PSPO PSPO-I Passing Score

The best approach for Scrum Teams to produce valuable Increments is to be accountable for developing functionality from beginning to end, as this enables them to deliver potentially releasable products that meet the definition of “Done”. The Scrum Guide states that "The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint."1 This means that the Developers are not limited by the boundaries of components, layers, or technologies, but rather they collaborate and coordinate to deliver a complete and integrated product that satisfies the Sprint Goal and the Product Owner’s expectations.

References:

• 1: The Scrum Guide2, page 7
• 2: The Scrum Guide

• One of the possible indicators that a Product Owner needs to work more with the Scrum Team is when the Increment presented at the Sprint Review does not reflect what she thought she had asked for. This means that there is a gap or a misunderstanding between the Product Owner and the Developers regarding the Product Backlog items, the acceptance criteria, the Definition of Done, or the product vision and goals.
• The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and refining the Product Backlog, collaborating with the stakeholders and the Developers, and ordering the items in a way that best achieves goals and missions. The Product Owner represents the interests of everyone with a stake in the product and ensures that the Scrum Team works on the right things at the right time.
• The Developers are accountable for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. The Developers are responsible for planning and executing the Sprint Backlog, designing and building the product functionality, testing and improving the product quality, and delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Developers work closely with the Product Owner to understand and clarify the Product Backlog items, provide feedback and estimates, and suggest improvements and innovations.
• The Sprint Review is an event that occurs at the end of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team and the stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. The Sprint Review is an opportunity for the Product Owner to validate that the Increment meets her expectations and delivers value to the customers and users. The Sprint Review is also an opportunity for the Developers to demonstrate their work and receive feedback from the Product Owner and the stakeholders.
• If the Increment presented at the Sprint Review does not reflect what the Product Owner thought she had asked for, it may indicate that there was insufficient or ineffective communication, collaboration, or alignment between the Product Owner and the Developers during the Sprint. This may result in wasted effort, rework, delays, or dissatisfaction for both parties. To avoid or resolve this situation, the Product Owner needs to work more with the Scrum Team by doing some of the following actions:

References:

• Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html
• Sprint Review: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-review
• Product Owner: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner
• Developers: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-developer-in-scrum

The Scrum Team membership should change as needed, but not too frequently, as it may affect the team’s ability to deliver value and maintain a high level of collaboration and self-organization. The Scrum Guide states that "Optimal Development Team size is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint. Fewer than three Development Team members decrease interaction and results in smaller productivity gains. Having more than nine members requires too much coordination. Large Development Teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful."1 Therefore, the Scrum Team should consider the impact of changing its membership on its productivity and performance, and balance the need for stability and flexibility.

References:

• 1: The Scrum Guide2, page 6
• 2: The Scrum Guide

In Scrum, the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Development Team. One of the primary ways the Product Owner does this is by managing the Product Backlog, which includes clearly expressing Product Backlog items, ordering the items to best achieve goals and missions, and ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent, and clear to all. This means that the Product Owner has the final authority on the order of items in the Product Backlog, as they are best positioned to understand the strategic and market value of the work to be done.

References: The Scrum Guide and the Professional Scrum Product Owner™ (PSPO I) study materials, specifically the sections on ‘Managing Products with Agility’ and ‘Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework’, which outline the accountabilities of the Product Owner in managing the Product Backlog