SAFe Government Practitioner SGP Exam Questions

Topic 1: SAFe Lean-Agile in government

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*What does it mean to “think in terms of value streams” when adopting a Lean-Agile mindset?

⬜ Prioritize individual tasks over broader objectives
⬜ Focus on optimizing individual team performance
⬜ Identify and prioritize the end-to-end delivery of value to the customer
⬜ Centralize decision-making authority

*What is the primary benefit of embracing a Lean-Agile mindset in an organization?

⬜ Improved collaboration and innovation
⬜ Slower decision-making
⬜ Increased bureaucracy
⬜ Reduced transparency

*Which statement is true about Lean-Agile development and contracting?

⬜ Quality is built-in through collaboration and automation
⬜ They are based on a foundation of compliance
⬜ Lean-Agile development contracts eliminate change orders
⬜ Lean-Agile development cannot be acquired with a fixed price contract

*Which Lean concept emphasizes eliminating waste and delivering value efficiently?

⬜ Kaizen
⬜ Scrum
⬜ Kanban
⬜ Waterfall

*Which key principle of Advanced Lean-Agile in government emphasizes decentralized decision-making and empowering frontline workers?

⬜ Decentralize control
⬜ Optimize for cost
⬜ Centralize authority
⬜ Minimize transparency

What is the primary purpose of adopting a Lean-Agile mindset in government organizations?​

⬜ To ensure strict adherence to predefined processes
⬜ To promote flexibility, collaboration, and rapid delivery of value
⬜ To centralize decision-making authority
⬜ To maintain traditional hierarchical structures​

A federal program has started adopting Agile ceremonies like daily stand-ups and using a team backlog, yet they aren’t seeing improvements in delivery speed or quality. According to SAFe for Government guidance, what is the most likely reason the agency isn’t achieving true agility?

⬜ They need to hold longer stand-up meetings and add more status reports.
⬜ Rigid government regulations make improvement impossible, regardless of Agile adoption.
⬜ They have only copied Agile rituals without embracing Lean-Agile values and principles.
⬜ They should replace SAFe with a special Agile framework tailored for government agencies.

When implementing SAFe in a government organization, stakeholders sometimes suggest creating a modified “government-specific” version of SAFe with new terminology to fit existing processes. What does SAFe for Government recommend in this situation?

⬜ Adapt SAFe by renaming roles and artifacts to match the agency’s traditional terminology.
⬜ Use SAFe as-is, keeping standard SAFe terminology and practices unchanged.
⬜ Develop a unique Agile framework from scratch, tailored entirely to the agency’s culture.
⬜ Blend SAFe with the current waterfall governance by substituting stage-gate terms for SAFe terms.

Topic 2: Lean-Agile Mindset

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*Which three items are part of SAFe’s Core Values? (Choose three.)

⬜ Alignment
⬜ Relentless improvement
⬜ Decentralized decision-making
⬜ Program execution
⬜ Assume variability
⬜ Transparency

*What principle from the SAFe Core Values explains the purpose of the PI Planning retrospective?

⬜ Relentless improvement
⬜ Respect for people and culture
⬜ Innovation
⬜ Flow

Which SAFe core value emphasizes the need for all levels of the organization to work towards common objectives?​

⬜ Transparency
⬜ Alignment
⬜ Built-in Quality
⬜ Program Execution​

In a multi-vendor government program, each contractor only shares progress at formal milestones, leading to late surprises and mistrust between the agency and suppliers. Which SAFe core value should be emphasized to improve this situation?

⬜ Built-In Quality
⬜ Alignment
⬜ Transparency
⬜ Program Execution

Which SAFe core value emphasizes the importance of decentralizing decision-making to the people closest to the work?

⬜ Alignment
⬜ Transparency
⬜ Relentless Improvement
⬜ Respect for People

*How can Lean-Agile leaders exemplify the SAFe Core Value of alignment?

⬜ Participate in backlog visibility, review, and preparation
⬜ Government and vendor managers prepare joint status reports
⬜ Invite vendor program managers to government management meetings
⬜ Demonstrate quality by refusing to accept or ship low quality work

*What is the Manifesto for Agile Software Development?

⬜ A shared set of values and principles intended to improve software development
⬜ A set of four values and twelve principles that help organizations implement systems thinking
⬜ A value system that only applies to software development
⬜ A set of practices that originated from Scrum

*What are two reasons the Agile Manifesto for Software Development is still relevant to Lean-Agile Enterprises? (Choose two.)

⬜ It provides the foundation for empowered, self-organizing Agile teams
⬜ SAFe extends the value system and principles of the Agile Manifesto to teams of Agile teams
⬜ Applying the Agile Manifesto is important for teams but less important for programs and portfolios
⬜ The foundations of the value system support organizational hierarchies for large Solutions
⬜ It enables governance and controls over plans at scale

Topic 3: SAFe Lean-Agile Principles

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*Which SAFe principle ensures the maximum benefit is generated by understanding trade-offs between risks, cost of delay, operational costs, and development costs for each program and Value Stream?

