Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework · Topic 3 of 5
The Sprint and Sprint Planning
The Sprint and Sprint Planning for PSPO I: Sprint rules, cancellation by the Product Owner, the why, what and how of planning, and the Sprint Goal.
- 5 min
- Sprints are one month or less and start immediately after the previous one.
- No changes that endanger the Sprint Goal; quality does not decrease.
- Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint, when its goal becomes obsolete.
What it is
The Sprint is the heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value. It is a fixed length event of one month or less and the container for all other events. Sprint Planning starts the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed. The resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.
For the Product Owner, the Sprint is the unit of investment: each Sprint is a short project that delivers a usable Increment and a chance to learn whether the product is moving toward its goal.
How it works
Rules of the Sprint
- Fixed length of one month or less, to create consistency.
- A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.
- All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal, including Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective, happens within Sprints.
During the Sprint:
- No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal.
- Quality does not decrease.
- The Product Backlog is refined as needed.
- Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned.
Sprints enable predictability by ensuring inspection and adaptation of progress toward a Product Goal at least every calendar month. When a Sprint's horizon is too long, the Sprint Goal may become invalid, complexity may rise and risk may increase. Shorter Sprints generate more learning cycles and limit the risk of cost and effort to a smaller time frame.
Cancelling a Sprint
A Sprint could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, for example because the market or the company's direction changed. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint. When the work turns out different than expected, the Developers renegotiate scope with the Product Owner instead.
| Situation | Best response |
|---|---|
| A competitor launch makes the Sprint Goal pointless | The Product Owner may cancel the Sprint |
| The Developers find the work is bigger than expected | Renegotiate scope with the Product Owner, keep the Sprint Goal |
| A stakeholder wants a new feature mid Sprint | Talk to the Product Owner, who decides whether and where it goes in the Product Backlog |
| The team wants to stop to fix technical debt | Not a reason to cancel; the work goes through the Product Backlog |
Sprint Planning
Timebox: a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint; usually shorter for shorter Sprints.
The Product Owner ensures that attendees are prepared to discuss the most important Product Backlog items and how they map to the Product Goal. The Scrum Team may also invite other people to attend Sprint Planning to provide advice.
Sprint Planning addresses three topics:
| Topic | Who leads it | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Why is this Sprint valuable? | Product Owner proposes, whole team decides | The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal, which must be finalized before the end of Sprint Planning |
| What can be Done this Sprint? | Developers | Through discussion with the Product Owner, the Developers select items from the Product Backlog. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process |
| How will the chosen work get done? | Developers | The Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Developers |
Selecting how much can be completed within a Sprint may be challenging. The more the Developers know about their past performance, their upcoming capacity and their Definition of Done, the more confident they will be in their Sprint forecasts.
The Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the plan for delivering them are together referred to as the Sprint Backlog.
The Product Owner does not decide how many items the Developers take on. If an option has the Product Owner pushing extra items into the Sprint, it is a distractor.
How the exam asks about this
- "Who can cancel a Sprint?" Only the Product Owner.
- "When can a Sprint be cancelled?" When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
- "Who defines the Sprint Goal?" The whole Scrum Team, after the Product Owner proposes how the Sprint could increase value.
- "What is the maximum timebox for Sprint Planning in a one-month Sprint?" Eight hours.
What to remember for the exam
- Sprints are one month or less and start immediately after the previous one.
- No changes that endanger the Sprint Goal; quality does not decrease.
- Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint, when its goal becomes obsolete.
- Sprint Planning: why (Sprint Goal), what (selected items), how (the plan).
- The Sprint Goal must be finalized before Sprint Planning ends.
- Sprint Goal plus selected items plus the plan make up the Sprint Backlog.
Scrum has no "Sprint 0", hardening Sprint or release Sprint. Each Sprint aims at a usable Increment.
Common mistakes
Letting stakeholders or managers cancel a Sprint. Only the Product Owner has that authority.
The Product Owner choosing how much work fits. The Developers select, through discussion with the Product Owner.
Leaving a gap between Sprints for planning. The next Sprint starts immediately; planning happens inside it.
Check yourself
Who has the authority to cancel a Sprint?
Only the Product Owner, when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
What three topics does Sprint Planning address?
Why the Sprint is valuable, what can be Done this Sprint and how the chosen work will get done.
Who may attend Sprint Planning besides the Scrum Team?
People the Scrum Team invites to provide advice.
Topic 3 of 5 in Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework
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