Assigned Action Items and Due Dates
Once the team has clarified and agreed on concrete improvements, the Scrum Team defines specific tasks to implement them. Each task is given a clear completion date.
Key Points
- Action items come from agreed, well-understood improvement ideas (often from a retrospective).
- Each action item is specific, actionable, and traceable to a responsible person or team.
- Every action item includes a target due date to drive focus and accountability.
- Progress on action items is reviewed regularly, typically during daily scrums and the next retrospective.
Example
After a sprint retrospective, the team decides to improve code quality. They create two action items: (1) Add a pull-request checklist by Wednesday, owned by the tech lead; (2) Enable unit test coverage thresholds before the end of Sprint 12, owned by the QA engineer. Both items and their due dates are tracked on the team board.
PMP Example Question
During a sprint retrospective, a Scrum Team agrees on several improvements. What best describes "Assigned Action Items and Due Dates"?
- Product backlog items prioritized by the Product Owner.
- Documented improvement tasks with owners and completion dates.
- Risks recorded in the risk register with mitigation owners.
- Formal change requests submitted to the change control board.
Correct Answer: B — Documented improvement tasks with owners and completion dates
Explanation: Assigned Action Items and Due Dates are concrete tasks derived from agreed improvements, each with accountability and a target completion date.
