Scrum Metrics and Reporting

Correct Answer: The team might be overestimating capacity during Sprint Planning.

The Burndown chart is a visual representation that displays outstanding work or backlog in a Sprint. When consistently showing that the team complete less work than estimated, the most likely reason is that the team might be overestimating their capacity during Sprint Planning. This may lead to more tasks to be planned than they can realistically complete within the Sprint period. Here is why other answers are wrong - 'The team is underperforming and needs to work harder' does not necessarily address the core issue of work estimation being off. Despite a team's performance levels, misestimation of amount of work can still lead to discrepancy on Burndown Charts. 'The Burndown Charts are incorrect' without providing any specific problem in the chart itself is not a valid reason because Burndown Charts are generally a reflection of the work completed versus the work planned. 'The team is doing too much work outside of the Sprint' can lead to a slower Burndown rate, but it refers to unplanned work, not to the over-estimation of planned work.

Correct Answer: Clarify that velocity is a capacity planning tool and the team's ability to meet their goals should be a stronger indication of successful progress.

The best response is to make clear to the stakeholders that velocity is used as a tool for capacity planning and this should not be the main factor for determining the progress of the team. The fact that the team consistently meets its Sprint Goals shows that they are making considerable progress, despite the fluctuating velocity. The other answers are incorrect because: Ignoring the stakeholders' concerns will not solve the problem and can create a communication gap. Promising a higher velocity in future sprints can lead to unfulfilled promises if unforeseen challenges arise. Blaming the team isn't productive and doesn't build a conducive environment for agile collaboration.

Correct Answer: Escaped Defect Trend

The Escaped Defect Trend would be the most useful metric to investigate the issue of increasing velocity but not always meeting the Definition of Done. This metric tracks the number of defects that are found after a Sprint or release, indicating that the Definition of Done is not being met consistently. A high or increasing number of escaped defects suggests that the team may be prioritizing velocity over quality. The Sprint Burndown Chart showing consistent story point completion and the Velocity Chart depicting an upward trajectory over multiple Sprints are indicators of increasing velocity, but they do not provide insight into whether the Definition of Done is being met. The Cumulative Flow Diagram indicating a steady flow of work is useful for tracking the overall progress of work items, but it does not specifically address the issue of meeting the Definition of Done or the quality of the delivered work.