Prepare for and facilitate effective sprint planning sessions. Produces capacity analysis, recommends stories based on priority and capacity, identifies dependencies and risks, and provides structured meeting agendas.

Core principle: Sprint planning should result in a realistic commitment with clear goals—not an overloaded wishlist.

When to Use

Output Format

yaml

sprint_planning:
  sprint_number: "[N]"
  sprint_dates:
    start: "[YYYY-MM-DD]"
    end: "[YYYY-MM-DD]"
    working_days: "[N]"
  
  capacity_analysis:
    team_members:
      - name: "[Name]"
        role: "[Role]"
        availability: "[%]"  # 100% = full sprint, 80% = 1 day off, etc.
        notes: "[PTO, training, etc.]"
    
    total_capacity:
      available_person_days: "[N]"
      historical_velocity: "[Points from last 3 sprints]"
      recommended_commitment: "[Points range]"
      capacity_confidence: "[High | Medium | Low]"
  
  sprint_goal:
    primary: "[One sentence goal]"
    success_criteria:
      - "[Measurable outcome 1]"
      - "[Measurable outcome 2]"
  
  recommended_stories:
    committed:
      - id: "[Story ID]"
        title: "[Title]"
        points: "[N]"
        priority: "[P1 | P2 | P3]"
        assignee_suggestion: "[Name or skill needed]"
        dependencies: ["[Dependency if any]"]
        risk_flag: "[None | Low | Medium | High]"
    
    stretch:
      - id: "[Story ID]"
        title: "[Title]"
        points: "[N]"
        condition: "[When to pull in]"
  
  dependencies:
    internal:
      - story: "[Story ID]"
        depends_on: "[Story ID]"
        type: "[Blocks | Informs | Shares-data]"
    
    external:
      - story: "[Story ID]"
        depends_on: "[External team/system]"
        status: "[Confirmed | Pending | At-risk]"
        mitigation: "[If at-risk]"
  
  risks:
    - risk: "[Description]"
      likelihood: "[High | Medium | Low]"
      impact: "[High | Medium | Low]"
      mitigation: "[Plan]"
  
  carryover:
    from_previous_sprint:
      - id: "[Story ID]"
        title: "[Title]"
        remaining_points: "[N]"
        reason: "[Why not completed]"
  
  meeting_agenda:
    pre_planning:
      - "[Preparation item]"
    planning_part_1:  # What to build
      duration: "[Minutes]"
      activities:
        - "[Activity]"
    planning_part_2:  # How to build
      duration: "[Minutes]"
      activities:
        - "[Activity]"

Capacity Calculation

Step 1: Calculate Available Days

yaml

sprint_days: 10  # 2-week sprint
team_size: 5

availability:
  - name: "Alice"
    days_off: 0
    available: 10
  - name: "Bob"
    days_off: 2  # PTO
    available: 8
  - name: "Carol"
    days_off: 1  # Training
    available: 9
  - name: "David"
    days_off: 0
    available: 10
  - name: "Eve"
    days_off: 3  # Conference
    available: 7

total_person_days: 44  # vs 50 theoretical max

Step 2: Apply Focus Factor

yaml

focus_factor: 0.7  # Account for meetings, support, etc.
effective_capacity: 31  # 44 × 0.7

Step 3: Convert to Points

yaml

historical_velocity:
  sprint_n_minus_1: 34
  sprint_n_minus_2: 28
  sprint_n_minus_3: 31
  average: 31

# Adjust for capacity difference
normal_capacity: 35  # person-days in those sprints
this_sprint_capacity: 31
capacity_ratio: 0.89  # 31/35

recommended_commitment: 28  # 31 × 0.89, rounded
commitment_range: "25-30"  # ±10% for uncertainty

Sprint Goal Framework

Sprint Goal Template

code

By the end of this sprint, [user segment] will be able to [capability]
as measured by [success metric].

Story Selection Algorithm

Priority Order

Selection Criteria

yaml

include_if:
  - Story is refined (acceptance criteria defined)
  - Story is estimated
  - Dependencies are resolved or scheduled
  - Required skills available this sprint

flag_if:
  - Story larger than 1/3 sprint capacity
  - Story has external dependency
  - Story is first of its type
  - Story touches unfamiliar code

Dependency Mapping

Dependency Types

Dependency Visualization

code

Story A ──blocks──> Story B ──blocks──> Story C
                         │
                         └──informs──> Story D

External: API Team delivery ──blocks──> Story E
          Status: Confirmed for Day 3

Risk Assessment

Common Sprint Risks

Risk	Indicators	Mitigation
Overcommitment	Points > 110% velocity	Reduce scope, add stretch
Single point of failure	Only one person can do story	Pair programming, knowledge share
External dependency	Waiting on other team	Confirm timing, have backup work
Unknown complexity	New technology/domain	Spike first, time-box
Carryover debt	Multiple sprints of carryover	Address root cause

Attribute	Description	Example
Outcome-focused	What value delivered, not tasks done	"Users can complete checkout" not "Build checkout page"
Measurable	Can verify achievement	"90% of test users complete flow"
Achievable	Realistic given capacity	Based on story selection
Singular	One primary objective	Not "A and B and C"

Type	Description	Risk Level
Blocks	Cannot start until other completes	High
Informs	Needs information from other	Medium
Shares-data	Uses same data structures	Low

Mistake	Problem	Prevention
Planning to 100% capacity	No buffer for unknowns	Target 70-80%
Ignoring carryover	Compounds sprint-over-sprint	Address first
Vague sprint goal	No focus, no success measure	Use template
Skipping Part 2	Poor task understanding	Allocate full time
Not confirming dependencies	Blocked mid-sprint	Verify before planning

sprint-planning-facilitator

Sprint Planning Facilitator

Overview

When to Use

Output Format

Capacity Calculation

Step 1: Calculate Available Days

Step 2: Apply Focus Factor

Step 3: Convert to Points

Sprint Goal Framework

Sprint Goal Template

Story Selection Algorithm

Priority Order

Selection Criteria

Dependency Mapping

Dependency Types

Dependency Visualization

Risk Assessment

Common Sprint Risks

Meeting Agenda Template

Pre-Planning (Before Meeting)

Planning Part 1: What (60 min)

Planning Part 2: How (60 min)

Common Mistakes

Output Checklist