⬜ Take an economic view
⬜ Assume variability, preserve options
⬜ Apply systems thinking
⬜ Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles

What does the SAFe principle ‘Take an economic view’ encourage government programs to consider?

⬜ Prioritize short-term cost savings
⬜ Choose vendors with the lowest hourly rate
⬜ Balance cost of delay, risk, and development costs
⬜ Eliminate trade-off discussions for faster decision-making

*Which statement is true about optimizing batch sizes for newly-formed SAFe teams in a program?

⬜ Batch size optimization happens over time as teams figure out the balance between holding cost and transaction cost
⬜ Batch size is optimized immediately by looking at transaction and holding costs
⬜ Batch size is already optimized if there is continuous flow
⬜ Batch size is optimized when transaction and holding costs seldom change

*What describes converting unpredictable events into predictable ones?

⬜ Cadence
⬜ Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration
⬜ Program Increment (PI) Planning
⬜ Backlog refinement

*What type of decision should be decentralized?

⬜ Unimportant
⬜ High cost of delay
⬜ Standard technology stack
⬜ Long-lasting

What is a key benefit of organizing around value in SAFe for government agencies?

⬜ Simplifies budgeting processes
⬜ Enhances hierarchical control
⬜ Improves flow of value to the customer
⬜ Reduces the need for cross-functional teams

What is the primary benefit of organizing around value streams in SAFe?​

⬜ To align teams with departmental silos
⬜ To focus on delivering end-to-end value to the customer
⬜ To enhance individual performance metrics
⬜ To maintain traditional project management structures​

Which SAFe principle emphasizes delivering value incrementally to mitigate risk?

⬜ Apply systems thinking
⬜ Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles
⬜ Organize around value
⬜ Base milestones on objective evaluation of working systems

*What are two reasons objective milestones like the System Demo are useful? (Choose two.)

⬜ They allow the contracting officer to release funds for payment
⬜ They satisfy phase-gate governance processes
⬜ They satisfy a SAFe requirement
⬜ They provide tangible evidence of progress
⬜ They allow for cost-effective adjustments toward an optimum solution

What is a key outcome of applying cadence in government Agile programs?

⬜ Delivers predictability only for budgeting teams
⬜ Reduces variability and provides regular synchronization points
⬜ Prevents changes during development
⬜ Ensures all work is released simultaneously

What is a benefit of using cadence and synchronization across multiple teams in a SAFe government program?

⬜ It enables teams to independently plan and deliver work
⬜ It removes the need for integrated reviews
⬜ It shifts responsibility for dependencies to the system architect
⬜ It allows for alignment, fast feedback, and cross-team coordination

What Lean-Agile principle encourages using shorter feedback cycles in government programs?

⬜ Centralized authority ensures long-term planning accuracy
⬜ Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles
⬜ Outsourcing reduces complexity and feedback needs
⬜ Design complete systems before development begins

Topic 4: Agile Teams

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Who is responsible for designating a story as ‘Complete’ based on acceptance criteria when development is done by contractors?

⬜ The government Product Owner
⬜ The vendor program manager
⬜ The government contracting officer
⬜ The team

*Which role in SAFe has content authority over the Agile Team’s backlog?

⬜ Product Owner
⬜ Release Train Engineer
⬜ Product Management
⬜ Agile Team

Which role is primarily responsible for managing the Team Backlog in SAFe?​

⬜ Product Owner
⬜ Scrum Master
⬜ Release Train Engineer
⬜ System Architect​

Toward the end of the Iteration, the Product Owner raises a red flag stating there is an additional requirement that needs to be added to the current Iteration. The Agile Team could handle the requirement if they work late and over the next weekend. What should the Scrum Master do?

⬜ Accept the work and extend the Iteration, informing other teams about the delay in delivery of other committed stories
⬜ Meet with the team and if they agree to work overtime, accept the work
⬜ Talk to the Product Owner, compare the new work to existing backlog priorities, and negotiate a sustainable solution
⬜ Refuse the new requirement because it is too late to accept requirements at this point in the Iteration

*What is an attribute of a high-performing team?

⬜ Healthy conflict
⬜ Slow, steady results
⬜ Strong dependency within the team
⬜ An empowered project manager

*What are two attributes of high-performing teams? (Choose two.)

⬜ Experience mutual trust
⬜ They are self-organizing
⬜ High-performing teams can be larger than the typical Agile team
⬜ High-performing teams do not require the assistance of a Scrum Master
⬜ Members of the team value uniformity

What are two attributes of high-performing Agile teams in government programs? (Choose two.)

⬜ Self-organization and mutual trust
⬜ Shared ownership of results
⬜ Exclusive use of command-and-control tools
⬜ Centralized review of all code and design decisions

Topic 5: Agile Release Train (ART) and Solution Train

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What is one outcome of using Agile Release Trains (ARTs) in a government agency?

⬜ They reduce the need for planning events
⬜ They align teams to a common mission and delivery cadence
⬜ They centralize decision-making at the executive level
⬜ They deliver all features only at the end of the year

Which SAFe role is responsible for providing technical leadership and defining the system architecture for the Agile Release Train (ART)?

