The correct answer is A – Reduced or improper customer collaboration.
One of the core principles of Agile is continuous collaboration with the customer. If multiple feature changes are only identified during a late-stage review, it typically indicates that the customer was not involved sufficiently throughout the development process.
From the Agile Manifesto (cited in the PMI Agile Practice Guide):
“Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.”
“Working software is delivered frequently… with a preference to the shorter timescale.”
And from the PMI Agile Practice Guide:
“Ongoing engagement with the customer helps align product features with actual needs and reduce surprises during late-stage reviews.”
(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.2 – Stakeholder Engagement)
Mike Griffiths also emphasizes:
“When customers are involved in iteration reviews and backlog grooming, their evolving needs are captured in real time. Surprises during release reviews usually reflect a failure of ongoing communication.”
(Mike Griffiths, Chapter 3 – Value-Driven Delivery)
Other options don’t directly address the root cause:
B may contribute, but customer collaboration is the key differentiator in agile.
C and D are traditional causes of waterfall-style failure, not typically root causes in agile.
Answer: A
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