams to deliver value to customers. An enabling team helps other teams overcome obstacles and learn new skills and technologies. A complicated-subsystem team handles tasks that require specialized knowledge and expertise, such as mathematics, algorithms, or cryptography. References: Team Topologies: The 4 Team Types Explained | Shortform Books, Team Topologies | Atlassian, Key Concepts — Team Topologies, The Four Team Types from Team Topologies - IT Revolution, What are the core team types in Team Topologies?

= A cumulative flow diagram (CFD) is a tool used to visualize the flow of work in a process over time. It shows the quantity of work in different stages or states, such as backlog, in progress, done, etc. A CFD helps to monitor the work in process (WIP) across the whole team, as well as the arrival and departure rates of work items. A CFD can also reveal bottlenecks, queues, variability, and cycle time in the process. References: = Cumulative Flow Diagram - Scaled Agile Framework, Cumulative flow diagram - Wikipedia, Cumulative Flow Diagram - What Information Does It Provide - Kanban Zone

one way Lean-Agile leaders lead by example is by modeling SAFe’s Lean-Agile Mindset, values, principles, and practices. This means that they learn and embody the core beliefs and behaviors that enable business agility, such as respect for people and culture, flow, innovation, relentless improvement, and leadership. They also apply the SAFe principles and practices to their own work, such as organizing around value, building incrementally, applying systems thinking, and assuming variability. By doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to the transformation and inspire others to follow their lead12. References: 1: Lean-Agile Leadership - Scaled Agile Framework2: What Is One Way Lean Agile Leaders Lead By Example? - GoRetro

Personas are fictional characters that represent the different user types within a targeted demographic, attitude, and/or behavior set that might use a product or service1. They are one of the practices used to understand the problem space during the discover phase of Design Thinking, as they help design thinkers empathize with the users and their needs, goals, and pain points2. Personas also help define the problem statement in a human-centered manner and guide the ideation and prototyping phases2. References: Personas, Design Thinking

 = Making quality everyone’s responsibility is critical to successfully implementing quality in a Lean-Agile environment. This means that all the people involved in creating and delivering value to the customer, from business functions to software applications, share the same quality standards and practices. Quality is not something that can be delegated or outsourced to a separate team or department. It is embedded in the culture, mindset, and behavior of every individual and team. Making quality everyone’s responsibility enables faster feedback, continuous improvement, and higher customer satisfaction12. References: = 1: Built-In Quality - Scaled Agile Framework2; 2: How to Implement Quality in a Lean-Agile Environment Successfully1

= The four core values of SAFe are alignment, built-in quality, transparency, and program execution. They represent the fundamental beliefs that are key to SAFe’s effectiveness and guide the behaviors and actions of everyone participating in a SAFe portfolio. Alignment ensures that everyone is working toward a common direction and strategy. Built-in quality ensures that every element of the solution meets the appropriate quality standards. Transparency fosters trust and collaboration among all stakeholders and enables fast and effective decision making. Program execution ensures that the value is delivered to the customers in the shortest sustainable lead time. References: = Core Values - Scaled Agile Framework, Scaled Agile Framework: Understand SAFe and Its 4 Core Values

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This statement is one of the characteristics of a high-performing Agile Team according to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)1. It means that the team members are encouraged to experiment, learn, and innovate, without being afraid of making mistakes or being judged by others. The team members view failures as opportunities for improvement and celebrate the learnings from them. Team C is demonstrating this characteristic by creating a new workflow to speed up the testing process, even though it did not work out as expected. The rest of the team was excited to hear what was learned from the failed experiment, rather than blaming or criticizing the three members who worked on it. References: Agile Teams

The principle that includes “working software is the primary measure of progress” is one of the twelve principles behind the Agile Manifesto. The Agile Manifesto is a declaration of four values and twelve principles that guide the Agile software development movement. The value that corresponds to this principle is “working software over comprehensive documentation”. The principle states that the ultimate goal of any software development project is to deliver working software that satisfies the customer’s needs and expectations, and that any other intermediate or auxiliary artifacts, such as plans, documents, models, or reports, are secondary and should not distract from the main objective. The principle also implies that working software should be delivered frequently and continuously, and that the progress of the project should be measured by the amount and quality of the software delivered, not by the adherence to a predefined plan or schedule. References: Principles behind the Agile Manifesto, Agile Manifesto - Scaled Agile Framework