⬜ Product Owner
⬜ System Architect
⬜ Scrum Master
⬜ Release Train Engineer (RTE)

What is one responsibility of the Release Train Engineer in SAFe government programs?

⬜ Own the technical implementation of epics
⬜ Approve contracts and budget allocations
⬜ Facilitate PI Planning and ART events
⬜ Define compliance standards and test plans

What is the role of the System Architect in a SAFe government program?

⬜ Prioritize backlog items based on business value
⬜ Ensure teams follow traditional development methods
⬜ Define the architectural vision and support compliance and interoperability
⬜ Manage day-to-day team activities

A large government program currently kicks off separate “siloed” projects for each new initiative, forming new teams that disband after delivering all contracted requirements. To adopt SAFe, what structural change should the agency make to improve the flow of value?

⬜ Continue using siloed project teams but add more documentation to coordinate between them.
⬜ Move people to whichever project has the highest priority at the moment to maximize utilization.
⬜ Plan all solution details upfront for each project, then assign teams to execute strictly to that plan.
⬜ Establish long-lived, cross-functional Agile Release Trains aligned to value streams, continuously delivering a flow of Epics from a prioritized backlog.

What is the primary purpose of the Solution Demo in SAFe’s Large Solution context?

⬜ To finalize the architectural design
⬜ To provide stakeholders with an integrated view of the solution’s progress
⬜ To conduct team-level retrospectives
⬜ To plan the next Program Increment

*When should government technology programs be organized as Solution Trains?

⬜ When the program crosses multiple agency divisions or branches
⬜ When the cost of the program exceeds $100M
⬜ When the program involves classified information
⬜ When the size and complexity require two or more ARTs

Topic 6: PI Planning

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*Which SAFe event provides a cadence for synchronization and alignment across multiple government agencies in a Large Solution?

⬜ PI Planning
⬜ Sprint Review
⬜ System Demo
⬜ Daily Standup

*Which SAFe ceremony is used to align all the teams to a common mission for the upcoming Program Increment (PI)?

⬜ PI Planning
⬜ System Demo
⬜ Scrum of Scrums
⬜ Release Planning

What is one benefit of Program Increment (PI) Planning?

⬜ It creates the Vision and Roadmap
⬜ It provides the opportunity to fully define the system architecture
⬜ It helps define Program Management Review agenda
⬜ It builds the social network on which the ART depends

What is a key outcome of PI Planning in SAFe?​

⬜ A detailed project plan for the next year
⬜ A commitment to deliver specific features regardless of changing priorities
⬜ A shared understanding of objectives and alignment among teams
⬜ An isolated plan for each team without cross-team coordination​

In SAFe, what is the role of the Release Train Engineer (RTE) during PI Planning?

⬜ Define the architectural runway
⬜ Prioritize the team backlog
⬜ Facilitate the PI Planning event and ensure alignment across teams
⬜ Approve the PI Objectives

In addition to Program Increment (PI) Objectives and uncommitted objectives, what must also be identified during PI Planning?​

⬜ Communication barriers and silos
⬜ Program risks
⬜ PI velocity goals
⬜ The chain of command​

*Which statement describes uncommitted objectives in SAFe?

⬜ They are reflected in the team’s load but not the capacity
⬜ Teams have low confidence they can meet the objective, but include it in their plan
⬜ Extra tasks a team could do in case they have time
⬜ They are included in the PI commitment, making the commitment more reliable

What is the role of PI Objectives during Program Increment Planning?

⬜ They are milestones for release governance
⬜ They communicate business value and alignment for the PI
⬜ They replace acceptance criteria for Features
⬜ They ensure compliance reviews are conducted each iteration

Why are uncommitted objectives important in government ARTs?

⬜ They serve as stretch goals only for high-performing teams
⬜ They provide visibility into work planned with lower confidence
⬜ They represent work removed from the PI Scope
⬜ They are tracked separately but included in the business value score

What is a key role of Business Owners during PI Planning in government programs?

⬜ Estimating team velocity and capacity
⬜ Assigning tasks to Agile teams
⬜ Approving final contract language
⬜ Scoring team PI Objectives to assess business value

In SAFe for Government, what is the primary purpose of aligning governance reviews with the Program Increment (PI) cadence?​

⬜ To enforce strict compliance with initial project plans
⬜ To streamline oversight and reduce delays by synchronizing reviews with development cycles
⬜ To conduct comprehensive audits at the end of each fiscal year
⬜ To separate governance activities from development processes​

How can a government agency using SAFe improve collaboration with its vendor partners?

⬜ Require vendors to deliver complete scope before feedback
⬜ Invite vendors to participate in PI Planning and system demos
⬜ Limit vendor interaction to monthly check-ins
⬜ Prohibit vendors from joining daily standups

At what levels are confidence votes taken once dependencies and program risks are addressed?

⬜ Program and Portfolio
⬜ Program and Branch
⬜ Program and Train
⬜ Program and Team

A government program involves multiple contractor teams working on a shared system, but each team operates on its own schedules, causing integration issues. What practice should the program adopt to synchronize all teams and address the inherent uncertainty in development?

