The three key purposes of the Nexus Sprint Planning
Hello, folks!
I have found this question in a open mock-up and I've got myself in a doubt regarding which event of the Nexus is the MAIN to identify and remove dependency between teams.
Question: What are the three key purposes of the Nexus Sprint Planning?
a) The Nexus Sprint Goal is formulated
b) The sequence of work across teams is adjusted
c) Cross team dependencies are detected
d) All Nexus Sprint Backlog items are estimated in detail
e) To forecast which Scrum team will deliver which Product Backlog items, and to identify dependencies across those teams.
The answers given as correct are: a, b, and c.
Let's go to the evidences in Nexus Guide in order to check the correct answers.
For the option a: (I think it is clear!)
"Nexus Sprint Planning [...] The Product Owner discusses the Nexus Sprint Goal during Nexus Sprint Planning. The Nexus Sprint Goal describes the purpose that will be achieved by the Scrum Teams during the Sprint. Once the overall work for the Nexus is understood, Nexus Sprint Planning continues with each Scrum Team performing their own separate Sprint Planning.[...]"
For the option b: (I think it is clear!)
"During Nexus Sprint Planning, appropriate representatives from each Scrum Team validate and make adjustments to the ordering of the work as created during Refinement events"
BUT, for the option c: (It appears to be the main purpose for the "Refinement" not for the "The Sprint Planning" even thought it can also be done on it)
at refining "the Product Backlog: The Product Backlog needs to be decomposed so that dependencies are identified and removed or minimized" [...]
"Nexus Sprint Planning [...] The Product Backlog should be adequately refined with dependencies identified and removed or minimized prior to Nexus Sprint Planning"
What do you think?
I know the refinement is continuous, and it is done as necessary and appropriate.
But, is this question bad formulated? or is "detecting the cross team dependencies" really a key purpose of the Nexus Sprint Planning? Can someone provide some insight?
It seems like this sentence in the description of the Nexus Sprint Planning is key:
An adequately refined Product Backlog will minimize the emergence of new dependencies during Nexus Sprint Planning.
Although refinement is where the majority of dependencies are identified, adequate refinement doesn't identify all dependencies. Even considering this, I'm not sure that I would consider dependency detection a key purpose of the Nexus Sprint Planning, though.
But, is this question bad formulated?
When a question appears badly formulated, perhaps the first thing to do is to check its provenance. If we can have confidence in the source, the answers might bear scrutiny.
Hi Thomas!
I'm not sure that I would consider dependency detection a key purpose of the Nexus Sprint Planning, though.
I thought the same.
I think that the reason to consider "Refinement" as a new formal event in Nexus is because many new dependencies arise between the work of multiple teams at scale so that there is need to say "break down" the steps of the "dependencies detection".
Thus, the main and right time to do it would be at "Refinement" event. On the other hand, at the "Nexus Sprint Planning" anyone would be free to do it too, but it is a "secondary" goal once it was done before.
What do you think?
Acting as a Nexus coach in a new initiative, would you say that to the Nexus Scrum Teams?
Your thinking is close.
I would say that refinement is the primary opportunity to work on detecting and reworking the Product Backlog to minimize dependencies. Based on feedback received in the Sprint Review, some refinement (and therefore dependency management) may need to happen at Sprint Planning. I would say that there is some level of continuous watching for dependencies. The Daily Scrum and Nexus Daily Scrum are opportunities for replanning around any dependencies that may be detected during the course of the Sprint.