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Agile Review Series: Agile Risk & Issue Management
Full 150 Agile Review & Questions Video: https://youtu.be/Z-teNScLspI
How do Agile teams stay ahead of uncertainty and deal with issues before they grow? In this video, we’ll explore Agile Risk & Issue Management — how Agile teams identify, visualize, and respond to risks and blockers through collaboration, transparency, and continuous learning.
This is the 12th video in our 15-part Agile Review & Question series. You’ll learn how Agile teams handle risk through early delivery, shared ownership, visual management, and adaptive planning. Then, you’ll test your understanding with 10 scenario-based practice questions (Questions 111–120) with detailed explanations.
✅ You’ll learn how to:
• Identify and address risks continuously during Agile events
• Use techniques like spikes, risk tagging, and visual boards to manage uncertainty
• Apply team-level ownership of risks and impediments
• Handle dependencies and cross-team risks in scaled environments
• Escalate and resolve issues effectively in Agile and hybrid projects
By practicing these questions, you’ll strengthen your ability to manage risks proactively — a key competency for both the PMP® exam and real-world Agile delivery.
Chapters:
0:00 Agile Risk & Issue Management Overview
2:27 Question 111
4:35 Question 112
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
The topic we'll cover is agile risk and
0:02
issue management. How agile teams deal
0:05
with uncertainty, reduce risks through
0:07
frequent delivery, and respond quickly
0:09
when issues arise. In agile, risk
0:12
management isn't a separate phase. It's
0:14
continuous, built into the way teams
0:16
plan, deliver, and reflect. Rather than
0:18
predicting every risk up front, agile
0:21
teams minimize exposure by working in
0:23
short, timeboxed iterations, delivering
0:25
usable increments early, and gathering
0:27
frequent stakeholder feedback. This
0:30
approach reduces uncertainty and
0:31
uncovers issues before they grow. For
0:34
the PMP exam, you should understand that
0:36
agile teams identify risks early and
0:39
often during daily scrum, sprint
0:41
reviews, and retrospectives. These touch
0:43
points create opportunities to spot
0:45
potential problems, dependencies, or
0:47
misalignments before they turn into
0:49
bigger issues. Sometimes agile teams use
0:53
spikes, which are short timeboxed
0:55
efforts to explore an unknown technical
0:57
or requirement. This helps reduce
0:58
uncertainty and lower risk before
1:00
committing to full implementation. A key
1:03
concept is team level ownership of risk.
1:06
In agile, everyone is responsible for
1:08
raising and addressing risks or
1:10
impediments. Issues are made visible,
1:13
often using task boards or impediment
1:15
logs to promote transparency and
1:17
accountability. When a problem can't be
1:20
solved within the team, it gets
1:21
escalated quickly, often with help from
1:23
the scrum master or product owner. The
1:26
scrum master plays a critical role in
1:28
removing impediments and facilitating
1:30
issue resolution while ensuring the team
1:33
stays focused on delivering value.
1:35
You'll also want to know how agile teams
1:38
handle dependencies and cross teamam
1:39
risks, especially in scaled or hybrid
1:42
environments. Coordination mechanisms
1:44
like scrum of scrums help manage risks
1:47
that cut across teams, while hybrid
1:49
approaches may blend agile adaptability
1:52
with predictive risk planning for
1:54
governance. On the exam, expect
1:57
scenarios where you'll need to decide
1:58
how to manage uncertainty, blockers,
2:01
technical risks, and team ownership of
2:04
issues. Look for answers that emphasize
2:06
transparency, frequent inspection, early
2:09
delivery, and team empowerment. Now,
2:12
we'll go through 10 practice questions
2:14
that test your knowledge of agile risk
2:16
practices, issue resolution, and how
2:19
agile leaders and teams stay ahead of
2:21
potential problems. Let's jump into the
2:24
first question in this topic. Question
2:27
111. A financial services company is
2:30
developing a new digital platform using
2:32
agile. Leadership is concerned about
2:34
high uncertainty and potential risks
2:36
with compliance and customer adoption.
