SAFE-SGP Practice Questions

According to the Strategic Themes article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, strategic themes

are portfolio-level business objectives that provide competitive differentiation and strategic

advantage. They provide business context for portfolio strategy and decision-making, representing

aspects of the enterprise’s strategic intent. Strategic themes are best stated in Objective and Key

Result (OKR) format. Written in plain business language, these OKRs say what the portfolio will

pursue, thus providing decision-makers and contributors at all levels the clarity needed for

decentralized decision-making. Therefore, the correct answer is D, create a ‘one-stop shop’ for all

citizen-facing services provided by the agency. This is a good example of an agency strategic theme,

as it expresses a clear and measurable goal that aligns with the agency’s vision and mission. The

other options are not accurate, as they are not good examples of agency strategic themes. Comply

with agency development lifecycle regulations (A) is not a strategic theme, but a compliance

requirement that applies to all solutions. Reduce agency IT spend (B) is not a strategic theme, but a

cost-cutting measure that does not reflect the value proposition of the agency. Improve cost and

schedule performance of IT projects © is not a strategic theme, but a project management metric

that does not capture the business outcomes of the solutions.

One benefit of Program Increment (PI) Planning is that it builds the social network on which the Agile

Release Train (ART) depends1. PI planning is a face-to-face event that establishes communication and

collaboration among all team members and stakeholders2. It fosters a sense of shared mission and

vision, trust and respect, and collective ownership and accountability3. It also helps to create a

culture of learning and innovation within the ART4.

1: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework 2: The Ultimate Guide to PI Planning [2023 SAFe Edition] -

Easy Agile 3: Program Increment (PI) is the Heart of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 4: PI Planning -

Scaled Agile Framework

One way that Lean-Agile leaders can exemplify the SAFe Core Value of alignment is by participating

in backlog visibility, review, and preparation1. This means that leaders are actively involved in

understanding and prioritizing the work items that deliver value to the customers and stakeholders.

They also provide feedback and guidance to the teams and trains that execute the work. By

participating in backlog management, leaders can ensure that the work is aligned with the vision,

mission, and strategy of the enterprise or government agency2.

1: The Evolving Role of Managers in Lean-Agile Development - Scaled Agile Framework 2: Core

Values - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the PI Planning article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, confidence votes are

taken at the program and team levels once dependencies and program risks are addressed. The

article states that “After discussing plans and dependencies, each team member casts a vote, usually

on a scale of 1 to 5. This collective feedback helps identify potential risks, enabling teams to address

concerns and enhance their overall chances of success.” The article also states that “The RTE then

facilitates a program-level confidence vote, where the Business Owners and other stakeholders

assess the feasibility and economic outcomes of the plan.” Therefore, the correct answer is D,

program and team. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the levels at which confidence

votes are taken. Portfolio, branch, and train are not relevant terms in the context of PI planning.

Authenticity is the aspect of leading by example that challenges Lean-Agile leaders to ‘walk the talk’

by being a role model of desired professional and ethical behaviors by acting with honesty, integrity,

and transparency1. Authentic leaders are genuine, self-aware, and trustworthy. They align their

actions with their words and values, and they inspire trust and respect from others2. Authenticity

helps leaders create a culture of openness, collaboration, and continuous learning in their

organizations3.

1: Lean-Agile Leadership - Scaled Agile Framework 2: What Is One Way Lean-agile Leaders Lead by

Example? - CGAA 3: Three Dimensions of Lean-Agile Leadership: A Guide for Leading Your …

According to the Implementation Roadmap article on the Scaled Agile Framework website,

organizations begin realizing better results when following the Implementation Roadmap as soon as

the first Program Increment (PI). The article states that “The first PI is a critical milestone. It’s the first

time the new ART delivers a fully integrated and tested increment of value. It’s also the first time the

ART demonstrates its new way of working to the enterprise and its stakeholders. The first PI is a big

deal. It’s a celebration of the new culture and the new way of working. It’s also the first time the

enterprise can see the benefits of the new approach.” Therefore, the correct answer is B, as soon as

the first Program Increment. The other options are not accurate, as the roadmap consists of more

than just steps, training, or metrics. It is a continuous journey of learning and improvement.

Two statements that accurately describe the SAFe Implementation Roadmap are:

It reflects success patterns from previous implementations of SAFe. The SAFe Implementation

Roadmap is based on the experiences and learnings of hundreds of enterprises that have successfully

adopted SAFe1. It captures the common critical moves and best practices that have proven to be

effective in implementing SAFe in a reliable and predictable way2.

It provides recommended sequencing of role-based training. The SAFe Implementation Roadmap

includes a step for training Lean-Agile change agents, who are the key enablers and coaches of the

transformation3. It also suggests the appropriate role-based training for executives, managers,

leaders, and teams, as well as the timing and sequence of the training in relation to the launch of the

ARTs. The training helps to build the knowledge and skills needed to apply SAFe principles and

practices at various levels of the enterprise.

According to the Applying Lean Estimating and Forecasting in Cadence article on the Scaled Agile

Framework website, ART velocities are used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis for estimating and

forecasting in SAFe. The article states that “The ART velocity is used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis,

which helps determine the feasibility of the plan and the number of features that can be delivered in

a PI. The ART velocity is also used to forecast the delivery of features and capabilities beyond the

current PI.” Therefore, the correct answer is C, ART velocities are used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis.

The other options are not accurate, as they are not the statements that are true for estimating and

forecasting in SAFe. Feature estimation is not independent of team-level input (A), as teams are

involved in estimating the size and complexity of features using story points or normalized story

points. Epics are not estimated by the Epic Owner (B), as they are estimated collaboratively by the

Epic Owner, Enterprise Architect, and Lean Portfolio Management. Work breakdown structure to the

task level does not help increase estimation accuracy (D), as it introduces unnecessary overhead and

delays feedback.

According to the SAFe 5 for Lean Enterprises article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, the

three configurations of SAFe 5.0 are Essential SAFe, Portfolio SAFe, and Full SAFe. The article states

that “SAFe 5 for Lean Enterprises is a knowledge base of proven, integrated principles, practices, and

competencies for Lean, Agile, and DevOps. It’s configurable and scalable for a single team, a large

program, a portfolio, or an entire enterprise. SAFe 5 for Lean Enterprises is available in three

configurations: Essential SAFe, Portfolio SAFe, and Full SAFe.” Therefore, the correct answers are A,

Essential SAFe, B, Portfolio SAFe, and E, Full SAFe. The other options are not accurate, as they are not

the configurations of SAFe 5.0. Team SAFe © is not a configuration, but a level within the Essential

SAFe configuration. Multi-train SAFe (D) is not a configuration, but a term that refers to multiple

Agile Release Trains (ARTs) working together. Lean Enterprise SAFe (F) is not a configuration, but a

goal that SAFe 5.0 aims to help organizations achieve.

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, also known as the Agile Manifesto, is a shared set of

values and principles intended to improve software development1. The Agile Manifesto was created

in 2001 by a group of 17 software practitioners who wanted to find a better way of developing

software than the traditional, documentation-driven, and heavyweight processes. The Agile

Manifesto states four values and twelve principles that guide the agile approach to software

development, which emphasizes individuals and interactions, working software, customer

collaboration, and responding to change2. The Agile Manifesto is not a specific methodology or

practice, but rather a philosophy that can be applied to various agile frameworks, such as Scrum,

Kanban, XP, and SAFe3.

1: Manifesto for Agile Software Development 2: What is the Agile Manifesto? | Agile Principles and

Values - ProductPlan 3: The Agile Manifesto - Project Management Institute