Sprint Backlog

List of specific tasks and requirements to be completed within the Sprint.

Pavel avatar
Written by Pavel
Updated over a week ago

A Sprint Backlog is the set of product backlog items chosen for the Sprint. It is also a plan for delivering the product increment and realizing the sprint goal. 

The Sprint Backlog forecasts what functionality will be in the next increment and what work is required to deliver that functionality. It involves at least one high priority process improvement identified in the previous Retrospective meeting. Therefore, the Sprint Backlog totally ensures Continuous improvement.

The Sprint Backlog implicates enough details that change in progress can be understood in the daily Scrum meeting.

What does the Sprint backlog include?

  • User stories within the sprint (in order of priority)

  • The relative effort estimate for user stories

  • Tasks to develop each user story

  • The effort to complete each task (in hours)

Basic characteristics of Sprint Backlogs 

  • The Development team owns the Sprint Backlog.

  • The Sprint Backlog is the result of the Sprint planning meeting.

  • This backlog has a dynamic nature as every Sprint has repeated changes. 

  • It simplifies identifying the work to the developers as necessary to meet the Sprint goal.

  • During the Sprint planning, teams go back to selecting the prioritized specifications from the product backlog for the Sprint cycle.

  • The team works on preparing how the user stories would be implemented in the Sprint by dividing those into sub-tasks and estimation of it.

What is the role of Sprint backlog? 

The sprint backlog is an essential part of Scrum methodology, as it provides an important portrayal of the status of user stories. It makes the teamwork always visible.

How to create Sprint Backlog?

All starts with choosing the items the team wishes to work on from the Product Backlog. They add them to the Sprint Backlog and breaks down the selected items into Sprint tasks. 

The best idea is to visualize the Sprint Backlog on a task board with the help of cards and columns. This structure is good to show the project needs.

The following tips will help to create a high-quality Sprint Backlog:

  • identify all tasks

  • make sure each team member is involved in the process

  • have a clear definition of Done

  • discuss the ways on how to implement each item

  • do not assign tasks in advance

  • assess the Sprint commitment

  • create the Sprint Backlog during the Sprint

  • try to not spend too much time

In general, the Sprint Backlog must be clearly written and organized to provide quality results both you and your clients will be proud of. 

If you enjoy making lists for everything that needs to be done, you will definitely appreciate the backlog process.

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