2:39
The project manager wants to demonstrate
2:41
how agile practices can actively reduce
2:43
these risks. Which approach best
2:46
addresses risk reduction in this
2:48
situation? A. increasing backlog
2:51
refinement sessions so that risks are
2:53
discussed thoroughly before each
2:55
iteration begins. B. Delivering early
2:58
usable increments of the platform in
3:00
short iterations for stakeholder
3:02
inspection and feedback. C. Piloting
3:06
early increments with an internal
3:07
compliance user group only and delaying
3:10
broader stakeholder reviews until the
3:12
solution stabilizes to avoid churn. D.
3:16
Using retrospectives to capture risks as
3:18
lessons learned, then applying those
3:20
insights toward later iterations. You
3:23
can pause the video here if you need
3:25
more time to work on the question. The
3:27
correct answer is B. This question tests
3:31
your understanding of how agile reduces
3:34
risk through iterative delivery and
3:36
frequent feedback. Agile teams minimize
3:39
uncertainty not by predicting every risk
3:41
upfront but by delivering working
3:44
increments early and adjusting based on
3:46
stakeholder input. Choice B is the best
3:49
option because early usable increments
3:52
allow compliance and customer
3:53
stakeholders to see real functionality
3:56
in short cycles. This reduces risk by
3:58
exposing compliance gaps and adoption
4:00
issues while they are still easy to
4:02
correct. Choice A is incorrect. While
4:05
backlog refinement promotes discussion
4:07
of risks, it does not actively reduce
4:09
them without delivering increments for
4:11
validation. Choice C is incorrect.
4:14
Restricting feedback to internal groups
4:16
delays broader stakeholder involvement
4:18
and raises the risk of late
4:20
misalignment. Choice D is incorrect.
4:22
Retrospectives help capture lessons, but
4:25
this is reactive. Agile risk management
4:27
requires early delivery and feedback to
4:30
proactively reduce risks. Let's move on
4:33
to the next question if you're ready.
4:35
Question 112. During a sprint review,
4:38
several stakeholders raise concerns that
4:40
new regulatory changes may affect
4:42
upcoming work. The agile team wants to
4:44
ensure they identify risks like this
4:45
earlier rather than being surprised late
4:48
in development. What should the project
4:50
manager encourage the team to do? A,
4:52
hold a dedicated risk workshop at the
4:54
start of each release to capture and
4:56
categorize potential issues. B. Ask the
4:59
scrum master to maintain an impediment
5:01
log that tracks all risks and escalates
5:04
them to leadership. C. Raise and review
5:07
risk continuously during backlog
5:10
refinement, sprint planning, and daily
5:12
standups. D. Schedule periodic reviews
5:15
with compliance experts to assess risks
5:17
after major increments are completed.
5:20
You can pause the video here if you need
5:21
more time to work on the question. The
5:24
correct answer is C. This question tests
5:27
your understanding of how agile teams
5:29
proactively identify risks. Agile risk
5:32
management is not about one-time
5:34
workshops or endofphase reviews. It is
5:36
about embedding risk awareness into the
5:39
regular cadence of agile events so that
5:41
issues surface quickly and can be acted
5:44
upon. Choice C is the best option
5:46
because raising and reviewing risks
5:48
continuously during backlog refinement,
5:50
sprint planning, and daily standups
5:52
ensures that risks are identified early,
5:54
monitored frequently, and address before
5:56
they escalate. Choice A is incorrect.
5:59
Risk workshops may help, but limiting
6:01
them to release level checkpoints delays
6:04
identification and increases exposure.
6:07
Choice B is incorrect. Having the scrum
6:10
master own a separate risk log
6:12
undermines the agile principle of shared
6:15
team ownership of risks. Choice D is
6:18
incorrect. Compliance reviews are
6:20
useful, but scheduling them only after
6:23
increments are complete makes the
6:24
approach reactive, not proactive. Let's
6:27
move on to the next question if you're
6:29
ready. Question 113.
6:32
An agile team is developing a new
6:34
product where customer preferences are
6:36
unclear and requirements are expected to
6:38
evolve rapidly. The project manager
6:40
wants to help the team reduce
6:41
uncertainty while ensuring the product
6:43
aligns with stakeholder needs. Which
6:46
approach best addresses this situation?