⬜ Allow each team to set its own cadence and integrate only at the end of the fiscal year.
⬜ Establish a common cadence for all teams and conduct regular PI Planning (cross-team planning) to synchronize efforts.
⬜ Mandate a detailed, unchanging 12-month project plan that all teams must follow strictly.
⬜ Rely on the prime contractor to independently coordinate and deliver an integrated system without joint planning.

Topic 7: SAFe Events

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*What are three reasons the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration is critical to success in SAFe? (Choose three.)

⬜ It creates a guard band that ensures program predictability on cadence
⬜ It ensures time for creative problem-solving needed by knowledge workers
⬜ It provides a consistent time for PI Planning
⬜ It creates a predictable window to allow for personal time off
⬜ It is the only way a government ART can afford to do hackathons
⬜ It provides the only time the Product Management can conduct backlog refinement

Why is the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration important in SAFe government programs?

⬜ It allows time for finalizing contract deliverables
⬜ It provides a buffer to accommodate late feature work
⬜ It supports innovation, PI Planning, and continuous improvement
⬜ It provides an opportunity to delay quality activities until the end of the PI

What is the primary purpose of the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe?​

⬜ To plan the next Program Increment
⬜ To reflect on the past increment and identify improvement actions
⬜ To demonstrate the final product to stakeholders
⬜ To assign tasks to team members​

What supports early risk identification and mitigation in a SAFe government program?

⬜ Holding risk reviews only at the end of a PI
⬜ Regular System Demos and Inspect & Adapt events
⬜ Relying solely on contract status meetings
⬜ Removing uncommitted objectives from tracking

Which practice supports consistent engagement from stakeholders and enables compliance during the PI?

⬜ Conducting detailed documentation reviews after development
⬜ Participating in the System Demo
⬜ Reviewing backlog items before every release
⬜ Freezing scope during each PI

Topic 8: Program Vision and Roadmap

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What is the primary purpose of the Program Vision in SAFe government programs?

⬜ To define team-level tasks and responsibilities
⬜ To outline the detailed technical specifications
⬜ To provide a shared direction and context for the Agile Release Train
⬜ To establish fixed budget allocations for each team

How does the Program Roadmap assist in SAFe government program execution?

⬜ By detailing individual team sprints and tasks
⬜ By specifying exact release dates for all features
⬜ By forecasting the delivery of features over time to achieve the vision
⬜ By listing all compliance requirements in a fixed schedule

*In a SAFe Roadmap, which PIs are committed?

⬜ The first one
⬜ The first three
⬜ All
⬜ The first two

Topic 9: Feature and Capability

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What is the primary purpose of defining system attributes using Features in a government SAFe program?

⬜ To define contract milestones in advance
⬜ To delegate all compliance responsibility to vendors
⬜ To document the entire system design before development begins
⬜ To express system behaviors and capabilities in a value-focused way

Which attribute should a properly defined Feature include to support system definition in government programs?

⬜ A signed contract
⬜ A compliance waiver
⬜ Acceptance criteria
⬜ Waterfall design documentation

What element in SAFe is typically used to describe and manage system attributes for Agile development?

⬜ Epics
⬜ NFRs
⬜ Stories
⬜ Enablers

How does defining system attributes with Features support compliance in SAFe government programs?

⬜ By ensuring requirements are fixed before development starts
⬜ By assigning all compliance testing to vendors
⬜ By enabling traceable, testable expressions of system capabilities
⬜ By deferring reviews until final delivery

Topic 10: Agency Strategy

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How does SAFe recommend structuring large government programs to stay aligned with agency strategy?

⬜ Use traditional project structures with fixed scope and milestones
⬜ Prioritize system design before identifying mission goals
⬜ Organize around long-lived Value Streams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs)
⬜ Separate teams based on vendor and government affiliation

*Which represents a good example of an agency Strategic Theme?

⬜ Comply with agency development lifecycle regulations
⬜ Reduce agency IT spend
⬜ Improve cost and schedule performance of IT projects
⬜ Create a ‘one-stop shop’ for all citizen-facing services provided by the agency

*What assists with Epic evaluation and decision-making?

⬜ Strategic Themes
⬜ Program Budgets
⬜ Solution Intent
⬜ Lean Budgets

What is the purpose of having Strategic Themes in a SAFe government portfolio?

⬜ To track backlog refinement sessions at the team level
⬜ To estimate feature sizes using team velocity
⬜ To delegate compliance responsibilities
⬜ To align portfolio investments with mission and strategy

*In reference to large programs, what are Strategic Themes?

⬜ A collection of ideas used at the program level to create Epics
⬜ Itemized mission objectives connecting a portfolio to the strategy
⬜ Persuasive concepts used to aid in the ’tipping’ process of decision-makers in an agency or program
⬜ Vehicles used to decentralize decision-making

Topic 11: Lean flow of Epics

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*What are Business Epics in SAFe?

⬜ System attributes that deliver business value
⬜ Solution descriptions for the business
⬜ An Agile term that is equivalent to a government program
⬜ Solutions to address financial constraints

*What is the appropriate Lean action to take once all of the expected value of an Epic has been delivered, even if all of the planned Features have not been completed?

