How to Perform a Sprint Review

Introduction The Scrum Review takes place at the end of each Sprint and is an informal meeting between the Scrum Team and the key stakeholders, not a status meeting. The presentation of the deliverables is intended to elicit feedback and foster collaboration.
The duration is limited to 3-4 hours for a 4 week Sprint.
During the meeting some of the topics discussed are:

  • Do the deliverables adhere to the agreed definition of ‘Done’?
  • What challenges did the Development Team have during implementation, how were they solved and are the any suggestions from the stakeholders?
  • The entire group collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning?
  • The need to update the Release Backlog with additional requirements are discusses
  • The entire team discuss the likelihood of completing the Release Backlog as planned based on the experience from this Sprint.

The Scrum Review ends by the Product Owner concluding if the deliverables are Done or should be rejected.
Who will participate? The meeting will typically have these participants. The Business and the O&M Team represent examples of the stakeholders, other stakeholders may be relevant. The participants have the following responsibilities:

Product Owner Development Team Scrum Master Business (Users) O&M team
Organise the Sprint Review C C A/R I I
Prepare for the Sprint
Review		 A/R A/R A/R I I
Perform the Sprint Review A/R A/R R C C
Legend: R=Responsible; A=Accountable; C=Consulted; I=Informed

What is the input? The input to the Sprint Review is the deliverables from the Sprint as defined by each User Stories ‘Done’ criteria.
Which tasks is expected? The following tasks are expected:

Task Description
Organise the Sprint Review. The Scrum Master organise the Sprint Review by:

  • Consulting the Product Owner and the Development Team about who is the most relevant participant.
  • Inviting the participant and the Scrum Team to the meeting.
  • Booking meeting facilities.
Prepare for the Sprint Review The Development Team is responsible for organising the demonstration of the ‘Done’ deliverables for the stakeholders, this include ensuring access to technical equipment in the meeting facilities.
The Product Owner is responsible for preparing to explain what has been ‘Done’ in the Sprint and what has NOT been ‘Done’ in the Sprint.
Perform the Sprint Review During the Sprint Review the members of the Scrum Team perform these activities:

  • The Scrum Master welcome the participants and remind of the purpose of the meeting, how the meeting will be conducted and that the meeting need to adhere to the time-box.
  • The Product Owner explains what Sprint Backlog items have been ‘Done’ and what has not been ‘Done’.
  • The Development Team demonstrates the work that it has “Done” and answers questions about the deliverables.
  • The Product Owner discusses impact on the Product Backlog from the result of the Sprint including ( if needed ) the likely release target and delivery dates based on progress to date.
  • The entire group collaborates on answering these questions as input to the next Sprint:
    • Has changes in the market, business, or use of the product impact on what to do next?
    • Do the timeline, budget, or product capabilities need adjustment.

Based on the demonstrations and the explanations given by the Product Owner and the Development team, the entire group try to reach a consensus about the acceptance of the deliverables. The Product Owner has the final saying and responsibility for the acceptance of the deliverables.

How shall the result be controlled? The Sprint Review should end with a consensus between the participants regarding the result of the Sprint.
What is the output? The Scrum Master create a Minutes of Meeting from the Sprint capturing the essential information for use in the Future Sprints and Releases.
When can we exit? The Sprint Review ends when the time-box terminate.
Hints and Examples Note: The original Scrum has as a task also this: “The Development Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it ran into, and how those problems were solved.” this activity is moved to the “Sprint Retrospective”. This is an internal Development Team discussion that the stakeholders for the deliverables from the Sprint don’t have any prerequisite for joining and therefore should not “waste” time on as well as customers participation in that type of discussion do not foster an open discussion between the Scrum Team members.