6:49
A. Clarify user stories in detail for
6:52
each sprint during backlog refinement to
6:54
minimize ambiguity. B. Conduct regular
6:58
feedback loops through sprint reviews
7:00
and customer demos to validate
7:02
increments. C. Ask the product owner to
7:05
prioritize the most stable requirements
7:07
first to build a reliable foundation
7:09
before tackling uncertain items. D.
7:12
Schedule additional retrospectives
7:14
focused on exploring unknowns and
7:17
capturing lessons learned to apply in
7:19
future sprints. You can pause the video
7:21
here if you need more time to work on
7:23
the question. The correct answer is B.
7:27
This question tests your understanding
7:29
of how agile addresses uncertainty
7:31
through frequent feedback loops. Agile
7:34
teams don't try to eliminate all
7:36
unknowns upfront. Instead, they reduce
7:40
uncertainty by delivering working
7:42
increments early and validating them
7:44
directly with stakeholders. Choice B is
7:48
the best option because sprint reviews
7:50
and customer demos create structured
7:52
opportunities for stakeholders to
7:54
inspect actual increments, share
7:56
feedback, and guide evolving
7:58
requirements. This ensures the product
8:00
adapts continuously to real needs rather
8:03
than assumptions. Choice A is incorrect.
8:06
Clarifying stories in detail during
8:08
refinement may reduce ambiguity, but
8:10
overspecification cannot replace real
8:12
feedback on working product increments.
8:15
Choice C is incorrect. Tackling only
8:17
stable requirements first defers the
8:20
uncertain high-risk items until later,
8:22
which increases the chance of late
8:24
surprises. Choice D is incorrect.
8:27
Retrospectives provide useful insights,
8:30
but focusing only on lessons learned
8:32
after the fact is reactive rather than
8:34
actively reducing uncertainty as the
8:36
work progresses. Let's move on to the
8:39
next question if you're ready. Question
8:41
114.
8:43
An agile team is working on a complex
8:45
platform with significant technical
8:47
uncertainty and regulatory exposure. The
8:50
project manager wants risks to be
8:51
transparent and to influence
8:53
prioritization during refinement and
8:55
sprint planning. Which approach best
8:57
supports visualizing and managing risks
8:59
in this situation? A. Sequence the
9:02
backlog primarily by risk exposure so
9:04
the riskiest items are delivered first.
9:07
B. Maintain a lightweight risk register
9:10
linked to backlog items and review it in
9:12
sprint planning to inform priority
9:14
decisions. C. Convert high uncertainty
9:18
items into time box spikes and manage
9:20
them as backlog stories, relying on
9:23
spike outcomes instead of separate risk
9:25
visuals. D. Tag backlog and board items
9:28
with clear risk indicators and review
9:30
these tags during refinement and
9:32
planning to drive prioritization. You
9:35
can pause the video here if you need
9:36
more time to work on the question. The
9:39
correct answer is D. This question tests
9:41
your knowledge of how agile teams make
9:43
risks visible and integrate them into
9:45
everyday prioritization. Instead of
9:47
treating risk management as a separate
9:49
document or meeting, agile approaches
9:51
embed risk transparency directly into
9:54
team tools like the backlog and
9:56
taskboard. Choice D is the best option
9:59
because tagging backlog items with risk
10:01
indicators ensures that risks remain
10:03
visible and actively influence
10:05
refinement and prioritization decisions.
10:07
This approach balances business value
10:10
with risk reduction in a transparent
10:12
way. Choice A is incorrect. Sequencing
10:14
purely by risk exposure overemphasizes
10:17
risk and ignores value delivery which
10:19
may misalign with stakeholder
10:21
priorities. Choice B is incorrect. A
10:23
lightweight register is helpful, but
10:25
keeping risk separate from the backlog
10:27
reduces day-to-day visibility for the
10:29
team. Choice C is incorrect. Using
10:32
spikes addresses uncertainty, but does
10:34
not fully visualize or communicate
10:36
ongoing risks across the backlog. Let's
10:39
move on to the next question if you're
10:41
ready. Question 115. An agile team is
10:44
working on a product with high technical
10:47
complexity and the potential for major
10:49
integration issues. The project manager
10:51
wants to ensure the team has a way to
10:54
deal with unexpected risks without
10:56
creating a heavy upfront plan. Which
10:59
approach best reflects contingency
11:01
planning in an agile environment? A.