⬜ Close the Epic
⬜ Initiate an early re-compete
⬜ Finish all of the Features since they were included in the contract
⬜ Continue building Features until the contract can be modified

Which statement best describes the Lean-Agile alternative to traditional project-based development in government?

⬜ Create fixed-scope, fixed-funding projects with annual delivery targets
⬜ Manage Epics in continuous flow using a prioritized backlog and long-lived teams
⬜ Outsource projects entirely to reduce delivery overhead
⬜ Delay execution until detailed upfront planning is complete

What does SAFe recommend instead of traditional change control boards in government Agile programs?

⬜ Increasing the frequency of document reviews
⬜ Relying solely on phase-gate assessments
⬜ Using the backlog and PI Planning to manage scope changes collaboratively
⬜ Restricting all change decisions to the PMO

What helps government teams determine the best order to deliver Epics?

⬜ Technical complexity alone
⬜ Historical spending reports
⬜ Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
⬜ Alphabetical ranking by title

Topic 12: Lean Budgeting

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Which SAFe concept supports funding Value Streams rather than specific projects?

⬜ Guardrail budgeting
⬜ Fixed-scope project funding
⬜ Lean Budgets
⬜ Task-based labor rates

What is a key benefit of adopting Lean budgeting for government programs?

⬜ Reduces the need for financial oversight and reviews
⬜ Focuses on exact funding for each Feature or Story
⬜ Enables continuous funding of value streams to support adaptive priorities
⬜ Encourages annual budget commitments to fixed initiatives

What is one benefit of using Lean budgeting in government programs?

⬜ It allows spending without financial controls
⬜ It assigns fixed funding to each team or project
⬜ It delays funding decisions to later PIs
⬜ It enables continuous funding aligned with value delivery

*In Advanced Lean-Agile government, what is the primary benefit of using Lean budgeting?

⬜ It allows government agencies to spend freely without controls.
⬜ It provides a way to allocate funds to individual teams.
⬜ It promotes continuous funding and adaptability.
⬜ It centralizes budgeting decisions within the government.

What does it mean to fund Value Streams instead of projects in SAFe government programs?

⬜ It increases the number of funding approvals required each year
⬜ It requires scope to be defined up front for the entire fiscal year
⬜ It enables persistent teams to deliver value continuously within guardrails
⬜ It limits the program’s ability to adapt to changing mission needs

How does Lean budgeting benefit government programs?​

⬜ By allocating funds strictly per project
⬜ By enabling flexible funding aligned with value delivery
⬜ By centralizing all financial decisions
⬜ By enforcing rigid budget constraints​

In SAFe for Government, what is the role of Lean Budgeting in governance?​

⬜ It enables decentralized decision-making within guardrails
⬜ It centralizes all financial decisions to a single authority
⬜ It eliminates the need for financial oversight
⬜ It restricts funding to annual cycles​

*What two visual reporting tools can be used to help maintain fiduciary tracking of government technology programs? (Choose two.)

⬜ Feature progress charts
⬜ Burn-up charts
⬜ Detailed spreadsheets
⬜ Pro formas
⬜ Integrated master schedules

*Which reduces the cone of uncertainty?

⬜ Convergence of alternatives with flexible specifications
⬜ Convergence of requirements with designs
⬜ Convergence of architectures with design sets
⬜ Convergence of flexible specifications with design sets

Traditionally, a government agency funds each IT project with a separate, fixed budget. This makes it difficult to shift money when new high-priority needs emerge. How does SAFe’s Lean budgeting approach address this challenge?

⬜ By locking in project budgets but increasing contingency funds for scope changes.
⬜ By funding long-lived value streams (the “agency’s development factory”) instead of individual projects, allowing flexible reallocation of effort as priorities change.
⬜ By cutting funding to all projects annually to force reprioritization.
⬜ By requiring each project manager to get approval for budget changes through formal change orders.

Topic 13: Lean Estimating and Forecasting

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*Which statement is true for estimating and forecasting in SAFe?

⬜ ART velocities are used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis
⬜ Feature estimation is independent of team-level input
⬜ Epics should be estimated by the Epic Owner
⬜ Work breakdown structure to the task level helps increase estimation accuracy

Which element supports Lean estimating and forecasting in government programs?

⬜ Long-term waterfall requirements
⬜ Detailed up-front contracts
⬜ Team and ART velocity based on historical data
⬜ Completion-based payment gates

What is a core principle of estimating and forecasting in SAFe for government programs?

⬜ All estimation must be done upfront to lock budgets early
⬜ Teams should avoid using historical data to project delivery
⬜ Forecasting is based on actual velocity and cadence, not rigid plans
⬜ Forecasting is only meaningful at the portfolio level

How does SAFe recommend estimating and forecasting in Lean-Agile government programs?

⬜ By defining full requirements upfront and estimating delivery dates at contract award
⬜ By using detailed work breakdown structures for each iteration
⬜ By applying historical ART velocity and cadence-based planning for incremental forecasting
⬜ By relying solely on vendor proposals to estimate scope and schedule

What enables consistent and reliable forecasting in SAFe’s cadence-based model?

