What is Sprint Planning? - Definition & Meaning
Sprint planning is the Scrum ceremony where the team decides which work to tackle in the next sprint. Discover how sprint planning works.
Definition
Sprint planning is a Scrum ceremony held at the beginning of each sprint where the development team determines which product backlog items to work on. The team establishes a sprint goal and estimates how much work can be completed within the sprint timebox.
Technical Explanation
During sprint planning, product backlog items are prioritized based on value, dependencies, and team capacity. The team breaks down user stories into technical tasks and assigns story points or hours as estimation units. The product owner presents desired items and the team commits to a feasible scope. Velocity data from previous sprints serves as a baseline for capacity planning. The output is a sprint backlog with clear acceptance criteria for each item.
How Refront Uses This
In Refront, sprint planning is supported through the ticket management system. Teams can prioritize tickets, assign story points, and define sprints. The AI functionality helps estimate complexity and automatically distribute work across team members based on availability and expertise.
Examples
- •A Scrum team holds a biweekly sprint planning session to select the highest-priority tickets.
- •The product owner presents five user stories and the team estimates they can complete three within the sprint.
- •The team uses historical velocity data to determine how many story points they can handle in the upcoming sprint.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a sprint planning session last?
For a two-week sprint, a maximum of four hours is typically reserved. For shorter sprints, the planning session is proportionally shorter, often one to two hours.
Who participates in sprint planning?
The product owner, Scrum master, and the entire development team participate. The product owner prioritizes work, the team estimates and commits, and the Scrum master facilitates the process.
What is the difference between sprint planning and backlog refinement?
Backlog refinement is the ongoing process of clarifying and estimating future items, while sprint planning specifically determines which items will be included in the upcoming sprint.
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