How often should you refine your Scrum backlog?

The question is incorrect, there is no such thing as a "Scrum backlog". There is the product backlog and the sprint backlog, which are 2 different things

As a scrum practitioner and buddying product owner, I recommend refining the sprint backlog at least once per sprint, preferably more often if possible. The Scrum Guide suggests that backlog refinement usually consumes no more than 10% of the capacity of the development team. For a two-week sprint, this would mean allocating up to four hours for backlog refinement.

If I assume <scrum = sprint> the backlog should be refined frequently. How frequently ? There is no defined timescale, until and unless the backlog is fit. When is your backlog fit ? It’s a process to align your priorities towards achieving your goals (business vision and customer goals)

We only have Product Backlog which contains all the capabilities of your Product. In Sprint planning they capture the top prioritized product backlog items and forecast for upcoming sprint.

Refining the product backlog is an ongoing process, typically carried out during the Sprint Review and Sprint Planning meetings. However, it's a good practice to regularly review and refine the backlog throughout the sprint as new insights or priorities emerge. Aim for a balance, avoiding excessive changes that might disrupt the team's focus while ensuring the backlog remains aligned with project goals.

Product backlog - The art of getting stories to ready state -practically, whatever required in order to ready for next sprint It could be refinement once in a week or twice or more depending on backlog and team context and complexity of stories. so that stories clarified and clear to team Use Patterns for Slicing (i.e. Story Mapping) How the Product Backlog would be ordered Prioritization Techniques i.e. WSJF, MoSCoW & based on Business Value Discuss what tasks would have to be carried out to complete the story Do we need to write a SPIKE story to recognize & separate any research activity?,dependencies?

Not sure about the term “Scrum Backlog”, but yes for “Product Backlog” and “Sprint Backlog” definitely it’s an ongoing process. Every week there should be one scrum call to happen for that, where SCRUM master should take a stock of those items which are in backlog and update the status for it. Mostly the dev team works on the backlog so a certain time to be allocated for the backlog clearance task.

The Scrum Guide does not suggest 10% of team capacity for refinement but describes refinement as an ongoing activity, as opposed to the Scrum Events. In practise, it is often organized as a meeting for the entire Scrum Team, but asynchronous activities like conversations with stakeholders, creating concepts and gathering information are also part of refinement.

Backlog refinement should be frequent if you don't have at least 2 spirits healthy Backlog. It is good practice to have 2 sessions per sprint. This will reduce distractions during sprint planning.?

Very much depends on a few factors. Using Scrum, Scrumban, Kanban Company size - Department type - developers only, support team, business team) Product maturity (Newer products may need more initial refinement sessions) Team maturity - Members can take from the product backlog and work in smaller meetings to continue work. Having worked in Agile/Scrum for 8 years in a number of companies and team types its not a 1 size fits all approach. In a very strict single product development team you can have your 2 week planning session and should be able to close out the sprint backlog in 20-30 mins. In a team who have responsibility for a number of products and running more Scrumban then while a 2 week session is great daily refinement!

Backlog refinement occurs throughout the sprint, as main focus is backlog should be groomed and ready for upcoming sprints. This aligns with Scrum values of focus , openness and commitment by fostering collaboration and maintain clear and concise product backlog. BR it usually happens once or twice per sprint , ensuring stories are well defined , estimated and ready for sprint planning, optimising team readiness and sprint predictability

Apart from PO and Engineers, Scrum Master must engage in refinement sessions at least in the beginning when the teams are newly formed and are not fully matured. Scrum Master presence is required to continuously coach agile ways of working and ensure teams are operating within the defined guard rails of agile best practices. If an influential Product or Tech member lacks agile understanding, they could quickly derail teams into waterfall ways of working resulting in reduced productivity and work satisfaction among team members. A capable SM presence is required in these scenarios to protect the team from burnout and help maintain a sustainable work environment.

* Facilitate collaboration between PO & team. * Ensure clear, understood, estimated backlog items. * Prioritize based on business value. * Break down large items, prevent scope creep. * Promote continuous refinement.

Besides the product owner and development team, the Scrum Master can play a vital role in facilitating effective backlog refinement sessions, especially in newly formed teams or when influential members lack agile understanding. Their presence helps ensure agile practices are maintained, guarding against a shift back to waterfall ways of working.

Backlog refinement sessions for me are collaborative sessions to elicit agreed upon acceptance criteria from both PO and Engineers. A user story from PO is a place holder card for conversation with engineers During PBR, both PO and Engineers collectively uncover different use cases, both positive and negative to define the acceptance criteria. PO being business expertise and Engineers bring technical aspects to the discussion. This enables team to define and estimate a fully refined story that ensures the quality of the feature.

Backlog refinement sessions should follow a structured approach, moving from the highest-priority PBIs to lower-priority ones. Collaborative discussions between the product owner and development team should revolve around user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical details. Effective backlog refinement focuses on eliciting clear acceptance criteria, bridging business expertise with technical insights. This process enhances the clarity of user stories and their associated estimates.

Estimation of User Story — Get the estimates from the Team using Planning Poker called as Story Points User Stories should not be more than 8 Story Points so that it can be easily complete within Sprint Acceptance Criteria Does Team understand Acceptance Criteria? Are the Acceptance Criteria SMART? Verify (AC) with PO if Team or BA wrote A/C How can one slice large Stories into Smaller sizes / pieces? there should not be user stories which only cater one layer of the application i.e. UI or Database or middle tier rather user stories should be vertically sliced & cater all the layers of the application Consider Different Users, Roles and Personas in the Story Description ROI Different Priorities, Risks Dependencies Use Patterns for Slicing

Consistency is key, so stick to a regular schedule for backlog refinement sessions. Preparation is crucial; both the product owner and development team should review PBIs and do their homework in advance. Visual aids and digital tools can streamline the process, making it easier to manage and update the backlog. Keep the sessions focused on achieving a high-level understanding and agreement on PBIs, avoiding unnecessary details. Finally, after each session, seek feedback and be open to experimentation to continually improve the backlog refinement process.

Effective Agile workflow hinges on a unified team understanding of Definition of Done (DoD) and Definition of Ready (DoR) for user stories (US). Initiate with 'why' and outcomes, refining 'how,' 'when,' and 'who' collaboratively. Clear acceptance criteria and defining use cases with the Product Owner (PO) are crucial. Discussions where the PO articulates business value spark developer creativity, enhancing refinement sessions. Aligning with release timelines is pivotal for successful planning, ensuring Agile endeavors thrive in a synchronized, strategic approach.

I usually encourage my engineers to collectively go over the PBIs to understand the requirements and solution at a high level before coming to the PBR. This accelerates the PBR process, because by now requirements are not completely new to the team and they get any open questions and clarifications answered by the Product Owner.