Sprint Planning – what is it?

Sprint Planning – Definition

Sprint Planning is the process of planning and preparing for a future Agile sprint, often used within Scrum. A sprint is a defined, short period of time (usually 1 to 4 weeks) during which a development team works toward specific goals and delivers specific features or customer value.

During Sprint Planning, the Scrum team, which includes developers, the Scrum Master, and the Product Owner, meets to establish sprint goals and plan specific tasks. During the meeting, product requirements, the product backlog, previous sprints, and various other factors that may influence sprint planning are discussed.

Preparing for the sprint planning meeting

Here are some steps to take before your sprint planning meeting:

1. Preparing the product backlog

Ensure the product backlog is up-to-date and includes all relevant tasks, requirements, and project priorities. Review the backlog and identify tasks that could potentially be included in the upcoming sprint.

2. Defining sprint goals

Together with the Product Owner and the team, establish the goals you want to achieve during the upcoming sprint. Identify the specific features, tasks, or fixes you want to deliver by the end of the sprint.

3. Analysis of previous sprints

Review results and progress from previous sprints to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This analysis can provide valuable insights and highlight potential areas for further optimization.

4. Identifying tasks and dependencies

Prepare a list of specific tasks that need to be completed during the sprint. Also, identify any dependencies between tasks and the resources that will be needed to complete them.

5. Preparation of materials

Prepare any necessary materials, such as presentations, documentation, or meeting tools. Make sure all participants have access to these materials and know how to use them.

6. Ensuring the presence of key participants

Ensure that all key meeting participants, including the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and development team members, are aware of the deadline and will be able to participate.

Determining the timing of Sprint Planning

The duration of Sprint Planning depends on several factors, such as:

• Sprint length:
  • It is generally accepted that Sprint Planning should last a maximum of 8 hours for a monthly sprint.
  • For shorter sprints this time should be proportionally shorter.
  • For example, for a two-week sprint, Sprint Planning may take approximately 4 hours.
• Product backlog complexity:
  • The more complex the product backlog, the more time the team will need to discuss it and estimate user stories.
• Team size:
  • Larger teams may need more time for discussion and reaching a common position.
• Team experience:
  • Experienced teams may be able to complete Sprint Planning faster than teams new to Scrum.

Recommendations:

• For monthly sprints: Maximum 8 hours.
• For two-week sprints: 4-6 hours.
• For weekly sprints: 2-4 hours.

Sprint Planning Stages

Introduction and Recap (up to 15 minutes)

• Purpose: To introduce meeting participants to the topic and remind them of the principles and goals of the Scrum methodology.
• Activities:
  • The Scrum Master welcomes participants and presents the meeting agenda.
  • A quick reminder of sprint rules and goals.
  • Discuss the team's participation in the previous sprint (optional).

2. Product Backlog Refinement (half of the meeting time)

• Goal: Discuss, refine, and evaluate user stories from the Product Backlog.
• Activities:
  • The Product Owner presents priorities in the Product Backlog.
  • The team discusses, refines, and divides user stories into smaller parts together.
  • Joint estimation of the effort required to implement user stories by the development team (in story points or other form).
  • The Product Owner can change priorities in the Product Backlog based on the discussion.

3. Sprint Goal Definition Negotiation (approximately 1/3 of the meeting time)

• Goal: Set an ambitious but achievable goal for the upcoming sprint.
• Activities:
  • Based on the user stories discussed, the team determines what it can realistically achieve in a sprint.
  • Joint development and formulation of the Sprint Goal, which should be:
    • Understandable: The goal should be clear and easy to understand for all team members.
    • Attainable: The goal should be ambitious but realistic to achieve within the sprint.
    • Verifiable: The goal should be formulated in such a way that its achievement can be easily verified.
  • The Product Owner approves the proposed Sprint Goal.

