3. Uncertainty of work
Because Sprint Planning and Product Backlog Refinement entail planning for features that are yet to be developed, risks and uncertainties need to be taken into account during user story estimation. Will the team be using a new API? Is the user story similar to something that’s already built before? The more uncertainties there are, the larger the estimation should be.
Aside from these factors, testers should also adhere to their team’s Definition of Done is. If the Definition of Done includes testing user stories in different environments, then they must take that into account when coming up with estimates.
User Story Estimation in the Planning Process
User story estimation can be done during two Sprint ceremonies: Sprint Planning and Product Backlog Refinement. Sprint Planning is for deciding on which user stories to be committed within a Sprint, while Product Backlog Refinement is for discussing and clarifying user stories in the Product Backlog that will be developed in future Sprints.
Both ceremonies involve planning user stories, discussing their details, and estimating their sizes, as the Scrum team collaborates with the Product Owner on creating, modifying, and splitting user stories. Ideally, user stories have already been sized or estimated prior to Sprint Planning, but those estimates can be changed when the Scrum team negotiates with the Product Owner. Estimates will also change when user stories are being split.
User story estimation, as part of planning processes, would typically be as follows:
1. For teams with completed Sprints – Have a base user story ready for comparison.
Even though user stories will be unique from one another, there could be similarities in terms of implementation and complexity. If the team has already developed user stories in previous Sprints, they can pick a user story and can use that as a comparison for estimates.
2. Scope and list user stories for discussion.
There will be a list of user stories for the teams to discuss, for Sprint Planning, it’s scoping the user stories that they will commit to finish for the Sprint.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: