In Agile Foundation guidance, the progress practice focuses on understanding, monitoring, and communicating how work is advancing toward agreed objectives and outcomes. Burn charts are a key tool used to support this practice, making option B the correct answer. Burn charts provide a simple, visual representation of progress over time, enabling teams and stakeholders to see how much work has been completed and how much remains.
Burn charts, including burn-down and burn-up charts, are widely used in Agile environments to support transparency and informed decision-making. A burn-down chart shows the remaining work decreasing over time, while a burn-up chart displays completed work against the total scope. Both formats help teams assess whether they are on track to meet their goals within a given timebox or delivery stage. Agile Foundation materials emphasize that progress should be measured based on delivered value and completed work, not on effort spent or activities performed.
Option A, the Agilometer, is used to assess the suitability and risks of Agile adoption rather than tracking delivery progress. Option C, trading or swapping, relates to scope flexibility and prioritization, allowing teams to exchange lower-value work for higher-value items while staying within constraints. While useful, it does not directly measure or visualize progress. Option D, the team skills matrix, supports capability development and resource planning, not progress tracking.
Agile Foundation documents highlight that effective progress tracking builds trust and supports governance without excessive reporting. Burn charts enable frequent inspection of progress, early identification of issues, and timely adaptation when trends indicate potential problems. They also support the principle of manage by exception by providing clear evidence when tolerances may be exceeded. By offering a shared, easily understood view of progress, burn charts strengthen transparency, collaboration, and confidence in Agile delivery, making them an essential tool for the progress practice.
