Working With Existing Sprint Backlog Items

There are a number of queries that can be used to manipulate Sprint Backlog items and the choice is driven by the type of backlog item you want to work with and the activity being performed. Sprint Backlog items come in 3 varieties:

1. Task (Default) - the item used to describe a component of work that will help deliver a Product Backlog item.
2. Bug - Used to identify and track progress of a bug found against a Sprint or Product Backlog item.
3. Impediment - any issue encountered by the team preventing them from efficiently delivering the system is logged as an impediment for the ScrumMaster to resolve.

Taking on a new Task

When a team member wants to assign themselves to perform a Task, they use the "All Sprint Backlog Tasks" query to obtain a list of all Tasks (without Bugs and Impediments). Sorting the list by "Assigned To" will provide a quick way of viewing the un-assigned backlog Tasks. Alternatively you can add a query that lists all un-assigned tasks by using the All Sprint Backlog tasks" query as a template. Having selected the desired Task, select your name in the "Owned By" dropdown list and save the item.

Review tasks currently assigned to you

The "My Sprint Backlog Tasks" query provides an easy way for team members to keep a track of the Tasks currently assigned to them.

Taking on a Bug

When a team member wants to assign themselves to resolve a Bug, they use the "All Bugs" query to obtain a list of all Bugs (without Tasks and Impediments). Sorting the list by "Assigned To" will provide a quick way of viewing the un-assigned Bugs. Alternatively you can add a query that lists all un-assigned tasks by using the All Bugs" query as a template. Having selected the desired Bug, select your name in the "Owned By" dropdown list and save the item.

Team members can choose the Bugs that they want to fix or Testers can assign Bugs to a specific Developer if they know who wrote the code in error. The process used is up to the Team to decide.

Review Bugs currently assigned to you

The "My Bugs" query provides an easy way for team members to keep a track of the Bugs currently assigned to them.

Raising an Impediment

Anyone in the Team can raise an Impediment identifying a blocker to project progress. An Impediment item is created in exactly the same way as the other Sprint Backlog item types except that the "Backlog Item Type" field is set to "Impediment". It is recommended that the "Owned By" field is set to the team member who raised the Impediment. The ScrumMaster uses the "All Impediment" query to review the Impediments that they need to resolve.

Review Impediments that you have raised

The "My Impediments" query will show the Impediments raised by the team member that have not yet been resolved. This is true as long as the "Owned By" field on the Impediment item is left as the team member who raised the Impediment. If you wish to see all the Impediments that you have raised, including those that have been resolved, then use the "All Impediments" query and sort the results by the "Assigned To" column.

Updating a Sprint Backlog item

The "My …." queries provide quick methods for finding items that you are working on when updating the status of items you are working on.