Blocked Time

Correct Answer: Raise the issue in the next Daily Scrum and involve the Product Owner to expedite the approval.

The best course of action when facing a blockage from a stakeholder during a sprint is to 'Raise the issue in the next Daily Scrum and involve the Product Owner to expedite the approval.' The Daily Scrum is a key meeting that allows the team to communicate and deal with concerns or blockers. The Product Owner, who is part of the Scrum Team, is best positioned to negotiate with stakeholders as they are responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. This procedure ensures transparency and keeps all parties involved up-to-date with the situation. The second answer, 'Proceed without the approval,' is wrong because it ignores the importance of the stakeholder's approval which could lead to serious issues later, especially if the approval is critical to the project. The third answer, 'Wait indefinitely for the approval without considering other alternatives,' is also incorrect. Agile prioritizes responding to change over following a plan and thus waiting indefinitely without progressing with other tasks or finding alternatives is not conducive to Agile principles. Finally, the fourth answer, 'Put the blame on the stakeholder for the delay,' is not the right approach. Blame will not aid in resolving the situation or advancing the project, and it contradicts the Scrum value of respect.

Correct Answer: Prioritize repairing the computer or getting a substitute computer, while assigning tasks, including retrieving data from the crashed computer if possible, and ensure that tasks can continue by sharing tasks across the team.

This situation elaborates a common issue in software development, where a team member's local changes are lost due to hardware failure. As a Scrum Master, the best course of action is to ensure the continuity of the team's workflow. The first answer entails a thoughtful and efficient plan to ensure a continuation of the work. It suggests prioritizing repairing the computer or getting a substitute while sharing tasks amongst the team to avoid work stoppage. This approach includes an attempt to recover data from the crashed computer if possible, minimizing the loss. The other answers create either inefficient or stressful situations. Waiting for the crashed computer to get fixed without distributing the work (second answer) can lead to unwanted project delays. The third suggestion puts an extra burden on the developer to work over-time, which may lead to additional stress and fatigue. The fourth option, buying a new computer immediately, might not be economically viable and dismisses the possibility of a quick and cheaper repair or retrieval of the lost data.

Correct Answer: Raise the issue in the Daily Scrum and engage with the Product Owner to find an alternative solution or workaround.

As a Scrum Master, the focus is primarily on facilitating the team's progress and resolving impeding issues. The best course of action for such a scenario where a 3rd party vendor delay has blocked the team's progress significantly would be to raise it during the Daily Scrum meeting and find a solution collaboratively. This is because the Daily Scrum provides a platform for discussion about daily progress and creatively resolving such impediments. The Scrum Master should also engage the Product Owner promptly to seek alternative solutions or workarounds until the issue with the 3rd party vendor is resolved. This ensures the team focuses on its goals and achieves its objectives despite the external interruption. The other options mentioned are either non-collaborative, short-sighted, or are not proactive solutions to resolving the impediment, thus, they are not appropriate for a Scrum Master to consider.