Scrum at Scale: Differentiating Between Product Backlog and CIPSA Sprint Backlog

  

Like there are differences between the CIPSA Sprint Backlog and the Team Sprint Backlog, we also have differences between the Product Backlog and the CIPSA Sprint Backlog. When you go for the upcoming CIPSA Certification, you need to know the differences. In this article, we will explore a few differences. 

In one of the earlier articles, I wrote the following:

“The line items in the CIPSA Sprint Backlog are taken from the Product Backlog. In the CIPSA Sprint backlog, the items are not broken down into individual tasks, but they are in the Team Sprint Backlog. This distinction is important to understand.”

Do note that while my explanation is specific to the CIPSA Scrum Framework, similar concepts are in the CIPSA Kanban Framework.

Why CIPSA Sprint Backlog?

We need a CIPSA Sprint Backlog for the following reasons.

• Adding of meta-events such as CIPSA Sprint Planning, CIPSA Daily Scrums.
• Segregation of work items with respect to individual Scrum teams.
• Assignment of Sprints across the individual Scrum teams.
• Allocating resources to the work items.

Hence, the CIPSA Sprint Backlog is created from the Product Backlog. It’s depicted in the figure below. 

Product Backlog and CIPSA Sprint Backlog

While the individual teams are sprinting, the entire CIPSA Scrum Team is also sprinting. It happening on the same Sprint number. While the backlog items are available in the Product Backlog, the final, ordered or prioritized items to be taken in the upcoming Sprint is at the CIPSA Sprint Backlog level.

Now, let’s see the differences between the Product Backlog and the CIPSA Sprint Backlog.

Product Backlog Vs. CIPSA Sprint Backlog

Difference # 1: Product Backlog is a single one and stands on its own - separate, unique. CIPSA Sprint Backlog comes from the Product Backlog. 

Difference # 2: The Product Backlog will have the product backlog items. Some of the product backlog items will be part of (post prioritization) the CIPSA Sprint Backlog.

Difference # 3: The Product Backlog will have a Product Goal. The CIPSA Sprint Backlog will have a CIPSA Sprint Goal. The final goal is to reach the Product Goal by achieving a number of CIPSA Sprint Goals.

Difference # 4: The Product Backlog is a live document and is continuously updated. The CIPSA Sprint Backlog will be for a Sprint and when the Sprint is over, it’s discarded.

Difference # 5: The Chief Product Owner owns the Product Backlog. The CIPSA Team owns the CIPSA Sprint Backlog.

These differences are noted in the below table. 

Can you think of any other difference(s)? 

Video Explanation: Product Backlog Vs. CIPSA Sprint Backlog

The video below [duration: 04m:02s], explains the diferences between the Product Backlog and CIPSA Sprint Backlog. For better experience, plug-in your earphones and go full-screen HD. 

Closing Remarks 

To know more about the roles (accountabilities), artifacts and events/meta-events, you can download the CIPSA Framework Guide. When you go through it, you will discover more differences on your own!

I believe this article gives you more clarity with respect to the differences between the Product Backlog and CIPSA Sprint Backlog.

References

[1] Scrum at Scale: CIPSA Sprint Backlog Vs. Team Sprint Backlog, by Satya Narayan Dash 

[2] Introducing Practical Scaled Agile Framework with CIPSA Certification, by Satya Narayan Dash and ManagementYogi.com  

[3] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide, , by Satya Narayan Dash

[4] Scrum at Scale: Managing Multiple Teams and Boards with MS Project Agile, by Satya Narayan Dash, first published by MPUG.com

Kanban at Scale: Product Backlog Vs. CIPSA Kanban Backlog

In the CIPSA Framework, world’s only practical scaled agile framework, we have three backlogs: Product Backlog, CIPSA Backlog, and Team Backlog. Considering the CIPSA Kanban Framework, the CIPSA Backlog will be called the CIPSA Kanban Backlog.  In this article, we will explore the differences between Product Backlog and CIPSA Kanban Backlog.

