SDLC blueprint

Handbook

Scrum — ceremonies & events (prescriptive)

Each **official Scrum event** below lists **inputs**, **outputs**, **participants**, **timebox** (typical), **agenda**, and **meetings** (what to schedule). Unofficial but common: **backlog refinement

Scrum — ceremonies & events (prescriptive)

Each official Scrum event below lists inputs, outputs, participants, timebox (typical), agenda, and meetings (what to schedule). Unofficial but common: backlog refinement — included because teams need it to make Planning workable.

Timeboxes below are starting points for a 1-month Sprint; scale down ~proportionally for shorter Sprints (per Scrum Guide).

0. Ongoing — Product Backlog refinement

Intent: Primarily C2 (plan the slice) + C1 (align on scope/value).
Inputs Product Goal, stakeholder themes, rough estimates, dependencies, risks
Outputs PBIs ordered and ready for Sprint (clear value, acceptance, sized enough to select)
Participants PO (R), Developers (R), SM (O — facilitate if helpful)
Cadence Continuous; aim for ~10% of sprint capacity on refinement
Meetings Recurring Refinement slots (e.g. 1–2× per week, 45–60 min)

Agenda (single refinement session):

  1. PO presents top of backlog / new items (5–10 min).
  2. Clarify acceptance & value; Developers ask questions (20–30 min).
  3. Split or spike unclear items; capture dependencies (15–20 min).
  4. Re-order if learning changed value (5–10 min).

Definition of Ready (team working agreement — example):

  • Value statement clear to PO.
  • Acceptance criteria testable.
  • Dependencies identified or spiked.
  • Sized to fit sprint horizon (e.g. ≤ half sprint).

1. Sprint Planning

Intent: C1 + C2 — align on what to build this sprint and how to start.
Inputs Product Backlog, latest increment, capacity, past performance, Definition of Done
Outputs Sprint Goal, selected PBIs, initial Sprint Backlog, forecast understood by all
Participants PO, SM, Developers (all required)
Timebox ≤ 8 hours / month-long sprint (scale down)

Agenda (two-part structure):

Part 1 — Why & what (PO-led, whole team)

  1. PO reminds Product Goal and context.
  2. PO proposes candidate ordering / highest-value items.
  3. Team selects what fits capacity and craft Sprint Goal (single coherent objective).
  4. Confirm no hidden dependencies that invalidate selection.

Part 2 — How (Developer-led)

  1. Break PBIs into Sprint Backlog work items / tasks.
  2. Identify risks, tests, integration points.
  3. Confirm team confidence in meeting Sprint Goal; adjust scope if not.

Meetings to schedule: One block or two adjacent blocks on first day of sprint; calendar invite to whole Scrum Team.

2. Daily Scrum

Intent: C3 — execute & unblock; inspect progress toward Sprint Goal.
Inputs Sprint Backlog, Sprint Goal, impediments known
Outputs Updated plan for next 24h; surfaced impediments; optional board updates
Participants Developers (required); SM optional; PO usually absent unless invited
Timebox 15 minutes same time/place daily

Agenda (example formats — pick one):

  • Walk the board: right-to-left on in-progress items; what’s done, what’s next, blockers.
  • By person (classic): what I did, will do, blockers — keep strictly timeboxed.

After the Daily: follow-up huddles for specific problem-solving (not part of the 15 min).

Meetings to schedule: Recurring daily; video link + physical space; SM ensures timebox.

3. Sprint Review

Intent: C4 + C6 — review increment with stakeholders; inspect outcome vs Product Goal.
Inputs Done increment, Product Backlog, Sprint Goal, relevant metrics
Outputs Stakeholder feedback captured; backlog adjustments; shared understanding of what’s next
Participants PO, SM, Developers, stakeholders invited
Timebox ≤ 4 hours / month-long sprint

Agenda:

  1. PO frames sprint objective and what was forecast vs done (5–10 min).
  2. Developers demonstrate working increment (not slides-only) (majority of time).
  3. Stakeholders ask questions; discuss market/user impact (throughout).
  4. PO discusses backlog implications; what likely enters next sprint (10–15 min).
  5. Review timeline / budget / roadmap if relevant (optional segment).

Meetings to schedule: End of sprint; invite stakeholders early; share pre-read if metrics are dense.

4. Sprint Retrospective

Intent: C5 — reflect and improve the system of work.
Inputs Sprint events data, quality issues, team mood, previous retro action items
Outputs 1–3 committed improvement experiments with owners and due dates
Participants PO, SM, Developers (whole Scrum Team)
Timebox ≤ 3 hours / month-long sprint

Agenda (example — rotate formats):

  1. Set stage — safety & focus (5–10 min).
  2. Gather data — what happened this sprint (15–20 min).
  3. Generate insights — patterns, root causes (20–30 min).
  4. Decide experiments — small, measurable changes (20–30 min).
  5. Close — thank you; schedule follow-ups (5 min).

Meetings to schedule: After Review, same sprint end window; SM facilitates or rotating facilitator from Developers.

5. The Sprint (container)

Intent: Houses B–E phases; produces at most one Done increment per sprint.
Inputs Sprint Goal, Sprint Backlog, DoD, environments & tools
Outputs Potentially releasable increment; transparency on progress
Participants Whole Scrum Team
Timebox Fixed length (e.g. 1–4 weeks); no extension

Prescriptive checkpoints (lightweight):

  • Mid-sprint: informal risk check on Sprint Goal (15 min, Developers + PO if scope threat).
  • Pre-Review: “Done?” walkthrough against DoD (Developers).

6. Quick reference — I/O summary

Event Primary inputs Primary outputs
Refinement Themes, rough PBIs Ready, ordered backlog
Sprint Planning Backlog, capacity, DoD Sprint Goal, Sprint Backlog
Daily Scrum Board, blockers 24h plan, visible impediments
Sprint Review Increment, stakeholders Feedback, backlog updates
Sprint Retrospective Sprint experience Improvement experiments

Canonical source

Edit https://github.com/autowww/blueprints/blob/main/sdlc/methodologies/scrum/ceremonies-prescriptive.md first; regenerate with docs/build-handbook.py.