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Backlog Grooming

Overview

A Backlog Grooming Session (also known as Backlog Refinement) is a regular meeting where the Product Owner, Scrum Team, and optionally stakeholders review, prioritize, and refine items in the Product Backlog. The goal is to ensure backlog items are well-defined, estimated, and ready for future Sprints.

Purpose of Backlog Grooming

  • Keep the backlog organized – Remove outdated, irrelevant, or duplicate items.
  • Clarify user stories – Ensure requirements are well understood.
  • Prioritize work – Rank backlog items based on business value.
  • Break down large stories – Split Epics or complex items into smaller, actionable stories
  • Estimate effort – Assign story points or estimates for better Sprint planning.

Who Attends Backlog Grooming?

Role Responsibility
Product Owner Defines, clarifies, and prioritizes backlog items.
Scrum Master Facilitates the session and ensures Agile principles are followed.
Developers Provide input, estimate effort, and clarify technical feasibility.
Stakeholders (Optional) Give business insights and feedback.

Backlog Grooming Agenda

  1. Review and Prioritize Items – Ensure high-priority stories are clear and ranked properly.
  2. Clarify User Stories – Define acceptance criteria and address ambiguities.
  3. Break Down Large Items – Split Epics into smaller, estimable stories.
  4. Estimate Effort – Assign story points using Planning Poker or other estimation techniques.
  5. Remove or Adjust Low-Priority Items – Clean up outdated or unnecessary backlog items.
  6. Ensure Stories are “Ready” for Sprint Planning – Stories should meet the Definition of Ready (DoR).

When and How Often is Backlog Grooming Done?

  • Frequency: Usually once per Sprint (every 1-2 weeks).
  • Duration: Typically 60-90 minutes.
  • Timing: Often held mid-Sprint, before the Sprint Planning session.

Benefits of Backlog Grooming

  • Improves Sprint Planning Efficiency – Ensures the team has well-defined stories ready.
  • Reduces Uncertainty – Provides clarity on user stories before they reach development.
  • Ensures Alignment – Keeps development work aligned with business priorities.
  • Prevents Backlog Overload – Regularly cleans up outdated or redundant tasks.

Best Practices for Backlog Grooming

  • Keep the Backlog Ordered – Focus on the highest-priority items first.
  • Follow INVEST Criteria – Stories should be Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.
  • Encourage Team Participation – Developers should provide technical insights and estimates.
  • Use Planning Poker for Estimation – Helps the team reach a consensus on effort.
  • Don’t Overload the Backlog – Keep only well-defined and relevant items.

Conclusion

A Backlog Grooming Session is a crucial Agile practice that ensures the Product Backlog is refined, prioritized, and ready for future Sprints. By continuously improving backlog items, teams enhance efficiency, collaboration, and delivery quality.