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who should write User stories

Last post 04:36 pm July 12, 2024 by Surya Prakasa Rao Ayyagari
7 replies
02:45 pm February 2, 2024

Hi,

I work as Business Analyst reporting to Product Owner. Who should write User Stories in the Scrum Team and maintain them? The Developer keeps changing the User Stories written by me. Please advise. Thank You!


04:24 pm February 2, 2024

The Scrum Guide makes it clear that the Product Owner may manage the Product Backlog or may delegate the responsibility to others. Regardless, the Product Owner remains accountable.

Who, if anyone, has the PO delegated the responsibility to in your situation?

Bear in mind that a user story is a placeholder for a conversation about a particular requirement, and that requirements are expected to change as more is learned.


06:16 am February 3, 2024

Who, if anyone, has the PO delegated the responsibility to in your situation?

No one

but my concern was developer rewrites the User Story I write. Can everyone  in the Scrum Team write User stories


11:55 am February 3, 2024

Do you know why the developers are rewriting your user stories? Is it truly a problem that the developers are doing this?

For example, Product Backlog refinement is a collaborative effort for the Scrum Team, during which they break down Product Backlog Items into smaller and more precise items and add details and other attributes. If the Developers are rewriting your user stories to make them smaller, thinner slices of work that are easier to design, develop, test, and deliver to receive feedback, that's a natural part of refinement. If they are rewriting them to make them clearer and easier to understand when they start working on them, that's also part of refinement.

It would be helpful if you provided more information about exactly what is happening and what the problem is.


03:11 pm February 5, 2024

Thank you so much for the responses:

What is happening is: As a BA when I write the User Stories and present the stories during the Backlog Refinement Call. Developer indicates he would change the User Story as it is not making sense. He changes them Outside of the Backlog Refinement Call without keeping Tester/myself in the loop. 

Here is what I understood: A Developer can make changes to the User Stories during Backlog Refinement Call either for the Clarity or to break down the User Stories into multiple ones.

Here is what I am going to do: I will inform the Developer to make any changes during the Backlog Refinement Call keeping everyone in the loop. Not outside of the Call. 

Again Thank You for the Responses. The Responses gave me the clarity I need. 

Thank you!


07:38 pm February 5, 2024

I'd point out one thing: The "Backlog Refinement Call" is your team's choice of strategy to implement Product Backlog Refinement.

The Scrum framework doesn't impose any requirements on refinement, other than the fact that it happens and the end result is, at a minimum, Product Backlog Items that the team believes represent work that can reach the Definition of Done within a Sprint timebox. There may be better ways to conduct refinement than limiting refinement activities to occurring within this "Backlog Refinement Call" that still ensure that everyone is aware of changes and that those changes result in clearer, more precise, but still accurate Product Backlog Items.


12:02 pm June 26, 2024

In many companies developers do that, but it isn't their job. It should be a business or system analyst, sometimes it is done by a project manager


02:34 pm July 12, 2024

It's Product Owner responsibility to write a User Stories to collabrate with team. Development team to assist PO while writing it to ensure that the stories are technically feasible and well-understood during Product backlog refinement session and estimate, mark it as READY TO WORK and can keep work item into respective sprint path backlog. 

Once US is moved to Sprint backlog item as committed for respective sprint as a GOAL then we should not change it.Unless, if there is new information, feedback from stakeholders, or changes in business priorities, the product owner may decide to reprioritize or introduce new user stories into the sprint backlog.

Hope this helps :) Thank you! 


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