HKSM

A visible list of follow-up tasks with a single owner and a clear target date, created during Scrum events to drive improvement and issue resolution. It is an output of meetings like the Daily Standup, Sprint Review, and Retrospect Sprint, and an input to planning and tracking in upcoming sprints.

Key Points

• Concrete commitments captured with one responsible owner and a due date.
• Produced in Scrum events such as Daily Standup, Sprint Review, and Retrospect Sprint.
• Feeds planning by creating or updating backlog items when development effort is needed.
• Tracked visibly on the team board, wiki, or tool and reviewed frequently.
• Linked to Impediment Log, Issues Log, and improvements agreed in retrospectives.
• Closed when acceptance criteria are met and the team validates the outcome.

Purpose

To ensure that agreed improvements, fixes, and follow-ups are not lost and are completed on time. This list turns discussion outcomes into time-bound actions that improve the team’s process, product quality, and stakeholder engagement.

It helps the Scrum Team prioritize non-feature work, remove impediments, and incorporate changes into working agreements or the Definition of Done.

Key Terms & Clauses

• Owner: One accountable person; helpers may be listed separately.
• Due date: Target completion date, usually within the current or next sprint.
• Source: Event that generated the action (Daily Standup, Sprint Review, Retrospect Sprint, Risk response).
• Description and outcome: Clear statement of what will be done and the expected measurable result.
• Priority/Severity: Helps order the actions and focus on the most impactful first.
• Status: New, In progress, Blocked, Done; updated during team check-ins.
• Linkage: References to Product Backlog items, Impediment Log entries, risks, or issues.

How to Develop/Evaluate

Create items during events by capturing the decision, expected outcome, and acceptance criteria. Assign one owner and agree a realistic due date aligned with sprint timelines.

Evaluate quality using a quick SMART check: specific, measurable, achievable within a sprint, relevant to the goal, time-bound. Reject vague or ownerless actions and rework them until clear.

Record items in a visible place (team board or tool), link related backlog items, and ensure they are reviewed daily or at least in the next team sync.

How to Use

During Daily Standup, owners report progress and raise impediments; the Scrum Master facilitates follow-up without turning the standup into problem-solving. In Retrospect Sprint, confirm completion and adjust working agreements if the change is adopted.

When an action requires development effort, the Product Owner adds or updates Product Backlog items and the team estimates and schedules them. Small process tweaks can remain as direct actions without becoming backlog items.

Use the Impediment Log for systemic blockers and keep a clear link between the action item and the impediment or issue it addresses.

Example Snippet

• Action: Pilot code review checklist on two stories. Owner: Priya. Due: 2025-01-26. Outcome: Fewer rework defects. Status: In progress.
• Action: Escalate test environment outage to vendor and track SLA. Owner: Marco. Due: 2025-01-19. Outcome: Environment uptime restored. Status: New.
• Action: Add accessibility criterion to Definition of Done draft. Owner: Lin. Due: 2025-01-24. Outcome: Updated DoD agreed. Status: New.
• Action: Create backlog spike to evaluate logging framework. Owner: Product Owner to add PBI; team to estimate. Due: 2025-01-22 for PBI creation. Status: New.

Risks & Tips

• Risk: Items without a single owner or due date stall; assign clearly and timebox aggressively.
• Risk: Mixing actions with backlog without estimation disrupts planning; convert to PBIs when effort is significant.
• Risk: Hidden lists reduce accountability; keep actions visible and reviewed often.
• Tip: Limit to a few high-impact retrospective actions per sprint to avoid overload.
• Tip: Define acceptance criteria for each action so the team can verify completion objectively.
• Tip: If a process change sticks, update working agreements or the Definition of Done to sustain it.

PMP/SCRUM Example Question

A Scrum Team agreed on three improvement actions in the Retrospect Sprint meeting. What should the Scrum Master do next to ensure effective follow-through?

1. Add the actions to the Sprint Backlog without estimates so they do not affect capacity.
2. Assign each action a single owner and due date, make them visible, and create PBIs only if significant effort is required.
3. Ask the Product Owner to postpone the actions until the release is complete.
4. Document the actions in the project charter and archive them.

Correct Answer: B — Assign each action a single owner and due date, make them visible, and create PBIs only if significant effort is required.

Explanation: Retrospective actions need clear ownership, target dates, and visibility. When they require development work, they should be represented as Product Backlog items and planned accordingly.