Prepare sprint backlog and capacity plan

Prepare sprint backlog and capacity allocation

Scrum masters facilitating sprint planning who need a structured template to fill capacity, identify risks, and align the team on goals.

• · Sprint duration and team members
• · Prioritized backlog items (with RICE scores if available)
• · Carry-over items from previous sprint
• · Team availability (PTO, on-call, meetings)

• · Sprint plan with goal, capacity utilization, dependency map
• · Selected items with estimates and owners
• · Risks and mitigations list

• · Backlog prioritized
• · Team velocity data available (optional)
• · Sprint parameters decided

• · Overcommits if velocity is optimistic
• · Misses cross-team dependencies if not explicitly listed
• · Sprint goal may become too broad without boundary-setting

• · Six-step workflow (set parameters, analyze backlog, estimate capacity, select items, identify dependencies, output plan)
• · Respects capacity limits and 60% sprint-goal allocation rule
• · Includes tech debt items if capacity allows
• · Explicit dependency mapping with escalation paths
• · Outputs sprint plan with goal, capacity %, dependency map, and risks