What is the purpose of the Sprint Backlog?
The Sprint Backlog increases the transparency of information about work planned and performed during the Sprint.
It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Development Team plans to accomplish during the Sprint.
What is the content and format?
Content: Product Backlog Items in scope for the Sprint (What) and the Development Team's plan for realizing the Sprint Goal (How). Each plan item has a description and estimate. The Sprint Backlog is also called a Forecast.
Note: In addition to the above, Sprint Backlog also will contain at least one high priority improvement required in the team’s way of working. This is clarified more in the section where ‘Sprint Retrospective’ is explained.
Format: Nothing specific, but each item must have a description and estimate. Figure 14 shows a sample Sprint Backlog.
Fig. 14- Sample Sprint Backlog
What is the lifecycle of the Sprint Backlog?
The Sprint Backlog is maintained from Sprint Planning until the Sprint Review. Athough it starts with some detail, the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint as the Development Team learns more about the work and modifies the Sprint Backlog accordingly.
The Sprint Backlog belongs solely to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can change the Sprint Backlog.
As work is performed or completed, the Development Team updates the estimated remaining work.
What happens if the team finds surprises about the work during the Sprint?
The Development Team works through the plan and learns more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal. The team may find that they under- or overestimated a Product Backlog Item. It is absolutely normal. As new work is required, the Development Team adds it to the Sprint Backlog. When elements of the plan are deemed unnecessary, they are removed. The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint.
-------------------Question- 30--------------------------
The Sprint Backlog is modified throughout the Sprint. As soon as a new task is identified,
a) The Product Owner adds it to the Sprint Backlog and communicates it to the Scrum Team.
b) The Scrum Master adds it to the Sprint Backlog and communicates it to the Scrum Team.
c) The Development Team adds it to the Sprint Backlog and communicates it to the Scrum Team.
-------Answer-------
The Sprint Backlog belongs solely to the Development Team. Correct answer is ‘c.’
-------------------Question- 30--------------------------
Rules
• The Development Team only can finalize what is part of the Sprint Backlog.
• Each plan item in the Sprint Backlog is preferably decomposed to less than a day’s work.
• The Sprint Backlog is collectively owned by the Development Team. There is no sole ownership of a Sprint Backlog Item by an individual team member, although they may work individually on an item. This is to ensure that there is increased transparency of work within the team, without an individual boundary.
• The estimated total remaining time is calculated at least once a day before the Daily Scrum, but usually more often than that.
-------------------Question- 31--------------------------
A Development Team decides to divide the Sprint Backlog and assign ownership of every Sprint Backlog Item to separate individuals on the team. The Scrum Master
a) Should encourage this practice as it increases productivity.
b) Should coach the team to collectively take ownership of the Sprint Backlog Items even though an individual works on a specific item.
c) Should encourage this practice as it increases individual accountability.
-------Answer-------
The Sprint Backlog is collectively owned by the Development Team. Correct answer is ‘b.’
-------------------Question- 31--------------------------
Planning produces the Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal is not maintained as a separate artifact in Scrum. Considering the importance and significance of the Sprint Goal, the author has pulled it out to highlight its special importance.
It is usually made available as publicly radiated information for the Scrum Team.
The Sprint Goal is NOT part of the Sprint Backlog. While the Sprint Goal is not changed, the Sprint Backlog can be negotiated anytime during the Sprint.
When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, the Sprint is automatically cancelled. There are various reasons for the Sprint Goal to become invalid, such as market changes, organizational changes, etc.
-------------------Question- 32--------------------------
During the Sprint, while the Sprint Backlog can be modified as more is learned, no changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
If the Sprint Goal is endangered, it would lead to cancellation of the Sprint. Correct answer is ‘a.’
-------------------Question- 32--------------------------
Summary
• The Sprint Backlog is a forecast by the Development Team about what functionality will be developed in the Sprint, the work needed to deliver that functionality, and one or more team improvement items.
• The Sprint Backlog is a plan with enough detail so that progress against this plan can be understood in the Daily Scrum.
• The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint.
• As new work is required, the Development Team adds it to the Sprint Backlog. As work is performed or completed, the estimated remaining work is updated.
• The Sprint Goal can be one coherent business function or any other coherence that causes the Development Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.
• The Sprint Goal also provides some flexibility to the Development Team regarding the Product Backlog Items.
• Only the Development Team can change the Sprint Backlog.