⬜ Mandated timelines and fixed milestones
⬜ Top-down estimation by executives
⬜ Regular planning intervals and team velocity
⬜ Upfront commitments to detailed requirements

Why is cadence-based forecasting preferred over traditional project planning in Lean-Agile environments?

⬜ It eliminates the need for scope negotiation
⬜ It locks delivery into quarterly milestones
⬜ It allows for regular adjustments based on actual team throughput
⬜ It reduces stakeholder involvement in estimation

Topic 14: Acquisition Practices

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How should acquisition practices evolve to support Lean-Agile in government?

⬜ Require full upfront requirements and fixed scope
⬜ Use firm fixed-price contracts with milestone gating
⬜ Shift to modular contracts that focus on outcomes and collaboration
⬜ Restrict vendors from engaging in planning events

Which two SAFe principles are most critical when adapting Lean-Agile practices to government acquisition models? (Choose two.)

⬜ Build incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles
⬜ Take an economic view
⬜ Apply systems thinking
⬜ Organize around value

How should government acquisition practices evolve to support Lean-Agile development?

⬜ Maintain firm-fixed-price contracts to ensure delivery
⬜ Finalize requirements before awarding contracts
⬜ Shift from rigid scope control to modular, outcome-based contracts
⬜ Use change orders to manage evolving priorities

What change in acquisition practices is essential for enabling Lean-Agile development in government?

⬜ Awarding contracts based only on lowest cost proposals
⬜ Introducing modular contracts that support incremental delivery and collaboration
⬜ Relying on fixed-scope, fixed-price contracts with detailed up-front planning
⬜ Extending the timeline for vendor selection to ensure exhaustive documentation

Why do traditional acquisition methods often conflict with Agile principles in government programs?

⬜ They allow too much team autonomy
⬜ They require fixed requirements and deliverables before any work begins
⬜ They enable too much experimentation and change
⬜ They rely on minimal oversight and governance

What is a primary risk of continuing to use traditional acquisition models in Agile programs?

⬜ Overspending on contractor rates
⬜ Excessive documentation burdens
⬜ Delayed system integration
⬜ Forcing vendors into waterfall behaviors, undermining Agile execution

One of the biggest hurdles in a government Agile transformation is the standard procurement process. How should a government agency modify its acquisition practices to support a Lean-Agile approach?

⬜ Continue using traditional fixed-scope, waterfall contracts so vendors are tightly controlled.
⬜ Introduce contract structures with incremental deliverables and Lean-Agile friendly terms, enabling vendors to work in an Agile manner.
⬜ Outsource Agile development completely and manage via strict penalties for any changes in scope or schedule.
⬜ Require all Agile teams to freeze requirements upfront to fit existing contract templates.

Topic 15: Build in Quality and Compliance

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*What result comes from traditional ‘at the end’ quality and compliance?

⬜ Missed opportunities for iterative compliance assessment
⬜ Faster receipt of authority to operate in traditional projects
⬜ Nominal quality differences when compared with waterfall approaches
⬜ Shorter testing timelines

*What events in SAFe provide objective evidence of built-in quality and compliance?

⬜ System Demos
⬜ PI Planning
⬜ Backlog refinement
⬜ ART syncs

Which SAFe practice supports compliance and governance by integrating quality checks throughout the development process?​

⬜ Built-in Quality
⬜ Innovation and Planning Iteration
⬜ System Demo
⬜ Release on Demand​

Which SAFe practice integrates compliance activities into the development process to ensure continuous verification and validation?​

⬜ Built-in Quality
⬜ System Demo
⬜ Inspect and Adapt
⬜ Innovation and Planning Iteration​

Why is “Built-In Quality” critical in government Lean-Agile programs?

⬜ It helps teams move faster by delaying testing
⬜ It allows for bulk compliance checks near delivery
⬜ It ensures every increment meets security, regulatory, and functional standards
⬜ It centralizes validation efforts under the System Architect

Why is Built-In Quality essential for compliance in SAFe’s approach to government programs?​

⬜ It allows teams to defer quality checks until the end of development
⬜ It ensures that quality and compliance are maintained throughout the development process
⬜ It reduces the need for documentation and testing
⬜ It focuses solely on meeting user requirements​

What are two benefits of implementing Built-In Quality in SAFe government programs? (Choose two.)

⬜ Reduces rework and downstream defects
⬜ Avoids compliance documentation
⬜ Improves trust in each increment of value
⬜ Allows skipping of final testing and integration

In SAFe, how is compliance integrated into the development process?​

⬜ By conducting compliance checks only at the end of the project
⬜ By assigning compliance responsibilities solely to a separate team
⬜ By embedding compliance activities throughout the development lifecycle
⬜ By minimizing compliance to accelerate delivery​

How does SAFe ensure ongoing compliance in government programs?​

⬜ By integrating compliance activities into the continuous delivery pipeline
⬜ By conducting compliance reviews only at the end of the project
⬜ By assigning compliance to a separate team
⬜ By minimizing documentation requirements​

How does SAFe’s compliance approach benefit government programs?

