In this section, we will focus on practical exercises to help you understand and apply agile planning techniques. These exercises will cover various aspects of agile planning, including user story creation, backlog prioritization, sprint planning, and estimation techniques.

Learn how to create clear and concise user stories that capture the requirements from the user's perspective.

1. Identify a Feature: Think of a feature that you would like to add to a software application. For example, "User Login".
2. Create User Stories: Write user stories for this feature using the format: "As a [type of user], I want [an action] so that [a benefit/a value]".

• Feature: User Login
• User Stories:
  • As a registered user, I want to log in using my email and password so that I can access my account.
  • As a new user, I want to register an account so that I can log in and use the application.
  • As an admin, I want to reset user passwords so that users can regain access if they forget their password.

Compare your user stories with the examples provided. Ensure they are clear, concise, and follow the user story format.

Understand how to prioritize the product backlog based on business value, risk, and dependencies.

1. List User Stories: Use the user stories created in Exercise 1.
2. Assign Priorities: Assign a priority to each user story based on its importance to the business, risk, and dependencies. Use a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is the highest priority.

Compare your prioritization with the example. Ensure that the most critical user stories for the business are given the highest priority.

Learn how to plan a sprint by selecting user stories from the product backlog and estimating the effort required to complete them.

1. Select User Stories: Choose user stories from the prioritized backlog that can be completed in a sprint (typically 2-4 weeks).
2. Estimate Effort: Estimate the effort required for each user story using story points or another estimation technique (e.g., T-shirt sizing: S, M, L, XL).

Compare your sprint plan and effort estimates with the example. Ensure that the selected user stories can realistically be completed within the sprint duration.

Practice different estimation techniques such as Planning Poker and T-shirt Sizing.

1. Planning Poker: Use Planning Poker to estimate the effort for each user story. Each team member selects a card with a number representing their estimate, and the team discusses until a consensus is reached.
2. T-shirt Sizing: Use T-shirt sizes (S, M, L, XL) to estimate the effort for each user story. Assign a size based on the complexity and effort required.

Compare your estimates using Planning Poker and T-shirt Sizing with the example. Discuss any discrepancies and understand the reasoning behind different estimates.

In this section, you have practiced creating user stories, prioritizing the product backlog, planning sprints, and estimating effort using different techniques. These exercises are designed to reinforce your understanding of agile planning and help you apply these concepts in real-world projects. Continue practicing these exercises to improve your agile planning skills and ensure successful project outcomes.