Who crafts the sprint backlog ?
Hello dear community,
We can read that:
The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).
The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal. Consequently, the Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum.
We understand that the sprint backlog is the responsibility of the development team and that they are accountable for it. But the scrum guide doesn't explicitly say who creates the sprint backlog.
Thanks
The Scrum Guide does say who creates the Sprint Backlog: "Through discussion with the Product Owner, the Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint." It also states that "The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers."
So, if the sprint backlog is created by the developers, should we deduce that the sprint goal (contained in the sprint backlog) is too?
In fact, topic 1 of Sprint Planning states that it's the Scrum Team that creates the product goal.
The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates why the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.
I'm a little confused as to how the Scrum Team roles are involved in this artifact.
The whole Scrum Team defines the Sprint Goal as you typed above. The Developers then build their Sprint Backlog to achieve the Sprint Goal. Much of this is covered here: https://www.scrum.org/learning-series/sprint-backlog/ and https://www.scrum.org/learning-series/sprint-planning/ and much deeper in training to gain a stronger understanding and true application of Scrum I always suggest training.
Thank you for your clear and precise answers
In practical terms, the creation of the Sprint Backlog is typically a collaborative effort between the Developers, with the Scrum Master facilitating the process. During Sprint Planning, the Developers select the Product Backlog items they believe they can complete to achieve the Sprint Goal, and they create a plan for how to deliver the Increment. This plan, along with the selected Product Backlog items and the Sprint Goal, constitutes the Sprint Backlog.
Yes, in concrete terms, the sprint backlog is built by the Scrum Team. PO, SM and developers get together to discuss the product backlog items that are added. At least, that's how I see it in my day-to-day work.
But as Eric Naiburg reminds us, the Scrum Guide defines the following
- "Through discussion with the Product Owner, the Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint."
- "The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers."
In fact, we can conclude that it's the developers who create the sprint backlog and who commit to it according to the Scrum Guide.
Through my question I would like to know:
- Who creates the sprint backlog? -> the developers
- Who is responsible for the sprint backlog? -> the developers
And for the commitment of this artifact :
- Who creates the sprint goal? -> Scrum Team
- Who is responsible for the sprint goal? -> the developers