In one of the earlier articles related to the CIPSA Kanban Framework, I wrote the following:

“In the CIPSA Kanban Planning meeting, a CIPSA Kanban Backlog is created with the Product Backlog items that can be delivered by multiple teams in the upcoming release. Post CIPSA Kanban Planning meeting, for each team, an individual team level Kanban Planning event takes place. This results in a Team Kanban Backlog for each team.”

Now, if the Product Backlog items are directly taken into the CIPSA Kanban Backlog, but we are actually executing the items in the Team Kanban Backlog, two questions come-up:

• What is the need of CIPSA Kanban Backlog? We already have Product Backlog and Team Kanban Backlog.
• If needed, what exactly are the differences between the Product Backlog and CIPSA Kanban Backlog?

Do note that while my explanation is specific to the CIPSA Kanban Framework, similar concepts are in the CIPSA Scrum Framework.

Why CIPSA Kanban Backlog?

First and foremost, we don’t execute the entire Product Backlog, but parts of it. Considering the Kanban framework, we have a CIPSA Kanban Backlog due to the following reasons:

1. We need to clearly segregate the items taken for the upcoming Release for all the Kanban teams. 
2. We need to add the meta-events into a backlog where the CIPSA Team will not be executing the work items, but also a plan for the meta-events such as CIPSA Kanban Planning, CIPSA Daily Stand-ups etc.
3. Segregation of Kanban teams (human resources) need to happen. This can happen only at the CIPSA Kanban Backlog level.
4. Allocation of resources doesn’t happen at the Product Backlog level. It can only happen at CIPSA Kanban Backlog and Team Kanban Backlog level. 

Hence, the CIPSA Kanban Backlog is created from the Product Backlog. It’s depicted in the figure below.

Next, let’s see the differences between the Product Backlog and the CIPSA Kanban Backlog.

Product Backlog Vs. CIPSA Kanban Backlog

Difference # 1: Product Backlog is a single one and stands on its own - separate, unique. CIPSA Kanban Backlog comes from the Product Backlog. 

Difference # 2: The Product Backlog will have the product backlog items. Some of the product backlog items will be part of the CIPSA Kanban Backlog.

Difference # 3: Product Backlog is a live document and continuously updated. The CIPSA Kanban Backlog will be for a Release and when the Release is over, it’s discarded.

Difference # 4: The Chief Product Owner (CPO) owns the Product Backlog. The CIPSA Team owns the CIPSA Kanban Backlog. If a complex service is delivered, then the CPO role will be replaced by Chief Service Request Manager (CSRM).

Difference # 5: The Product Backlog doesn’t contain any meta-events. The CIPSA Kanban Backlog will contain meta-events such as CIPSA Planning, CIPSA Daily Stand-ups, among others.

These differences are noted in the below table. 

Video Explanation: Product Backlog Vs. CIPSA Kanban Backlog

The video below [duration: 04m:38s], explains the diferences between the Product Backlog and CIPSA Kanban Backlog. For better experience, plug-in your earphones and go full screen with high-definition (HD). 

Before we close:

Can you think of a few other differences? Give it a try!

Closing Remarks

I believe you tried the above question! Now, you’d be thinking if there are any similarities between the Product Backlog and the CIPSA Kanban Backlog. One can think of the following ones: 

1. Like Product Backlog is one of the key artifacts in CIPSA Kanban framework, the CIPSA Kanban Backlog is also a key artifact.
2. Considering practical, hands-on approach (after all the CIPSA framework is mainly about that!), the Product Backlog Items and the CIPSA Kanban Backlog’s high-level items will be summary-level tasks. 

To know more about the roles (accountabilities), artifacts and events/meta-events, you can download the CIPSA Framework Guide. When you go through it, you will discover more differences on your own!

I believe this article gives you more clarity with respect to the differences between the Product Backlog and CIPSA Kanban Backlog.

References

[1] A Closer Look at the CIPSA Kanban Framework, by Satya Narayan Dash

[2] Introducing Practical Scaled Agile Framework with CIPSA Certification, by Satya Narayan Dash and ManagementYogi.com 

[3] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide, by Satya Narayan Dash and ManagementYogi.com 

[4] Kanban at Scale: Managing Multiple Teams and Boards with MS Project Agile, by Satya Narayan Dash, first published by MPUG.com 

Scrum at Scale: CIPSA Sprint Backlog Vs. Team Sprint Backlog

In one of the recent articles, I wrote the following (summarized):

“A CIPSA Sprint Backlog is a collection of individual Team Sprint Backlogs. The individual teams sprint towards the individual Team Sprint Goals and execute the work items. Simultaneously, the entire CIPSA (Scrum) Team is also sprinting, but towards the CIPSA Sprint Goal!”

