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Need more clarity about these sentences in scrum guide

Last post 03:03 pm September 23, 2018 by vishal Rajadhyaksha
4 replies
08:44 pm September 22, 2018

Please give me more clarity about below sentences in scrum guide :

First Sentence:

Sprint goal is an objective set for the sprint that can be met through implementation of product backlog.

Here, the reason for confusion is product backlog. Should it be Sprint Backlog instead of product backlog. If no, please explain.

 

Second Sentence:

Work planned for the first days of the sprint by the development team is decomposed by the end of sprint planning meeting.

Here, what does the term 'First days' refer to ?  Does it refer to First few days ?  Also, why the development team decomposes work only for first few days and not for all days of the entire sprint ? In the project I work on, by the end of sprint planning, development team decomposes all user stories in tasks by the end of the sprint; so the confusion.


09:42 pm September 22, 2018

Should it be Sprint Backlog instead of product backlog. If no, please explain.

Which would most clearly express the need to deliver business value?

Also, why the development team decomposes work only for first few days and not for all days of the entire sprint ?

Does the Guide say a team can't do that as well, if its members so choose?

If a team did decompose work for the entire Sprint, what risks might there be in attempting to produce a forecast so far in advance? What advantages might there be in having such a forecast available?

In the project I work on, by the end of sprint planning, development team decomposes all user stories in tasks by the end of the sprint; so the confusion.

Do they continue to inspect and adapt the Sprint Backlog on at least a daily basis?


05:37 am September 23, 2018

@Ian Mitchell,

Clear about the first sentence. Thank you.

Regarding your question- No, my team does not follow inspect and adapt for sprint backlog on daily basis. We do retrospective for inspect and adapt as a TEAM. But, as I said, there is no inspect and adapt process followed for sprint backlog as entire sprint backlog is selected in sprint planning meeting. I just now got to know this is not the correct way.

So, my question is - suppose we selected work for only 3 days in sprint planning and by the end of the 3rd day our work is on the verge of completion. So, do we again need to take planning meeting with product owner to get the work for remaining 7 days (considering 2 weeks sprint) ?

Inspect and adapt term when we use for a Team, we basically mean- to improve as a team. But what does it refer when we use this term for sprint backlog ?  We know which items are on priority in sprint planning meeting, then what could be disadvantages of selecting entire sprint's work in the sprint planning ?


06:47 am September 23, 2018

there is no inspect and adapt process followed for sprint backlog as entire sprint backlog is selected in sprint planning meeting. I just now got to know this is not the correct way.

Forecasting a complete Sprint Backlog during Sprint Planning is not necessarily incorrect. The Scrum Guide does not forbid it. The requirement is merely that work sufficient for the first few days must be enumerated.

A team should always be able to estimate how much work they think remains during a Sprint, but that does not necessarily imply that a complete plan of work (e.g. all tasks) must be produced. A complete set of Product Backlog items (e.g. user stories with their estimates) may be sufficient, and the work for them subsequently planned on a just-in-time basis. This can avoid waste as new things about the work are learned, and up-front planning can be precocious.

If a team fails to regularly inspect and adapt its progress towards the Sprint Goal, and to update and revise the Sprint Backlog accordingly, then that would be incorrect. This is true irrespective of how much work they initially chose to forecast and in how much detail.

 


03:03 pm September 23, 2018

Okay.. clear now..

Thank you.


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