Sprint Planning Assistant

Expert assistance for planning sprints, estimating work, and managing team capacity.

When to Use This Skill

• Planning a new sprint
• Grooming/refining the backlog
• Estimating story points
• Calculating team capacity
• Analyzing sprint velocity
• Organizing work priorities
• User mentions: sprint, velocity, capacity, estimation, story points

Sprint Planning Process

1. Pre-Planning Preparation

Review Previous Sprint

sprint = "Sprint 42" ORDER BY updated DESC

Analyze:

• What was completed?
• What carried over?
• What was the velocity?
• Any blockers or issues?

Check Backlog Health

project = PROJ AND sprint IS EMPTY AND status = "To Do" ORDER BY priority DESC

Verify:

• Stories have descriptions
• Acceptance criteria defined
• Dependencies identified
• Estimates added

2. Sprint Planning Meeting

Step 1: Set Sprint Goal

• What is the primary objective?
• What value will we deliver?
• How does it align with roadmap?

Example Goals:

• "Complete user authentication system"
• "Improve page load performance by 50%"
• "Launch payment integration MVP"

Step 2: Calculate Capacity

Formula:

Capacity = (Team Size × Work Days × Hours per Day) - (Meetings + PTO + Buffer)

Example:

Team: 5 developers
Sprint: 10 work days
Work: 6 hours/day (accounting for meetings)
PTO: 2 days (one person out)
Buffer: 20% (for unexpected work)

Capacity = (5 × 10 × 6) - (2 × 6) - (20% of 288)
        = 300 - 12 - 58
        = 230 hours

Or in story points (if velocity is 40):
Capacity ≈ 40 story points

Step 3: Select Stories

Criteria:

1. Aligns with sprint goal
2. Has clear acceptance criteria
3. Team has necessary skills
4. No blocking dependencies
5. Fits within capacity

Query for candidates:

project = PROJ
AND status = "To Do"
AND sprint IS EMPTY
AND "Story Points" IS NOT EMPTY
ORDER BY priority DESC, rank ASC

Step 4: Review and Commit

• Total points within capacity?
• Dependencies manageable?
• Risks identified?
• Team agreement on scope?

Story Point Estimation

What Are Story Points?

Story points measure relative effort/complexity, not time:

• Effort: How much work?
• Complexity: How hard is it?
• Uncertainty: How much is unknown?

Estimation Scales

Fibonacci Scale (Recommended)

1  - Trivial: Simple change, < 1 hour
2  - Easy: Small feature, well understood
3  - Moderate: Standard feature, clear path
5  - Average: Typical feature, some complexity
8  - Complex: Significant feature, multiple components
13 - Very Complex: Large feature, high uncertainty
21 - Epic: Too large, should be split

T-Shirt Sizes (Alternative)

XS = 1 point
S  = 2 points
M  = 3 points
L  = 5 points
XL = 8 points

Estimation Techniques

Planning Poker

1. Product owner explains story
2. Team asks clarifying questions
3. Each person picks estimate (secretly)
4. Everyone reveals simultaneously
5. Discuss differences
6. Re-estimate until consensus

Reference Stories

Compare to previously completed work:

• "This is about the same as the login feature (5 points)"
• "This is simpler than the payment integration (8 points)"
• "This is more complex than adding a button (2 points)"

Three-Point Estimation

Estimate = (Optimistic + (4 × Most Likely) + Pessimistic) / 6

Example:
Best case: 3 points
Most likely: 5 points
Worst case: 13 points

Estimate = (3 + (4 × 5) + 13) / 6 = 36 / 6 = 6 points

Factors Affecting Estimates

Increase Estimate For:

• New technology/unfamiliar domain
• External dependencies
• Unclear requirements
• Complex business logic
• Integration with many systems
• High risk/uncertainty

Keep Estimate Lower For:

• Familiar technology
• Clear requirements
• Similar to past work
• Self-contained changes
• Good test coverage exists

Backlog Grooming

When to Groom

• Regular sessions (e.g., mid-sprint)
• Before sprint planning
• When new priorities emerge

Grooming Activities

1. Refinement

• Clarify requirements
• Add acceptance criteria
• Identify dependencies
• Break down epics
• Add technical notes

2. Estimation

• Add story points
• Validate existing estimates
• Re-estimate if scope changed

3. Prioritization

• Order by business value
• Consider dependencies
• Balance quick wins vs. strategic work

4. Cleanup

• Close duplicates
• Archive obsolete issues
• Update stale information

Grooming Checklist

For each story:

• Clear title and description
• User story format (if applicable)
• Acceptance criteria defined
• Story points estimated
• Priority set
• Labels added
• Dependencies identified
• Assignee (if known)
• Sprint ready

Capacity Management

Team Capacity Factors

Available Hours

Base Hours = Team Size × Sprint Days × Hours/Day
Actual Hours = Base - (PTO + Meetings + Support + Buffer)

Focus Factor

Percentage of time spent on sprint work:

Typical: 60-70%
High performing: 70-80%
New team: 50-60%

Velocity

Average story points completed per sprint:

Velocity = Average(Last 3-5 Sprints)

Capacity Planning Example

Team Details:

• 6 developers
• 2-week sprint (10 work days)
• Historical velocity: 45 points

Commitments:

• 1 developer on PTO for 3 days
• 2 developers in training for 2 days
• On-call rotation (1 person, 20% capacity)

Calculation:

Base capacity: 45 points (historical velocity)

Adjustments:
- PTO: -3 days of 1 person = -3 points
- Training: -2 days of 2 people = -4 points
- On-call: -20% of 1 person = -2 points
- Buffer (10%): -4 points

Sprint capacity: 45 - 3 - 4 - 2 - 4 = 32 points

Sprint Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Overcommitment

Loading 60 points when velocity is 40.