⬜ It delays audits until program completion
⬜ It embeds compliance into ongoing development activities
⬜ It minimizes required documentation
⬜ It centralizes responsibility in the legal team

How does SAFe recommend handling compliance requirements in government programs?

⬜ Address compliance at the end of the development cycle
⬜ Integrate compliance activities into the development process
⬜ Assign compliance tasks to a separate team
⬜ Delay compliance considerations until after deployment

How does SAFe’s approach to compliance differ from traditional methods in government programs?​

⬜ Compliance is addressed only at the end of the development lifecycle
⬜ Compliance activities are integrated continuously throughout the development process
⬜ Compliance is managed exclusively by a separate oversight team
⬜ Compliance requirements are minimized to accelerate delivery​

A defense agency’s agile teams deliver working software every iteration, but the agency still conducts a massive final integration and verification phase at the end for compliance, causing long delays. What change does SAFe for Government recommend to improve flow?

⬜ Perform all compliance reviews and testing after development is complete to minimize disruption.
⬜ Limit testing to only the final system demonstration to save time during development.
⬜ Integrate verification, validation, and compliance activities into the ongoing development flow (build quality in every iteration).
⬜ Separate the compliance team entirely so that developers can work without oversight until the end.

Topic 16: Governance Practices

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*What is governance in a SAFe context?

⬜ A framework for decision-making to ensure programs achieve desired mission outcomes
⬜ Oversight that is provided by the PMO
⬜ Agency level regulations that ensure compliance with federal laws
⬜ Participatory budgeting events conducted twice annually by LPM

*What is the purpose of governance on a Lean-Agile government program?

⬜ To provide a framework for decision-making to achieve desired mission outcomes
⬜ To ensure the Solution is delivered within fixed time, cost, and scope constraints
⬜ To ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements
⬜ To ensure contractors are accountable for how taxpayer money is spent

How does SAFe recommend adapting governance in government programs?

⬜ Use traditional phase-gate approvals to ensure rigorous compliance
⬜ Require rigid adherence to initial planning artifacts
⬜ Replace stage-gates with objective milestones and evidence-based reviews
⬜ Centralize all governance under a portfolio steering committee

Why is it important to adapt governance practices in Lean-Agile government programs?

⬜ To increase documentation for audit purposes
⬜ To enforce milestone-based funding control
⬜ To replace planning with automated tracking
⬜ To support continuous value delivery with visibility and oversight

Why should traditional phase-gate reviews be replaced with objective milestones in government SAFe programs?

⬜ They reduce the need for planning and budgeting
⬜ They provide real-time evidence of progress and fitness for purpose
⬜ They delegate compliance entirely to contractors
⬜ They are less visible to oversight bodies

What does SAFe recommend to replace traditional detailed phase-gate reviews?

⬜ Year-end milestone reporting
⬜ Daily program status meetings
⬜ Frequent objective reviews using working software
⬜ Up-front contract deliverables

What is one advantage of aligning SAFe governance events with the Program Increment cadence?

⬜ It defers all compliance and risk checks to the end of the PI
⬜ It prevents the need for traditional milestone reviews
⬜ It synchronizes reviews with development flow and increases visibility
⬜ It allows audit teams to work independently from Agile teams

Why does SAFe recommend replacing rigid milestone reviews with continuous oversight?

⬜ To allow audit activities to be delayed
⬜ To simplify budget approvals
⬜ To enable dynamic evaluation of progress based on working systems
⬜ To eliminate the need for governance reporting

What governance shift is necessary to support Lean flow in SAFe government programs?

⬜ Increase documentation requirements
⬜ Add more checkpoints between Agile teams
⬜ Review compliance only during post-deployment audit
⬜ Move from prescriptive oversight to ongoing engagement and transparency

*What are two recommendations for tracking expenditures using the Program Backlog? (Choose two.)

⬜ Tagging backlog items with funding metadata for future reporting
⬜ Organizing ARTs by funding classification
⬜ Including a fiduciary expert in backlog refinement
⬜ Using charge codes assigned by each program
⬜ Calculating a fixed cost labor cost per ART based on actual salaries

*What type of decision may significantly affect lead time for systems development?

⬜ Approved budget, required development tools, and dedicated team members
⬜ Using firm fixed price contracts
⬜ Using relative size estimating
⬜ Prioritizing the product backlog using WSJF

What is a key benefit of implementing Lean Governance in SAFe for government agencies?​

⬜ Centralizes decision-making authority to a single oversight body
⬜ Supports oversight of spending, audit, compliance, and reporting within a Lean-Agile framework
⬜ Eliminates the need for compliance and audit activities
⬜ Replaces all existing governance structures with Agile teams​

What are two responsibilities of Lean Portfolio Management in SAFe government programs? (Choose two.)

⬜ Guide investment funding across value streams
⬜ Define team-level iteration goals
⬜ Monitor code quality metrics
⬜ Apply guardrails to enable decentralized decision-making

Which SAFe practice replaces traditional phase-gate reviews to provide objective evidence of progress in government programs?​

⬜ System Demo
⬜ Incremental Capability Review (ICR)
⬜ Release Planning
⬜ Scrum of Scrums​

What is the role of an Incremental Capability Review (ICR)?

