Artifact Transparency

5 minutes 5 Questions

Scrum relies on transparency. Decisions to optimize value and control risk are made based on the perceived state of the artifacts. To the extent that transparency is complete, these decisions will be better, benefiting the project as a whole. Transparency of artifacts means that the artifacts – inc…

Guide: Artifact Transparency in Scrum

Artifact Transparency pertains to Scrum’s requirement that key aspects of the process and work-output are visible to both the Team and Stakeholders. Transparent artifacts provide a clear, shared understanding of the progress, work-flow and the expected results.

Why it is Important:
Artifact Transparency is important as it ensures clear communication and mitigates risks. It aids in tracking progress, improves team collaboration and helps stakeholders make informed decisions.

What it is:
Artifact Transparency in Scrum refers to the visible aspects of the artifacts. This visibility is facilitated by clearly defined artifacts such as the product backlog, the sprint backlog, and the increment.

How it works:
Scrum teams work in a transparent manner by regularly reviewing and updating their artifacts. This allows everyone involved in the project to have an understanding of the product, its plan, and progress.

How to Answer Questions Regarding It in an Exam:
When answering questions on artifact transparency in an exam, understand first the principles of transparency within the Scrum framework. You should demonstrate how transparency is a key principle in Scrum and use relevant examples where artifact transparency has enabled informed decision making and improved project outcomes.

Exam Tips:
- Understand the role that artifact transparency plays within the Scrum framework- Remember the connection between artifact transparency and the major roles within Scrum – the development team, product owner, and Scrum master- Use appropriate and relevant examples to showcase the benefits of artifact transparency- Be able to distinguish between different Scrum artifacts and their role in maintaining transparency.

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PSM I - Artifact Transparency Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Artifact Transparency

Question 1

The Scrum Team is regularly failing to manage their Sprint Backlog, leading to a lack of Artifact Transparency. As their Scrum Master, what should you encourage to address this issue?

Take over the responsibility of managing the Sprint Backlog. Ensure that the team understands the purpose and value of the Sprint Backlog. Facilitate sessions to manage and update the Sprint Backlog as a living document. Ignore the backlog and concentrate on the Sprint Goal. Let the team learn the hard way by failing a couple of Sprints.

Correct Answer: Ensure that the team understands the purpose and value of the Sprint Backlog. Facilitate sessions to manage and update the Sprint Backlog as a living document.

The best approach for the described scenario as the Scrum Master would be to ensure that the team understands the purpose and value of the Sprint Backlog. Practically, this means facilitating sessions to manage and update the Sprint Backlog as a living document. This is because the Sprint Backlog is an essential tool for facilitating transparency and inspection in the Scrum framework. The other answers won't lead to the necessary learning and improvements. Taking over the responsibility of managing the Sprint Backlog would undermine the concept of the self-organising team, which is a key principle in Scrum. Allowing the team to 'learn the hard way' by failing a series of Sprints is not constructive. Ignoring the backlog and concentrating solely on the Sprint Goal could result in the team losing sight of their work breakdown and dependencies, thus harming the progress towards the Sprint Goal rather than facilitating it.

Question 2

During a Daily Scrum, a team member brings up the issue that there is lack of transparency with Product Backlog items. As a Scrum Master, how should you handle this issue?

Instruct the team member to document their concerns and submit them to the Product Owner for review at a later date. Arrange for a formal audit of the Product Backlog by an external body to assess and recommend improvements on transparency and clarity. This process, though more time-consuming, ensures an unbiased review and highlights areas of improvement directly to the Product Owner and the Scrum Team for immediate action. Organize a refinement session to improve the understanding of the Product Backlog items among the team, enhancing transparency and alignment. Advise the team to focus on the work planned for the current Sprint and to revisit Product Backlog transparency issues during the Sprint Retrospective.

Correct Answer: Organize a refinement session to improve the understanding of the Product Backlog items among the team, enhancing transparency and alignment.

The correct answer focuses on immediate action to improve understanding and collaboration between the development team and the Product Owner, aligning with Scrum principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Option 1 delays action and potentially allows misunderstandings to fester. Option 2 ignores the problem in the current context, potentially leading to misalignment and wasted effort. Option 3, though detailed and potentially effective in some situations, introduces unnecessary bureaucracy and delay, which is contrary to Agile and Scrum principles aimed at quick responses to changes and issues.

Question 3

The Scrum Team is failing to keep their Sprint Backlog up-to-date, causing a lack of Artifact Transparency. As the Scrum Master, how should this be addressed?

Institute daily checks by the Scrum Master to ensure the Sprint Backlog is being updated, providing reports on compliance to the team. Assign a rotating 'Sprint Backlog Keeper' role among the Development Team members to maintain the Sprint Backlog. Encourage the team to take shared responsibility for the Sprint Backlog's upkeep, highlighting the impact on transparency and self-management. Implement a more sophisticated project management tool that automates updates to the Sprint Backlog based on task status.

Correct Answer: Encourage the team to take shared responsibility for the Sprint Backlog's upkeep, highlighting the impact on transparency and self-management.

As a Scrum Master, facilitating a culture of transparency and self-organization within the Scrum Team is key. Encouraging the team to take shared responsibility for maintaining the Sprint Backlog ensures that the artifact transparency is upheld, fostering a better understanding and visibility of work among team members. Instituting daily checks, assigning rotating roles, or relying on automated tools may seem proactive but could undermine the principles of self-organization and empowerment of the Scrum Team. These approaches might also shift the focus from collaboration and ownership to process adherence or reliance on tools, potentially impacting the team's engagement and the flexibility inherent in Scrum.

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