How to Run a Successful Sprint

Agile software development?is implausible without systematic planning. High-quality iteration planning is important for the whole Team because it helps all members collaborate effectively. Many teams are implementing Scrum. Let’s discuss designing a Sprint Planning agenda that facilitates positive results.

?What is Sprint Planning?

According to?the Scrum guide,?“Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint. This resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.”

Essentially, Sprint Planning is when the entire Scrum Team meets to establish the Goal for the upcoming Sprint. They decide which Product Backlog items should be executed to meet the goal and how to execute those items effectively.

A Sprint Planning meeting involves the whole Team, including the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers.

The Scrum Master’s duty is to organize every aspect of the Sprint Planning meeting — where, when, and how it will be held and how long it will last. The duration of a Sprint Planning meeting depends on the length of the Sprint. If you plan the Sprint to last for four weeks, the Sprint Planning meeting will take up to eight hours; for shorter Sprints it usually takes less time. The Sprint Planning agenda should be presented to the whole Team before the meeting.

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How to Prepare for Sprint Planning

1.????The Product Backlog should be “ready.”

The role of a Product Owner is to maximize product value. Some Backlog items may not be completely clear, so it’s a good habit to align the understanding of the Scrum Team and make sure that Product Backlog items are ready to be taken into the upcoming Sprint. This process is known as Product Backlog Refinement. During?Product Backlog Refinement, the Product Owner makes sure that the Product Backlog items are “ready”. By “ready,” we mean the Definition of Ready.

The Definition of Ready is a checklist that represents all the characteristics an item must have to be “ready” to be taken into the Sprint.

If you don’t refine Product Backlog items in advance, then you will probably have to allocate time for this process in Sprint Planning.

2.????Make sure that Scrum Team capacity and velocity are prepared.

·????????Velocity is a complementary metric in Scrum. It is the number of story points completed in each iteration. By having historical data from previous Sprints, you can calculate the average Sprint velocity simply by adding all the story points from Sprints and dividing by the number of Sprints.

·????????Team capacity is another complementary metric for Sprint Planning. It shows the time available for a Developer to sprint.

3.????Make sure the Definition of Done is clear and that everyone on the team understands it.

Definition of Done is a list of requirements that should be achieved before a Product Backlog item can be considered completed. It includes non-functional requirements, as well as process-related requirements.

4.????Think about the audience.

The Scrum Team may also invite other specialists to join the meeting and provide advice, if needed. Discuss within the Scrum Team who should attend and when.

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What Happens During a Sprint Planning Meeting?

According to?the Scrum guide, the event should cover the following topics:

·?????Why is this Sprint valuable?

·?????What can be done during this Sprint?

·?????How will we complete the chosen work?

Let’s clarify what this means step by step.

1.?????Set the Sprint Goal

·????????First, the value of the current Sprint should be defined. The Product Owner suggests ways in which the Team can increase Product value in the current Sprint. After that, the Scrum team crafts the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint. It should be described in one sentence and explain to everyone why the Sprint is valuable.

·????????Bear in mind that the Sprint Goal is the main indicator for the whole Sprint. While burndown charts and other tools have proven their effectiveness, the main measure of success is achieving the Sprint Goal.

2.????Plan How to Achieve the Sprint Goal

The Scrum Team determines which product backlog items should be chosen and included in the current Sprint. It may be difficult to select the items that help to achieve the Sprint Goal. Previous performance, velocity (that we prepared in previous step), and the Definition of Done help resolve this issue and define a reasonable scope for the upcoming iteration. The Product Owner should be available to help Developers clarify, explain, or simplify Product Backlog items if needed.

3.?????Planning HOW

·????????Developers decompose selected Product Backlog Items into smaller chunks or subtasks that can be completed in one day or less. This is the responsibility of the Developers since they’re the only ones who can decide how to turn Product Backlog items into value.

·????????Developers typically use capacity (measured at the previous step) to verify that the amount of work is doable within the allocated time and the Sprint Goal is achievable.

If they notice that there’s insufficient time to complete all their tasks, they renegotiate the scope with the Product Owner.

4.?????Wrapping up Sprint Planning

The Sprint Planning meeting can finish with a vote of confidence and a Q&A session to make sure that all the team members are on the same page.

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Sprint Planning Meeting high level checkpoints

It may seem like there’s a lot to do and think about to have a successful Sprint Planning. But if you keep the following guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to set out a value-adding Sprint and ensure that everyone on your Scrum Team is on the same page:

·?????Make sure the Product Backlog is refined

·?????Make sure the Product Backlog items are sized

·?????Review the Team velocity

·?????Review the Team’s availability and calculate capacity

·?????Refresh in memory Definition of Done

·?????Set a Sprint Goal

·?????Decide what items should be included in the Sprint Backlog

·?????Create sub-tasks

·?????Verify duration of all subtasks against capacity of the Team

·?????Make sure that all team members are synchronized by measuring their level of confidence using the Fist to Five method