You can read the complete article here.

It has detailed explanations with videos, which you should watch to have more clarity. Most important of all, it’s shown with MS Project Agile software in a hands-on manner. The CIPSA Framework is the only framework in the world which demonstrates scaling in a practical, hands-on manner. The upcoming CIPSA certification will be based on this framework. 

CIPSA Team Sprinting Vs Individual Team Sprinting

If you look at the headline of this subsection, I’ve differentiated between the sprinting of the CIPSA Team and Individual Scrum Teams.

Sprinting is done to execute the work items, i.e., tasks in the backlogs. The line items in the CIPSA Sprint Backlog are taken from the Product Backlog. In the CIPSA Sprint Backlog, the items are not broken down into individual tasks. That happens in the Team Sprint Backlog. This distinction is important to understand and it’s depicted in the figure below.   

CIPSA Sprint Backlog Vs. Team Sprint Backlog

Now, let’s see the differences between the CIPSA Sprint Backlog and the Team Sprint Backlog. 

Difference # 1: CIPSA Sprint Backlog comes from the Product Backlog. On the other hand, the Team Sprint Backlog comes from the CIPSA Sprint Backlog.

Difference # 2: CIPSA Sprint Backlog will have the product backlog items. The Team Sprint Backlog will have task line items.

Difference # 3: The “what to do” in the upcoming Sprint is informed by the CIPSA Sprint Backlog, whereas the “how to do” in the upcoming Sprint is informed with the Team Sprint backlog.

Difference # 4: The CIPSA meta-events such as CIPSA Sprint Planning, CIPSA Daily Scrum, CIPSA Sprint Review and CIPSA Sprint Retrospective will be part of the CIPSA Sprint Backlog. 

The Scrum Events such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, and Sprint Retrospective will be part of the Team Sprint Backlog.

Difference # 5: The CIPSA Sprint Goal is part of the CIPSA Sprint Backlog, but the Team Sprint Goal will be part of the Team Sprint Backlog. For a Sprint, there is one CIPSA Sprint Goal, but there can be multiple Team Sprint Goals depending on the number of Scrum Teams.

The differences are noted in the below table.

To know more about the roles (accountabilities), artifacts and events/meta-events, you can download the CIPSA Framework Guide. When you go through it, you can find out more differences on your own!

How about the similarities?

The following can be listed:

• Sprint Number: The Team Sprint Backlogs will be with respect to the same Sprint number, e.g., Sprint 7. All individual Scrum Teams will also be sprinting in Sprint 7. The CIPSA Sprint Backlog will also be with respect to the same Sprint number, i.e., Sprint 7. The entire CIPSA Team will also be sprinting in Sprint 7.
• Timeboxing: All the (meta) events of CIPSA Scrum Framework, like the events at the individual Team Scrum framework, will be timeboxed.

Video Explanation: CIPSA Sprint Backlog Vs Team Sprint Backlog

The video below [duration: 05m:56s], explains the diferences between the CIPSA Sprint Backlog and Team Sprint Backlog.  

I believe you’ve gone through the CIPSA Guide. Can you think of any other differences and/or similarities?

Concluding Remarks

I always believed simple things are easy to remember, implement and use. Complex ones get more and more complex and you finally give-up.

CIPSA is a very simple and easy to follow framework, unlike other scaled agile frameworks which come with a lot of theories. It’s also practical and hands-on. 

I hope this article gives you more clarity with respect to the differences between the CIPSA Sprint Backlog and Team Sprint Backlog.

References

[1] Introducing Practical Scaled Agile Framework with CIPSA Certification, by Satya Narayan Dash

[2] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide, by Satya Narayan Dash and ManagementYogi.com

[3] Scrum at Scale: Managing Multiple Teams and Boards with MS Project Agile, by Satya Narayan Dash, first published by MPUG.com