Fix: Use historical velocity as guide, add buffer

❌ Under-commitment

Loading 20 points when velocity is 40, to "guarantee" completion.

Fix: Commit to realistic amount, have stretch goals ready

❌ No Sprint Goal

Just a collection of random stories.

Fix: Define clear, valuable objective for the sprint

❌ Splitting Mid-Sprint

Constantly splitting stories after sprint starts.

Fix: Better grooming and estimation up front

❌ Ignoring Dependencies

Starting work that's blocked by external factors.

Fix: Identify dependencies during planning

❌ Gold Plating

Adding unplanned features during implementation.

Fix: Stick to acceptance criteria, capture new ideas as separate stories

Sprint Queries

Stories Ready for Sprint

project = PROJ
AND type = Story
AND status = "To Do"
AND sprint IS EMPTY
AND "Story Points" IS NOT EMPTY
AND description IS NOT EMPTY
ORDER BY priority DESC

Current Sprint Progress

sprint in openSprints()
ORDER BY status ASC, priority DESC

Unestimated Stories

project = PROJ
AND type IN (Story, Task)
AND "Story Points" IS EMPTY
AND status != Done
ORDER BY priority DESC

Sprint Burndown Data

sprint = "Sprint 42"
AND status IN ("In Progress", "To Do")

Carry-Over from Previous Sprint

sprint = "Sprint 42"
AND sprint = "Sprint 43"
AND resolution IS EMPTY

Velocity Tracking

Calculate Velocity

Method 1: Average of Last 3 Sprints

Sprint 40: 38 points
Sprint 41: 42 points
Sprint 42: 44 points

Velocity = (38 + 42 + 44) / 3 = 41 points

Method 2: Weighted Average

Recent sprints count more:
Velocity = (Sprint N × 3 + Sprint N-1 × 2 + Sprint N-2 × 1) / 6

Velocity Trends

Increasing Velocity

• Team is maturing
• Processes improving
• Technical debt decreasing

Stable Velocity

• Team is consistent
• Good predictability
• Sustainable pace

Decreasing Velocity

• Investigate: technical debt? team changes? distractions?
• Address root causes
• May need to reduce commitments

Velocity vs. Capacity

Velocity: Historical output (story points completed) Capacity: Theoretical input (available hours/points)

Use velocity for sprint planning, not capacity.

Sprint Planning Template

1. Sprint Details

Sprint Number: 43
Duration: Jan 15 - Jan 28 (10 work days)
Sprint Goal: Complete user profile functionality
Team Velocity: 41 points (average last 3 sprints)

2. Team Capacity

Team Members: 6 developers
Availability:
- Alice: 10 days (full)
- Bob: 7 days (3 days PTO)
- Carol: 10 days (full)
- Dave: 10 days (full)
- Eve: 9 days (1 day training)
- Frank: 10 days (full, but on-call)

Adjusted Capacity: 36 points

3. Sprint Backlog

Committed Stories (36 points):
- PROJ-101: User profile page (8 pts)
- PROJ-102: Avatar upload (5 pts)
- PROJ-103: Profile editing (8 pts)
- PROJ-104: Privacy settings (5 pts)
- PROJ-105: Profile completion badge (3 pts)
- PROJ-106: Update navigation (2 pts)
- PROJ-107: Profile tests (5 pts)

Stretch Goals (13 points):
- PROJ-108: Social media links (5 pts)
- PROJ-109: Custom themes (8 pts)

4. Dependencies & Risks

Dependencies:
- PROJ-102 blocked until design review (due Jan 16)
- PROJ-104 requires security review

Risks:
- Avatar upload may need third-party service
- Privacy settings have regulatory requirements

Mitigation:
- Start PROJ-101, 103, 106 first
- Spike for avatar service options
- Consult legal team early on privacy

5. Sprint Success Criteria

Must Have:
- Users can view and edit their profiles
- Avatar upload working
- Privacy controls functional

Nice to Have:
- Profile completion indicators
- Social media integration

Definition of Done:
- Code reviewed
- Tests passing (>80% coverage)
- Deployed to staging
- Acceptance criteria met
- Documentation updated

How I'll Help

When you need sprint planning assistance, I will:

1. Analyze backlog: Review stories and readiness
2. Calculate capacity: Based on team size, availability, velocity
3. Suggest stories: Prioritized candidates for the sprint
4. Estimate work: Help with story point estimation
5. Identify risks: Dependencies, blockers, unknowns
6. Track progress: Monitor sprint health
7. Provide queries: JQL for sprint management

Example Interaction

You: "Help me plan Sprint 45. Team of 5, one person out for 2 days, velocity is usually around 35 points"

Me: "I'll help plan Sprint 45.

Capacity Calculation:

• Base velocity: 35 points
• Adjustment for PTO: -1.5 points (2 days of 1 person ≈ 10%)
• Buffer (10%): -3.5 points
• Sprint capacity: 30 points

Let me search for ready stories:

[Uses /jira-search with refinement query]

Recommended Sprint Backlog (30 points):

1. PROJ-501: Payment gateway integration (13 pts) - HIGH PRIORITY
2. PROJ-502: Transaction history UI (8 pts)
3. PROJ-503: Receipt email templates (5 pts)
4. PROJ-504: Payment error handling (4 pts)

Sprint Goal: Complete basic payment processing flow

Stretch Goals (if time allows):

• PROJ-505: Refund functionality (8 pts)

Should I create these issues or adjust the selection?"