PRINCE2 Agile Flashcards QA

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering all key concepts, principles, practices, processes, and terminology across Modules 1 to 6 of PRINCE2 Agile Foundation.

When was the Agile Manifesto created and what was its original context?

The Agile Manifesto was created in 2001 by software practitioners (www.agilemanifesto.org) as an alternative to rigid, document-heavy waterfall approaches.

What are the four core values of the Agile Manifesto?

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan

What is the key contrast between waterfall and agile development approaches?

Waterfall is a linear, sequential approach where completed phases are not revisited, making changes difficult and costly. Agile is iterative and flexible, prioritizing adaptability, continuous customer value, and collaboration.

According to principle 10 of the Agile Manifesto, how is simplicity defined?

Simplicity is defined as 'the art of maximizing the amount of work not done'.

What is the difference between 'being agile' and 'doing agile'?

'Being agile' refers to adopting an agile mindset and culture focused on adaptability and collaboration. 'Doing agile' refers to following agile processes and framework mechanics without necessarily internalizing the mindset.

What are the four components of the VUCA framework and their agile solutions?

1. Volatility -> Vision
2. Uncertainty -> Understanding
3. Complexity -> Clarity
4. Ambiguity -> Adaptability

What are the five layers of Simon Powers' Agile Onion, from outermost to innermost?

1. Mindset (outermost philosophy)
2. Values
3. Principles
4. Practices
5. Processes (innermost structure)

What are the six key characteristics of an agile mindset?

Collaboration, Respect, Empowerment, Adaptability, Transparency, and Exploration.

What five characteristics distinguish a project from Business as Usual (BAU)?

1. Change
2. Temporary
3. Cross-functional
4. Unique
5. Uncertainty

How is a project defined in PRINCE2?

A temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed business case.

What is the recommended duration and format for a Daily Stand-up meeting?

A 15-minute daily alignment meeting held at the same place and time in front of a visual dashboard, where participants stand to keep the updates concise.

What seven performance targets must be managed throughout a PRINCE2 project?

Benefits, Costs, Time, Quality, Scope, Sustainability, and Risk.

What are the five integrated elements of PRINCE2 Project Management?

People, Principles, Practices, Processes, and Project context.

What is the primary difference in focus between project management and agile framework delivery?

Project management focuses primarily on governance, direction, and control, whereas agile focuses heavily on product delivery and responding to change.

What are the four levels of psychological safety defined by Timothy R. Clark?

1. Inclusion safety
2. Learner safety
3. Contributor safety
4. Challenger safety

What are the three steps to establish psychological safety according to Amy C. Edmondson?

1. Setting the stage
2. Inviting participation
3. Responding clearly

What are the seven core principles of PRINCE2 Project Management?

1. Ensure continued business justification
2. Learn from experience
3. Define roles, responsibilities, and relationships
4. Manage by stages
5. Manage by exception
6. Focus on products
7. Tailor to suit the project

How does PRINCE2 Agile treat project performance tolerances for time, cost, scope, and quality?

Time, cost, and major risks have fixed tolerances (zero deviation allowed). Scope, quality, benefits, and sustainability have flexed tolerances to allow adaptability.

What are the four priority levels of requirement categorization in the MoSCoW method?

Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have.

How does PRINCE2 Agile enforce MoSCoW priorities regarding tolerances?

It enforces zero tolerance for 'Must have' requirements, minimal tolerance for 'Should have' items, and allows 'Could have' items to be flexed to stay on schedule and budget.

What is the function of the Project Canvas in PRINCE2 Agile?

It is a visual, lightweight alternative to a traditional detailed Business Case that outlines project vision, business value, options, costs, users, scope, benefits, and major risks.

What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

A basic version of a product containing only essential features, used to gather early feedback, test core hypotheses, and validate product viability with minimal investment.

What is the maximum number of personas recommended for agile pilot projects or new products?

Five or fewer personas.

What is the role of the Chief Product Owner (CPO) in PRINCE2 Agile?

The CPO represents the user community on the Project Board, owning user requirements, benefit definitions, and alignment across product backlogs.

What tool helps delivery teams visually map capabilities, individual strengths, and training gaps?

A Team Skill Matrix.

What is Delegation Poker?

A collaborative technique using cards representing seven levels of authority (from 'Tell' to 'Delegate') to clarify decision-making powers within a team.

What three levels of planning are used in PRINCE2 Agile?

Project plan, Stage plan, and Team plan.

What format is standard for writing User Stories?

'As a [role], I want [feature/action], so that [benefit/reason]'.

What is the distinction between Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD)?

DoR specifies criteria required before work on a requirement/user story can start; DoD specifies quality criteria required before work can be declared fully complete.

How does Martin Fowler define Refactoring?

The process of changing a software or product system in such a way that it does not alter external behavior, yet improves its internal structure.

What is Technical Debt?

A metaphor representing the future cost of extra work caused by choosing poor design, architectural, or development shortcuts instead of a better approach.

What are the five steps of the risk management procedure in PRINCE2 Agile?

1. Identify
2. Assess
3. Plan
4. Implement
5. Communicate

What is the Agilometer?

A dedicated tool in PRINCE2 Agile used to assess and monitor project suitability and readiness for agile delivery across six key risk factors.

What visual tracking tool displays overall risk exposure trends across project iterations?

A Cumulative Risk Burn-down Chart.

What are the five categories of project issues in PRINCE2 Agile?

1. Request for change
2. Off-specification
3. Problem or concern
4. Business opportunity
5. Event external to the project

What is Swarming in agile issue resolution?

A technique where the whole team temporarily focuses collectively on a single problem or blocker to clear it rapidly.

How does a Burn-down chart differ from a Burn-up chart?

A burn-down chart shows the remaining workload in a timebox over time, whereas a burn-up chart shows completed work relative to total planned scope over time.

What are the seven core processes in PRINCE2 Project Management?

1. Starting up a project
2. Directing a project
3. Initiating a project
4. Controlling a stage
5. Managing product delivery
6. Managing a stage boundary
7. Closing a project

Which two collaborative workshops take place during the 'Starting up a project' process?

The Project Canvas Workshop and the Starting Up Workshop.

Which workshop is held in the 'Directing a project' process, and what central tool does it utilize?

The Agile Enablement Workshop, which utilizes the Agilometer.

Which two workshops take place during 'Initiating a project'?

The Project Initiation Workshop and the Project Kickoff Workshop.

What two workshops take place during 'Controlling a stage'?

The Progress Review Workshop and the Project Retrospective Workshop.

Which two workshops occur within the 'Managing product delivery' process?

The Team Planning Workshop and the Team Retrospective Workshop.

Which main planning product is updated during 'Managing a stage boundary' for the upcoming stage?

The Release Map.

What workshop takes place during the 'Closing a project' process?

The Project Closure Workshop.

How does Artificial Intelligence support the principle 'Ensure continued business justification' in PRINCE2 Agile?

AI utilizes predictive analytics on historical and real-time project metrics to forecast outcomes and continuously test whether anticipated benefits remain aligned with budgets and strategic goals.

What is the main operational objective of continuous agile development and operations (DevOps)?

To enable rapid, automated delivery of new features, bug fixes, and improvements, maintaining the product in a deployable state with minimal friction and manual intervention.