Marian is a product Owner working on a Scrum Team on a new release for...

 The most effective way to recover is to restore transparency and trust by informing the Product Owner that the progress she has perceived to date is not correct. The Increment is not releasable because it does not meet the Definition of Done12, which is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete12. The Developers should give the Product Owner their estimate of the effort it would take to get the past work done, and suggest doing that work first before proceeding with new features. This way, the Developers can ensure that they deliver a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12. The Developers should also re-estimate the effort to complete the remaining backlog, including all testing, and communicate any changes or risks to the Product Owner. In the end, it is the Product Owner’s call to continue the project or to cancel it, based on the value and feasibility of the product12.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: The Developers set the open work aside to be performed in one or more release Sprints. They remind Marian to find funding for enough Release Sprints in which this remaining work can be done. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values. The Scrum framework does not prescribe any release Sprints or separate phases for testing or integration12. The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not postpone or hide their undone work. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not mislead or deceive the Product Owner. The Developers should respect the Product Owner’s authority and accountability for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not shift the responsibility or blame to them. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.

B: Transparency needs to be restored by adding the undone work to the Product Backlog. The Developers must figure out a way to deliver in the upcoming Sprints a velocity of not only 13 units of new work, but also two additional points to catch up undone work. It is the Scrum Master’s duty to assess whether such repair is possible. If not, the Scrum Master initiates a restart with a more reliable team orcancels the project. The Scrum Master will have to inform Product Owner and the stakeholders. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum roles. The Scrum framework does not prescribe any velocity or points as measures of progress or success12. The Scrum roles include Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers12. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not for tracking or controlling their velocity or points. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide1, causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team1, and working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization1, not for assessing or judging the performance of the Developers or initiating a restart or cancellation of the project. The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12, not for meeting a predetermined velocity or points target.

C: In the next Sprints, the Developers keep making sure that all of the selected scope per Sprint is as done as possible, at least at the past level of 90%. In every Sprint the undone work of the previous Sprint is estimated and added to the Sprint Backlog. It comes on top of the expected forecast of 13 units, so it does not mess up progress on the product Backlog. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values. The Scrum framework requires that each Sprint delivers a potentially releasable Increment that meets the Definition of Done12, not a partially done or incomplete product that accumulates technical debt or quality issues. The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not compromise on quality or value. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not hide or ignore their undone work. The Developers should respect the Product Owner’s authority and accountability for maximizing the value ofthe product and the work of the Developers12, not burden them with additional work or risk. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.

References:

What is an Increment? | Scrum.org

What is a Product Increment?| Scrum.org