Less Events
Sprint Planning Part 1
Multi-team alignment · Timebox: ~1 hour (2-week Sprint)
Overview
Sprint Planning Part 1 is a shared event where all teams and the Product Owner meet together. The PO presents the highest-priority items, and teams collaboratively self-select which items each team will work on. This is where whole-product alignment happens.
Event Ownership
Owned / Facilitated By
Product Owner (content) / Scrum Master (facilitation)
PO presents the highest-priority Product Backlog items and their strategic context
SM facilitates the multi-team session, ensuring effective self-selection and minimal dependencies
PO answers priority and value questions; teams ask clarification questions
SM ensures cross-team dependencies are surfaced and teams coordinate directly
Who Should Be Present
All Teams
All team members attend. Teams self-select which items to work on based on skills, knowledge, and capacity
Product Owner
Presents priorities, explains business context, answers questions, and guides teams toward the most valuable work
Scrum Master(s)
Facilitate the session, ensure timeboxing, and help teams identify and resolve cross-team dependencies
Preparation Checklist
01PO: Product Backlog refined and ordered, top items have clear context
02Teams: Capacity calculated, prior Sprint outcomes reviewed
03SMs: Facilitation plan ready, room/tools set up for multi-team session
04Teams: Review items from recent refinement sessions