Understanding the Sprint Backlog

Understanding the Sprint Backlog: Everything You Need to Know

The Sprint Backlog is a comprehensive list of tasks essential for achieving the Sprint goal. These work items are derived from User Stories that are selected from the Product Backlog during a Sprint Planning session. These tasks are prioritized beforehand by the Product Owner.

In the article, you’ll discover what constitutes an effective Sprint Backlog. We will also explore its unique benefits within the Scrum Framework.

What is a Sprint Backlog?

As mentioned earlier the Sprint backlog is a list of tasks that are selected from the Product Backlog during the Sprint Planning session.

The Developers determine the number of User Stories that are included in the Sprint Backlog. Tasks are then created to ensure the timely completion of all selected Sprint Backlog items.

The Sprint Backlog is not set in stone. While all tasks are outlined beforehand, Developers can still adjust the Backlog during the Sprint. This flexibility is crucial and might be necessary if the team discovers the need for additional tasks to complete the User Stories correctly and within the new Sprint.

The Product Backlog in relation to the Sprint Backlog

Prior to creating the Sprint Backlog, it is essential to have a Product Backlog already established because the User Stories that are selected to be on the Sprint Backlog are picked from the Product Backlog.

The Product Backlog items are created by the Product Owner and refined into User Stories to ensure clarity. During the Sprint Planning meeting, Developers prioritize the most important User Stories and place them on the Sprint Backlog.

If you want to know more about the Product Backlog you can read our article about the Product Backlog here.

In the next step, we will explore how these are further broken down into individual tasks.

To Do

To clarify how the Sprint goal can be achieved, the Sprint Backlog outlines the tasks that need to be completed for each User Story. These tasks usually go through different sections or columns that outline their status. The tasks collectively ensure that the User Stories can be checked off in time. It is crucial that each task can be completed within a single day’s work. This ensures efficient progress and facilitates easy monitoring.

In Progress

As development team members start working on these tasks they are physically transitioned into the next column dedicated to ongoing tasks. Usually this column is called in Progress.

Complete

It is crucial to make the Sprint’s progress visible to all team members. Therefore, completed tasks are physically relocated to the last column of the Sprint Backlog, usually called done or complete.

What are the 3 Pillars within Scrum?

Scrum contains many concepts, including 5 values, 3 pillars, 5 events, and 3 artifacts. This might sound like a lot, and perhaps even unnecessary, but nothing could be further from the truth! They all play an important role. The 3 pillars help to understand the principles on which Scrum is based.

Where do the 3 Scrum Pillars come from?

Scrum is based on Empiricism. Just like Scrum, Empiricism has 3 pillars, which Scrum has adopted. The 3 pillars can be seen as an ancient Greek temple. The temple has a roof, Empiricism, and 3 pillars, each representing one value: Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation. Finally, there is a foundation necessary to support the 3 pillars, which is trust.

Empiricism

You may have heard the term “empirically determined.” This means something has been established based on practice. The expression “trial and error” is similar because you try something and see if it works or not. In Empirical working, we learn from practice, and this forms the basis for Scrum. However, we want to work in a structured manner, not just try everything. To do this, according to the Scrum framework, we need the other 3 pillars, as well as the foundation of trust.

Trust

As mentioned earlier, the foundation for the pillars in Scrum is trust. Trust makes it possible to have the other pillars. For example, transparency is not possible without trust. Why would someone be transparent if the organization doesn’t trust them to make mistakes? A mutual trust between team members and the organization is crucial in Scrum, as it enables empirical working.

Transparency

Transparency is one of the core principles and 3 pillars within Scrum, ensuring that all aspects of the process are visible to everyone. This includes the work being done, the progress being made, and any obstacles that may arise. Through transparency, Scrum teams can make informed decisions, adapt to changes, and continuously improve. Key elements such as the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Burndown charts are made visible to everyone, allowing for clear communication and shared understanding. Transparency fosters trust among team members, stakeholders, and ensures alignment on goals, priorities, and expectations, contributing to successful outcomes.

Inspection

Inspection is an essential element and part of the 3 pillars within Scrum, where teams regularly assess progress toward goals and the quality of work. This process ensures that the team identifies problems, obstacles, or deviations early, allowing for timely adjustments. Scrum events such as the Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective promote continuous inspection of work and processes. Inspection is closely related to transparency, as it depends on clear, visible information about progress, challenges, and results. By inspecting regularly, the team can maintain an accurate view of the situation and make informed decisions to stay aligned with project goals—this is not possible without transparency.

Adaptation

Adaptation in Scrum refers to the team’s ability to adjust their approach based on insights gained through regular inspection. When the team identifies problems, inefficiencies, or changes in priorities, they adjust their plan, processes, or goals to stay on track. This flexibility ensures continuous improvement and alignment with project objectives. Adaptation is closely linked to transparency, as it relies on clear, accessible data about progress and challenges. When information is transparent, the team can make informed adjustments quickly, enabling them to respond effectively to emerging needs and remain aligned with both stakeholders and the broader vision.

Conclusion

The three pillars of Scrum—transparency, inspection, and adaptation—work together to create a framework that promotes continuous improvement and ensures teams can respond effectively to challenges. Transparency provides clarity and shared understanding, inspection allows teams to assess progress, and adaptation enables necessary changes to stay on track. When these pillars are embraced, Scrum teams are empowered to deliver high-quality results, adapt to changes, and achieve greater success in their projects.

Understanding the Sprint Backlog

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