⬜ It replaces the need for System Demos
⬜ It finalizes contract payments for vendors
⬜ It provides objective, milestone-based progress evaluation
⬜ It delays feature releases until compliance is confirmed

How does the Incremental Capability Review (ICR) enhance governance in SAFe for government programs?​

⬜ It provides objective evidence of working systems to assess progress
⬜ It replaces the need for all compliance documentation
⬜ It eliminates the requirement for system demos
⬜ It centralizes decision-making authority​

A PMO in a federal agency insists on using a detailed upfront project plan and formal stage-gate reviews (Requirements Review, Design Review, etc.) for an Agile program. How should governance be adapted to better support Lean-Agile development while still ensuring oversight?

⬜ Replace all governance checkpoints with team self-management and provide no oversight.
⬜ Continue with the same phase-gate process since governance must remain unchanged.
⬜ Use Lean-Agile alternatives (like objective milestones with working systems, and ongoing oversight via metrics) instead of big phase-gate reviews, to provide governance through continuous flow of value.
⬜ Micromanage the Agile teams through more frequent status meetings to maintain control.

A government IT portfolio has historically rolled over funding for certain systems each year without revisiting their strategic relevance. According to SAFe for Government, how should agencies ensure their technology investments remain aligned with current strategic priorities?

⬜ By continuing to fund the same projects year after year to maintain consistency.
⬜ By conducting periodic portfolio reviews and aligning development funding to strategic agency objectives.
⬜ By entrusting contractors to decide which initiatives best serve the agency’s strategy.
⬜ By focusing only on compliance requirements and ignoring strategic fit during budgeting.

Topic 17: Implementation Roadmap

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*An agency is ready to undertake a large modernization effort. Though the agency ensures the correct implementation of all stage gates in their SDLC, projects seem to always be over budget. They are exploring the use of SAFe due to the success stories from other agencies. What is the appropriate first step?

⬜ Map all stage gates to Agile events
⬜ Train Product Owners in the principles, practices, and benefits of adopting SAFe
⬜ Start an Agile project with an internal Agile Scrum Master
⬜ Identify and train change agents that will lead the effort

*When do organizations begin realizing better results when following the Implementation Roadmap?

⬜ As soon as the first Program Increment
⬜ Once all steps in the roadmap are complete
⬜ Once all training classes have been completed
⬜ Once the predictability measure exceeds 80%

*Which two statements accurately describe the SAFe Implementation Roadmap? (Choose two.)

⬜ It reflects success patterns from previous implementations of SAFe
⬜ It provides recommended sequencing of role-based training
⬜ It ensures standardization with software life cycle best practices
⬜ The steps in the roadmap must be followed in order
⬜ All steps must be complete with the first ART before launching additional trains

When implementing SAFe in a government setting, what is a key consideration for successful adoption?​

⬜ Maintaining existing bureaucratic processes
⬜ Customizing SAFe terminology extensively
⬜ Engaging leadership to champion the change
⬜ Isolating Agile teams from the rest of the organization​

What shift does SAFe recommend for traditional project management offices (PMOs) in government agencies?

⬜ Retain control over day-to-day team assignments
⬜ Eliminate roles associated with oversight and reporting
⬜ Focus solely on compliance enforcement
⬜ Evolve into a Lean-Agile Center of Excellence supporting continuous improvement

In a SAFe implementation at a government agency, Agile teams consist of both civil servants and contractors. Initially, interactions are strained, with contractors and government personnel working more against each other than together. What cultural shift does SAFe for Government say is needed to build high-performing teams in this multi-vendor environment?

⬜ The government staff should direct the contractors with a command-and-control approach to enforce compliance.
⬜ Contractors should work independently on their deliverables to avoid conflict with government employees.
⬜ Government and contractor personnel must start collaborating as one team-of-teams, moving from an adversarial relationship to a partnership mindset.
⬜ Replace all contractors with government employees, since mixed teams cannot function effectively in Agile.

Topic 18: Lean Agile Leadership

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*Which aspect of leading by example 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 transparency?

⬜ Authenticity
⬜ Emotional intelligence
⬜ Life-long learning
⬜ Decentralized decision-making

*What occurs when leaders create an environment for risk-taking that supports change without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career?

⬜ Psychological safety
⬜ Decentralized decision-making
⬜ Emotional intelligence
⬜ Alignment

*In SAFe, what is the primary responsibility of a Lean-Agile Leader in the government organization?

⬜ Setting the vision and strategy for the organization
⬜ Leading the Agile Release Train (ART)
⬜ Managing the daily activities of Agile teams
⬜ Providing technical guidance to development teams

How does Lean-Agile leadership improve government program outcomes?

⬜ By enforcing strict top-down accountability
⬜ By delegating all responsibilities to contractors
⬜ By reducing the role of compliance teams
⬜ By modeling servant leadership and enabling decision-making at the right level

What outcome is expected when leaders create psychological safety in a SAFe government environment?

⬜ Increased reliance on fixed-scope contracts
⬜ Elimination of backlog grooming sessions
⬜ Greater team participation, innovation, and learning
⬜ Strict enforcement of top-down command structures