Any phase · Ways of working
Refine the backlog
Refinement is a regular session where the team makes upcoming backlog items clear, small and ready to build. It makes sprint planning quick and calm.
About 1-2 hoursEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Delivery and executionPrioritisation and roadmapping
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- ScrumHybrid / stage gates
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Hold a short session once or twice a sprint.
- Bring the top items in priority order.
- For each, explain the user need and ask the team questions.
- Agree acceptance criteria and split items that are too big.
- Ask the team to estimate the size.
- Aim to have about two sprints of ready work.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Run regular refinement with clear entry and exit criteria.
- Split large items by user value.
- Keep about two sprints of ready work.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Involve design and engineering early so items arrive well shaped.
- Use refinement to surface risk and dependencies.
- Keep refinement light and avoid over-specifying.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Product Owner: Prepare and order the items
- Scrum Master or Delivery Manager: Facilitate the session
- Business Analyst: Draft acceptance criteria
Reviewed by: Tech Lead, Scrum Master
Tool examples
- Jira
- Use a 'ready' status or label so the team can see what is ready for planning.
- Azure DevOps
- Use the backlog view with a 'ready' tag.
- Linear
- Use a triage and backlog state for unrefined and ready work.
Definition of done
- Top items have clear acceptance criteria
- Items small enough for a sprint
- About two sprints of ready work
Common pitfalls
- Refining items months away
- PM presenting with no team questions
- Skipping refinement and doing it in planning