Answering: “At the seventh Sprint Review, the stakeholders seem disappointed and angry. When asked about it, they say the product being built will not meet their needs and will cost more than they anticipated spending. What factors may have led to this?”

The most likely causes are a Product Owner who has not kept stakeholders engaged, stakeholders who have not used the Sprint Reviews to inspect the product, and a Scrum Master who has not ensured transparency. Change control, PMO involvement and access to the Daily Scrum are not the issue.

Exam Question

At the seventh Sprint Review, the stakeholders seem disappointed and angry. When asked about it, they say the product being built will not meet their needs and will cost more than they anticipated spending. What factors may have led to this? (choose the best three answers)

• A. The Product Owner has not been interacting frequently with the stakeholders and kept them aware of the progress of the project.
• B. The stakeholders haven’t been using the Sprint Reviews to actively engage, and inspect and evaluate progress.
• C. Changes to the project plan were not adequately documented and shared. The change request procedure was not diligently followed.
• D. The stakeholders were not allowed to enter the development area, or be present at the Daily Scrum.
• E. The Scrum Master has not ensured transparency.
• F. The Project Management Office (PMO) and its project managers have not been engaged adequately causing the project plan to become inaccurate.

Correct Answer

A, B and E.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Seven Sprints means seven Sprint Reviews where stakeholders could have seen the Increment and raised concerns about value and cost. The Scrum Guide says the purpose of the Sprint Review “is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations.” If stakeholders were disengaged and the Product Owner was not collaborating with them between events, the gap between expectations and reality grew unnoticed. The Scrum Master is accountable for the team’s effectiveness, which includes helping make progress transparent and facilitating stakeholder collaboration. A shock at Sprint seven points to a transparency failure on all three fronts.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

C. Changes to the project plan were not documented and the change procedure was not followed. Scrum replaces heavy change control with frequent inspection of working product. More paperwork would not have revealed the mismatch.

D. Stakeholders were kept out of the development area and the Daily Scrum. The Daily Scrum is for the Developers. Stakeholders inspect progress at the Sprint Review, not at the Daily Scrum.

F. The PMO and project managers were not engaged enough. Scrum does not rely on a PMO for alignment. Transparency comes from the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspecting the Increment together.

Exam Tip

When stakeholders are surprised late, look for failures of transparency and of Sprint Review engagement. Answers about documentation or project managers are usually distractors.

Key Takeaways

• Surprises late in development signal poor transparency.
• The Sprint Review is where stakeholders should inspect value and cost.
• Product Owners need to collaborate with stakeholders continuously.