DSDM Products (Chapter 8)

Question 1

What do the products do? (2)

Answer 1

1. Describe the solution and anything created to assist the process of evolving it.
2. Things required for governance and control.

Question 2

All products are required for every project. True or false?

Answer 2

False - it depends on the size and/or formality of the project and the organisation undertaking it.

Question 3

The products are long, tedious documents. True or false?

Answer 3

False - documents are designed to be as lean and brief as possible.

Question 4

Give 3 points about the Terms of Reference (ToR).

Answer 4

1. High-level definition of the overarching business driver for the project (reason why)
2. Top-level objectives for the project (what you hope to achieve)
3. Used to scope and justify the Feasibility phase.

Question 5

Why is the ToR a governance product?

Answer 5

It is used to justify prioritisation of a project within a portfolio.

Question 6

Which 6 products are considered governance products and which lifecycle stages are they found at?

Answer 6

1. ToR, Pre-Project
2. Feasibility Assessment, Feasibility
3. Foundations Summary, Foundations
4. Timebox Review Record, Evol. Dev.
5. Project Review Report, Deployment
6. Benefits Assessment, Post-Project

Question 7

Give 4 points about the Business Case.

Answer 7

1. Provides a vision and justification for the project from a business perspective.
2. Justification typically based on an investment appraisal
3. ‘Begin with the end in mind’
4. Outlined in Feasibility and formalised by end of Foundations.

Question 8

What is a business vision?

Answer 8

A changed business as it is expected to be.

Question 9

What is an investment appraisal?

Answer 9

An assessment determining whether the value of the solution warrants the cost of producing, supporting and maintaining it.

Question 10

The Business Case is formally reviewed once. True or false?

Answer 10

False - it is reviewed at the end of each Project Increment to discern whether further work is justified.

Question 11

Give 4 points about the Prioritised Requirements List (PRL).

Answer 11

1. Outlines the high-levels requirements a project needs to address and indicates their priority with respect to the business needs.
2. Essentially a collation of user stories
3. A baseline of the PRL is produced at the end of Foundations
4. Will be used to structure timeboxes

Question 12

Changes to breadth of the PRL are controlled by the SDT. True or false?

Answer 12

False - only project-level roles can make changes to breadth. The SDT instead make changes to depth (i.e. detail).

Question 13

Give 3 points about the Solution Architecture Definition (SAD).

Answer 13

1. Provides high-level design framework for the solution.
2. Covers both business and technical aspects.
3. A moderate level of detail - the scope is clear, but not so much detail to constrain evol. dev.

Question 14

Give 2 points about the Development Approach Definition (DAD).

Answer 14

1. High-level definition of the tools, techniques, customs, practices and standards applied to evol. dev.
2. Describes how quality will be assured via a strategy for testing and review.

Question 15

Give 3 points about the Delivery Plan.

Answer 15

1. Provides a high-level schedule of project increments
2. Provides timeboxes that make up the first/imminent increment
3. Rarely carries task level detail (unless there are tasks performed by those outside the SDT)

Question 16

Give 4 points about the Management Approach Definition (MAD).

Answer 16

1. Outlines how the project will be organised and planned
2. Outlines how stakeholders will be engaged in the project
3. Outlines how progress will be demonstrated/reported
4. The ‘Project Manager’s toolkit for running the project’

Question 17

Give 3 points about the Feasibility Assessment.

Answer 17

1. Provides a snapshot of the evolving business, solution and management products as they exist at the end of Feasibility
2. May be expressed as a baselined collection of products OR an executive summary
3. Each of the products should be mature enough for the team to decide whether the project is feasible or not

Question 18

Give 3 points about the Foundations Summary.

Answer 18

1. Provides a snapshot of the evolving business, solution and management products as they exist at the end of Foundations
2. Each of the products should be mature enough for the team to decide whether the project is likely to deliver the required return on investment
3. May be expressed as a baselined collection of products OR an executive summary

Question 19

Give 4 points about the Evolving Solution.

Answer 19

1. Made up of all appropriate components of the ultimate solution plus intermediate deliverables necessary to explore the requirements under construction.
2. Components may be complete or under construction.
3. Components include models, prototypes, supporting materials and testing or review artefacts.
4. At the end of each project increment, the Solution Increment is deployed into live use and becomes the Deployed Solution.

Question 20

Give 7 points about the Timebox Plan.

Answer 20

1. Provides depth and detail for each timebox outlined in the delivery plan.
2. Elaborates on the timebox objectives
3. Outlines the timebox deliverables
4. Outlines the activities/resources required to produce the deliverables
5. Created by the SDT
6. Represented on a Team Board as tasks ‘to do’, ‘in progress’, ‘done’ (can literally be with post-it notes)
7. The Team Board is updated daily during the daily stand ups

Question 21

Give 2 points about the Timebox Review Record.

Answer 21

1. Captures feedback from each review that takes place during a timebox
2. Describes achievements up to that point and suggestions for the next timebox

Question 22

Why is the Timebox Review Record a governance product?

Answer 22

It may include a formal, auditable record of review comments from senior staff e.g. the Business Advisors.

Question 23

Give 5 points about the Project Review Report.

Answer 23

1. A single document updated incrementally at the end of each Project Increment by the addition of new sections
2. It captures feedback review of the delivered solution, to confirm what has been delivered and what has not
3. It captures learning points regarding the process, practices, roles and responsibilities
4. It describes the business benefits that should accrue from the solution as it currently stands
5. A review of the whole project is added at the end

Question 24

Give 3 points about the Benefits Assessment.

Answer 24

1. Describes how the benefits have actually accrued, following a period of use in live operation
2. Multiple BA’s may be produced if benefits are expected to accrue over long timescales (must align with those used to justify the investment)

Question 25

All products are mandatory. True or false?

Answer 25

False - they are guidelines to promote good communication.

Question 26

Products are always presented as documents. True or false?

Answer 26

False - however, if products are needed for governance or proof of compliance, formal documents are best.

Question 27

Shared understanding is the normal default of DSDM. True or false?

Answer 27

True.

Question 28

Documents provide…

Answer 28

A robust audit trail

Question 29

DSDM products must be created. True or false?

What is the most important thing in a DSDM project?

Answer 29

False - they are only created if and when they add value to the project or solution.

That all stakeholders and participants understand what is needed, what is being delivered and that quality is assured; if documents genuinely help to achieve this, they are created.