4. Sprint Planning (Backlog Refinement and Sprint Backlog Creation) (rest of time)

• Goal: Establishing specific tasks that the team will undertake during the sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal.
• Activities:
  • The team selects user stories from the Product Backlog that will be implemented in the upcoming sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal.
  • Dividing selected user stories into smaller, more detailed tasks.
  • Estimation of the time required to complete individual tasks (e.g. in hours).
  • The development team creates a Sprint Backlog, which is a list of tasks to be completed in a sprint.

5. Ending (up to 15 minutes)

• Purpose: Summarize findings, discuss concerns, and confirm the team's readiness to start the sprint.
• Activities:
  • The Scrum Master summarizes the meeting findings.
  • The team answers questions and clarifies doubts.
  • All participants confirm they understand the Sprint Goal and are ready to start work.

Tips for Effective Sprint Planning

• Preparation and Clarity

Ensure that all team members are well-informed and prepared before the sprint planning meeting begins. The product backlog should be up-to-date and the sprint goals should be clearly defined.

• Understanding business goals

Ensure that the team and the Product Owner fully understand the project's business goals and customer expectations. Ensuring that sprint goals are well-articulated and understood by all participants will allow for more effective work.

• Maintaining flexibility

Be flexible to change and adapt the sprint plan to new information or requirements that may arise during the planning meeting. Flexibility allows the team to better respond to changing conditions and priorities.

• Realistic estimate of work

Carefully assess the complexity and time required to complete individual tasks. Avoid overly optimistic or pessimistic estimates, and strive to estimate work realistically. Accurate estimates help avoid over- or underestimating work during a sprint.

• Task breakdown

Tasks should be appropriately broken down into smaller chunks that are easier to assign, monitor, and complete. Try to avoid tasks that are too large or too general, which can be difficult to estimate and monitor progress.

• Ensuring team engagement

Encourage all team members to actively participate in the sprint planning process and express their opinions and ideas. Engaging the entire team increases the chances of sprint success and enhances understanding of the goals and objectives.

• Regular inspections and adjustments

Schedule regular progress reviews throughout the sprint and adjust the plan as needed. Monitoring progress allows you to quickly respond to any issues and adapt the plan to real-world conditions.

• Maintaining communication

Ensure continuous communication between team members throughout the sprint to keep everyone up to date on progress, issues encountered, and any changes to the plan. Communication helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures high-level collaboration.

Sprint Planning while working on the implementation of an online store

Sprint Planning plays a key role in the Scrum process, including when implementing an online store ( eCommerce service ). During this meeting, the team establishes goals and a plan for the upcoming sprint, allowing for effective project management and goal achievement.

Here's what Sprint Planning might look like in the context of implementing an online store:

Before the meeting:

• Product Owner:
  • Ensure your product backlog is organized and prioritized.
  • Prepare user stories that describe the functionalities of the online store ( B2B store ) that are to be implemented in the upcoming sprint.
  • Estimate the time needed to implement user stories.
  • Be ready to answer questions from the team about the product backlog.
• Development team:
  • Familiarize yourself with the product backlog and user stories.
  • Estimate the time needed to implement user stories.
  • Identify potential problems and risks associated with implementing user stories.
  • Prepare questions for the product owner regarding user stories.

During the meeting:

• Joint discussion of the product backlog:
  • The product owner presents the product backlog priorities and explains the user stories.
  • The team asks questions and discusses user stories.
• Setting a sprint goal:
  • Based on the user stories discussed, the team sets an ambitious but achievable goal for the upcoming sprint.
  • The sprint goal should be clearly stated and understood by all team members.
• Sprint planning:
  • The team selects user stories from the product backlog that will be implemented in the sprint to achieve the sprint goal.
  • Dividing selected user stories into smaller, more detailed tasks.
  • Estimation of the time required to complete individual tasks.
  • The development team creates a Sprint Backlog, which is a list of tasks to be completed in a sprint.
• Defining acceptance criteria:
  • For each task in the Sprint Backlog, the team defines clear acceptance criteria that will determine when the task is considered complete.