Impact of Technical Debt on Transparency

Technical debt can significantly affect the transparency of a Scrum Team’s work and the overall product development process. Understanding how it impacts transparency is essential for effective management and mitigation.

Exam Question

Select two ways in which technical debt impacts transparency.
(choose the best two answers)
A. It leads to false assumptions about the current state of the system, specifically of an Increment being releasable at the end of a Sprint.
B. As development progresses and code is added, the system becomes more difficult to stabilize, which results in future work being slowed down in unpredictable ways.
C. When calculated and estimated, the total amount of technical debt shows exactly how long until the Product Owner can release the Increment.
D. It enhances transparency for the Product Owner as the Developers are not allowed to do additional feature development in a Sprint as long as there is technical debt.

Correct Answers

A. It leads to false assumptions about the current state of the system, specifically of an Increment being releasable at the end of a Sprint.
B. As development progresses and code is added, the system becomes more difficult to stabilize, which results in future work being slowed down in unpredictable ways.

Explanation

Correct Answers

A. It leads to false assumptions about the current state of the system, specifically of an Increment being releasable at the end of a Sprint:
Technical debt can mask the true state of the system, leading to false assumptions about the Increment’s releasability. This lack of clarity can cause stakeholders to believe that the product is in a better state than it actually is, affecting decisions and planning.

B. As development progresses and code is added, the system becomes more difficult to stabilize, which results in future work being slowed down in unpredictable ways:
Technical debt makes the system harder to stabilize as more code is added. This unpredictability can slow down future work, making it challenging to estimate and plan effectively. The increased complexity reduces transparency, as it becomes harder to foresee the impacts of new development.

Why the Other Options Are Less Relevant

C. When calculated and estimated, the total amount of technical debt shows exactly how long until the Product Owner can release the Increment:
This is incorrect because estimating technical debt does not provide an exact timeline for the Increment’s release. It merely highlights areas that need refactoring or additional work, which can vary in effort and impact.

D. It enhances transparency for the Product Owner as the Developers are not allowed to do additional feature development in a Sprint as long as there is technical debt:
This is not a standard practice in Scrum. Managing technical debt should not completely halt feature development but should be balanced and planned alongside new work to maintain progress and transparency.

Implications of Technical Debt

• Decreased Quality: Accumulated technical debt can lead to lower product quality, making it harder to maintain and extend.
• Slower Development: Future development is slowed as more effort is needed to manage and refactor the codebase.
• Unpredictable Timelines: Estimating work becomes challenging, affecting the team’s ability to deliver predictably.

Relevance to the SPS Exam

Understanding the impact of technical debt on transparency is crucial for the SPS exam. It demonstrates the ability to manage large-scale Scrum projects effectively, ensuring that teams maintain clarity and deliver high-quality increments.

Key Takeaways

• Technical debt obscures the true state of the system, leading to false assumptions about releasability.
• Increased complexity from technical debt makes future work unpredictable and slows down development.
• Effective management of technical debt is essential for maintaining transparency and ensuring successful project outcomes.

Conclusion

Managing technical debt is critical for maintaining transparency and ensuring the smooth progress of development in a Scrum environment. By understanding its impacts and adopting proactive strategies, teams can improve their ability to deliver valuable increments consistently. For more information on preparing for the SPS exam, visit our Scaled Professional Scrum SPS™ Exam Prep.