A Scrum team has just completed Sprint Planning. During the Sprint, a critical regulatory change is announced that impacts a significant portion of the planned work. The Product Owner consults with the Development Team. What is the most appropriate action?
- AThe Product Owner and Development Team should collaborate to assess the impact and determine if the Sprint Goal is still achievable. If not, they may need to cancel the Sprint.
- BThe team should continue with the current Sprint Backlog as planned and address the regulatory change in a subsequent Sprint.
- CThe Development Team should unilaterally decide to pause the current Sprint and replan based on the new regulatory requirements.
- DThe Product Owner should immediately update the Product Backlog and demand the Development Team incorporate the changes into the current Sprint.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The Product Owner and Development Team should collaborate to assess the impact and determine if the Sprint Goal is still achievable. If not, they may need to cancel the Sprint.
When significant changes occur during a Sprint, the Scrum Team must assess the impact on the Sprint Goal. If the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint, but this should be a collaborative decision after consulting with the Development Team.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Ignoring a critical regulatory change could lead to non-compliant or unusable product increments.
- C. The Development Team should not unilaterally decide to pause or cancel a Sprint; this is primarily the Product Owner's accountability, guided by team input.
- D. Demanding immediate incorporation of changes without assessment violates Scrum principles of self-organizing teams and stable Sprints.
Canceling a Sprint
A Sprint may be canceled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, usually due to a major change in direction or circumstances. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint.
- Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
- Only the Product Owner can cancel.
- Rare event, last resort.
- Collaborative decision with Development Team.
Memory trick: When the Sprint's target shifts, the Owner and Team must confer, or the Sprint's purpose may blur.