Backlog refinement with Easy Agile TeamRhythm

Purpose and objective of backlog refinement

Backlog refinement, also known as backlog grooming is an agile practice that involves continuously reviewing, clarifying, and prioritizing the product backlog for upcoming sprints. The primary objective is to maintain a well-organized, prioritized, and actionable product backlog that provides a clear roadmap for the development team. It ensures that the team is ready to select and work on the most valuable items during sprint planning.

Some key aspects are:

1. Breaking down user stories
2. Prioritize and order based on value
3. Estimate effort
4. Identify dependencies
5. Refine acceptance criteria

Key users (roles & responsibilities)

• Product Owner: The product owner is responsible for managing the product backlog, prioritizing user stories, and ensuring that they align with the overall product vision and goals. They actively participate in backlog grooming sessions to provide insights, clarify requirements, and guide prioritization decisions.
• Development Team: The development team, comprising developers, testers, and other relevant roles, actively engage in backlog grooming. They contribute their expertise, collaborate in refining and estimating backlog items, and gain a shared understanding of the work to be accomplished.
• Scrum Master: The scrum master facilitates backlog grooming sessions. They help facilitate discussions, resolve conflicts, and ensure that backlog items are well-prepared for upcoming sprints.

Backlog refinement with Easy Agile TeamRhythm

User goal

So that I can set my team up for success when they commence work on a new Planning Interval/Product Increment, as a Product Manager, I want to be able to set up and configure the User Story Map with the hierarchy, epics, and issues and filtered views I need.

Scenario

PI Planning has been completed and the team is about to commence a new product increment. The Product Manager and Scrum Master meet to refine the backlog and set up the User Story Map in preparation for Sprint One planning.

Hierarchy planning

• Configure Hierarchy - set up the hierarchy so that it is able to be displayed on the TeamRhythm User Story Map

Epic level planning

• Use Quick Create to create new epics to group work

• Edit the details of an epic and save changes

• Set the rank/order of epics (drag and drop)

Issue level planning

• Use Quick Create to add a new issue

• Inline edit to change an issue summary

• Use drag and drop to change the position or order of issues

Issue details

• Configure issue card layout to display additional information on issue cards

Filters and Views

• Create a new filter using a component that is specific to the upcoming product increment & share the view with the team

Easy Agile TeamRhythm

TeamRhythm aims to support you from planning right through to review by facilitating sprint planning, backlog management, user story mapping, and team retrospectives in Jira.

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