11:04
Document detailed contingency responses
11:06
for each identified risk in a risk
11:08
register before development begins. B.
11:11
Maintain a prioritized backlog that
11:14
includes risk mitigating stories or
11:16
spikes to be pulled in when high-risisk
11:18
items need validation. C. Set aside
11:21
capacity within each sprint so the team
11:24
can quickly respond to risks or
11:26
unplanned mitigation work as needed. D.
11:29
Use retrospectives at the end of each
11:31
sprint to capture risks that occurred
11:33
and create new contingency actions for
11:36
future sprints. You can pause the video
11:38
here if you need more time to work on
11:40
the question. The correct answer is B.
11:43
This question tests your understanding
11:45
of how agile teams handle contingency
11:47
planning without heavy documentation.
11:49
Instead of trying to plan every possible
11:51
risk response upfront, agile teams build
11:54
contingency directly into the backlog so
11:56
mitigation work can be prioritized
11:58
alongside features. Choice B is the best
12:01
option because incorporating risk
12:03
mitigating stories or spikes into the
12:05
backlog keeps risks visible and ensures
12:08
mitigation is addressed in planning and
12:10
prioritized when needed. This integrates
12:13
contingency into normal delivery flow.
12:16
Choice A is incorrect. Creating detailed
12:19
contingency plans for each risk is
12:21
predictive and too heavy for agile,
12:23
reducing adaptability.
12:25
Choice C is incorrect. Reserving sprint
12:28
capacity fills agile, but it disrupts
12:30
predictability and weakens
12:32
prioritization compared to backlogd
12:34
driven visibility.
12:36
Choice D is incorrect. Retrospectives
12:39
help capture lessons, but waiting until
12:41
after risks occur makes the approach
12:44
reactive rather than proactive. Let's
12:47
move on to the next question if you're
12:48
ready. Question 116. Several agile teams
12:52
are working on a large program with
12:54
shared components. During sprint
12:56
planning, one team identifies that a
12:58
critical feature depends on another
13:00
team's work which may not be ready in
13:02
time. The project manager wants to
13:05
ensure dependency risks are addressed
13:07
effectively. Which approach best
13:10
supports managing these cross teamam
13:12
risks? A. Use a coordination forum such
13:15
as a scrum of scrums to surface and
13:17
align on cross team dependencies early.
13:20
B. Raise the dependency directly with
13:23
the other team's product owner to
13:24
negotiate sequencing outside of team
13:27
events. C. Ask the product owner to
13:30
defer the dependent feature until the
13:31
other team delivers their component. D.
13:34
Track the dependency on a shared program
13:37
board and review it regularly with all
13:39
teams involved. You can pause the video
13:42
here if you need more time to work on
13:44
the question. The correct answer is A.
13:47
This question tests your understanding
13:49
of how agile programs handle dependency
13:52
risks. Large initiatives often require
13:54
multiple teams to coordinate closely and
13:57
agile emphasizes making these
13:58
dependencies visible and resolving them
14:01
through structured collaborative events.
14:04
Choice A is the best option because
14:05
forums like Scrum of Scrums allow teams
14:07
to surface dependencies early, align on
14:10
priorities and coordinate solutions
14:12
transparently across the program. This
14:14
ensures risks are managed before they
14:16
cause delays. Choice B is incorrect.
14:19
Negotiating directly with another
14:21
product owner seems proactive, but it
14:23
bypasses broader visibility and risks
14:26
creating siloed agreements. Choice C is
14:29
incorrect. Deferring the feature avoids
14:31
the dependency instead of actively
14:33
managing it, which can lead to delays
14:35
and missed value. Choice D is incorrect.
14:39
A program board helps visualize
14:41
dependencies, but without active
14:42
coordination, it becomes passive
14:44
tracking rather than proactive risk
14:46
management. Let's move on to the next
14:49
question, if you're ready. Question 117.
