What is backlog in sprint?

A backlog in a sprint, also known as the sprint backlog, is a collection of tasks or user stories that the development team commits to completing during a specific sprint. The sprint backlog is created at the beginning of the sprint during sprint planning and consists of items from the product backlog that are prioritized for development in that sprint.

Key Components of a Sprint Backlog

1. User Stories/Tasks:

   • These are the specific work items or features that the team will work on during the sprint. Each task is typically small enough to be completed within the sprint's time-boxed period (1-4 weeks).

2. Commitment:

   • The development team commits to completing the items in the sprint backlog by the end of the sprint. These items are selected based on priority and the team's capacity.

3. Breakdown of Work:

   • Each item in the sprint backlog is further broken down into smaller tasks, which helps the team understand the work involved and estimate the time required for each task.

4. Visible Progress:

   • The sprint backlog is usually tracked on a Scrum board (physical or digital) that visualizes the tasks and their status (e.g., "To Do," "In Progress," "Done"). This transparency helps the team stay focused and aligned during the sprint.

Example of a Sprint Backlog

Imagine a team developing a new feature for a mobile app. For a two-week sprint, the sprint backlog might include:

• User Story: "As a user, I want to register an account."

  • Tasks:
    • Design the registration page (UI/UX)
    • Implement backend for user registration
    • Connect frontend and backend
    • Test user registration

• User Story: "As a user, I want to reset my password."

  • Tasks:
    • Design the password reset flow
    • Implement backend for password reset
    • Integrate email notifications for password reset
    • Test password reset functionality

Each of these tasks would be assigned to team members and tracked throughout the sprint.

How the Sprint Backlog Works

1. Sprint Planning:

   • At the start of the sprint, the team holds a Sprint Planning meeting where they pull high-priority items from the product backlog and create the sprint backlog based on what they can realistically complete in the sprint.

2. Daily Progress:

   • During the sprint, the team works on completing the tasks in the sprint backlog. Progress is typically discussed in Daily Stand-ups, and tasks are moved across the Scrum board (e.g., from "To Do" to "In Progress" to "Done").

3. Completion:

   • At the end of the sprint, the goal is to have completed all tasks in the sprint backlog, delivering a potentially shippable product increment.

Conclusion

The sprint backlog is a key artifact in Scrum that contains the work items (tasks or user stories) the team commits to completing during a sprint. It is derived from the product backlog and serves as the team's plan for achieving the sprint goal. By managing and tracking the sprint backlog, teams ensure focused, incremental progress toward delivering functional software.