14:52
During a sprint, a developer reports
14:54
that they cannot proceed because a key
14:57
testing environment is unavailable, the
14:59
issue is slowing progress, and the team
15:02
is unsure how to move forward. What
15:04
should the project manager do to address
15:06
this impediment? A encourage the scrum
15:09
master to work with stakeholders outside
15:11
the team to remove the blocker while
15:13
keeping the team focused on delivery. B
15:16
ask the product owner to adjust the
15:18
sprint scope so the team can shift away
15:20
from work requiring the testing
15:21
environment. C. Facilitate a team
15:24
discussion to brainstorm temporary
15:26
workarounds until the environment
15:28
becomes available. D. Capture the
15:31
blocker in the impediment log and review
15:33
it in the next retrospective to prevent
15:35
future delays. You can pause the video
15:38
here if you need more time to work on
15:39
the question. The correct answer is A.
15:43
This question tests your understanding
15:45
of how agile teams handle impediments
15:47
that are outside of their direct
15:48
control. When a blocker arises that the
15:51
team cannot resolve themselves, the
15:53
scrum master plays a critical role in
15:55
facilitating its removal while keeping
15:57
the team focused on the sprint goal.
16:00
Choice A is the best option because the
16:02
scrum master is responsible for helping
16:04
the team by removing organizational or
16:06
external obstacles. This allows the
16:08
developers to stay focused on delivery
16:10
instead of getting stuck. Choice B is
16:12
incorrect. Adjusting scope mid-sprint
16:14
undermines commitment to the sprint goal
16:16
and is not the best way to resolve an
16:18
external impediment. Choice C is
16:21
incorrect. Brainstorming workarounds
16:24
sounds collaborative, but it often leads
16:26
to wasted effort rather than solving the
16:28
actual blocker. Choice D is incorrect.
16:31
Tracking the issue for later discussion
16:33
in a retrospective is reactive. The
16:35
impediment must be addressed during the
16:37
sprint, not afterward. Let's move on to
16:40
the next question if you're ready.
16:42
Question 118. A large project is being
16:45
delivered using a hybrid approach. Agile
16:48
teams are building components
16:49
iteratively while an overall predictive
16:52
schedule is used to manage key
16:54
milestones. The sponsor is concerned
16:57
about risks that cut across both
16:59
approaches. What should the project
17:01
manager do to manage risks effectively
17:03
in this hybrid environment? A. Conduct a
17:07
detailed risk workshop at the start of
17:08
the project to capture all major risks
17:11
before either approach begins execution.
17:14
B. Ensure agile risks from backlog
17:16
refinement and impediment tracking are
17:19
integrated into the program's overall
17:20
risk register. C. Allow predictive and
17:24
agile teams to manage risks separately
17:27
with each approach using its own tools
17:29
and reporting methods. D. Establish a
17:32
cross team forum where agile and
17:34
predictive leaders review risks
17:36
together, but keep agile risks outside
17:38
of the central risk register to preserve
17:40
team autonomy. You can pause the video
17:43
here if you need more time to work on
17:45
the question. The correct answer is B.
17:48
This question tests your understanding
17:50
of how risk should be managed in a
17:52
hybrid project. Hybrid projects combine
17:55
agile adaptability with predictive
17:57
governance. So risks must be visible at
17:59
both levels. Choice B is the best option
18:02
because integrating agile risks into the
18:05
overall program risk register ensures
18:07
that crosscutting risks are transparent,
18:10
monitored, and addressed consistently.
18:13
This approach keeps agile teams
18:15
empowered to surface risks while giving
18:17
leadership a unified view. Choice A is
18:20
incorrect. Risk workshops can help, but
18:23
capturing risks only at the beginning is
18:26
predictive heavy and misses agile's
18:28
continuous risk identification. Choice C
18:31
is incorrect. Managing agile and
18:33
predictive risks separately creates
18:35
silos and prevents full visibility
18:37
across the program. Choice D is
18:40
incorrect. Cross team forums are
18:42
helpful, but excluding agile risks from
18:44
the central register undermines
18:46
governance and transparency. Let's move
18:48
on to the next question if you're ready.
18:51
Question 119. An agile team is
18:54
developing a new mobile app. During a
18:56
sprint, a developer identifies a
18:58
potential performance issue that could
18:59
cause scalability problems later. The
19:02
developer raises the concern in the
19:04
daily standup. How should the team
19:06
approach ownership of this risk? A. Ask
19:09
the scrum master to document the risk
19:11
and take responsibility for managing it
19:13
outside of team events. B. Nominate a
19:16
single team member with technical
19:18
expertise to take ownership of the risk
19:20
and provide updates during standups. C.
19:23
Discuss the risk as a team. Make it
19:25
visible on their board or backlog and
19:27
share responsibility for addressing or
19:30
escalating it. D. request that the
19:32
product owner decide whether the risk
19:34
should be tracked or ignored since it
19:37
impacts business value. You can pause
19:40
the video here if you need more time to
19:42
work on the question. The correct answer
19:44
is C. This question tests your
19:47
understanding of agile's principle of
19:49
shared risk ownership. Risks in agile
19:52
are not managed by a single role but are
19:54
made transparent and handled
19:56
collectively by the team. This approach
19:59
ensures accountability and faster
20:01
resolution. Choice C is the best option
20:04
because the team discusses the risk,
20:06
makes it visible on their board or
20:08
backlog, and shares ownership for
20:10
addressing or escalating it. This
20:12
promotes transparency and team level
20:14
accountability. Choice A is incorrect.
20:17
The scrum master facilitates impediment
20:19
removal but does not own risks
20:22
exclusively. Choice B is incorrect.
20:25
Assigning a single expert feels
20:26
practical, but it undermines shared team
20:29
responsibility. Choice D is incorrect.
20:32
The product owner contributes business
20:34
perspective, but risk ownership is
20:36
collective, not limited to one role.
20:39
Let's move on to the next question if
20:42
you're ready. Question 120. During a
20:45
sprint, the team encounters a critical
20:47
dependency that is outside their control
20:49
and is blocking progress on a high
20:51
priority feature. The developers raise
20:53
the issue during the daily standup. How
20:56
should the project managers support
20:57
escalation in this agile environment? A
21:01
document the issue in the risk register
21:03
and bring it to leadership at the end of
21:05
the sprint for formal review. B ask the
21:09
product owner to adjust priorities so
21:11
the team can avoid the blocked work
21:12
until the dependency is resolved. C.
21:15
Encourage the team to brainstorm
21:17
temporary workarounds and continue
21:19
working without involving others outside
21:21
the team. D. Ensure the scrum master
21:24
surfaces the issue promptly in a
21:26
coordination forum such as a scrum of
21:28
scrums so the right stakeholders can
21:30
help resolve it. You can pause the video
21:33
here if you need more time to work on
21:34
the question. The correct answer is D.
21:38
This question tests your understanding
21:40
of how agile teams escalate issues
21:42
effectively. Escalation should be
21:44
timely, transparent, and collaborative,
21:46
ensuring the right stakeholders are
21:48
involved in removing obstacles without
21:50
undermining team autonomy. Choice D is
21:52
the best option because the scrum master
21:54
ensures the issue is raised promptly in
21:57
a coordination forum like a scrum of
21:59
scrums. This approach makes the problem
22:01
visible at the program level, engages
22:03
the right stakeholders, and supports
22:05
quick resolution. Choice A is incorrect.
22:08
Documenting and waiting until the end of
22:10
the sprint is too reactive and delays
22:13
resolution.
22:15
Choice B is incorrect. Adjusting
22:17
priorities may avoid the dependency, but
22:19
it sidesteps solving the underlying
22:22
issue. Choice C is incorrect.
22:24
Brainstorming workarounds may feel
22:26
proactive, but it risks adding waste
22:28
without addressing the root cause. Great
22:31
job finishing 10 questions for the agile
22:33
risk and issue management. That's 120
22:36
agile questions mastered so far. You're
22:38
building a solid foundation for your PMP
22:41
exam. If you find this video helpful,
22:42
please like the video and subscribe to
22:44
our channel. When you're ready, I will
22:46
see you in the next topic.