Iterate Refinement Notes

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Refinement Notes

Refinement notes capture the outcomes of backlog refinement (grooming) sessions.what was discussed, what was estimated, and what decisions were made. They serve as a quick reference for team members who missed the session and a historical record of how stories evolved from idea to ready-for-sprint.

When to Use

• During refinement sessions to capture decisions in real-time
• After refinement to share outcomes with absent team members
• When onboarding new team members to explain backlog context
• Before sprint planning to review what's been refined
• When stories need re-refinement due to time elapsed

When NOT to Use

• You need the stories themselves written -> use deliver-user-stories
• You need a general meeting summary, not a backlog-refinement record -> use foundation-meeting-recap
• You are running the retrospective ceremony -> use iterate-retrospective
• Refined stories need their failure scenarios enumerated -> use deliver-edge-cases

Instructions

When asked to document refinement notes, follow these steps:

• Record Session Metadata

Note the date, attendees, and duration. This helps track who was part of decisions and when discussions happened.

• List Stories Discussed

For each story, capture the outcome: estimated points, refined status, key discussion points, and any modifications made to the original scope.

• Document Questions Raised

Questions that couldn't be answered in the session need owners and due dates. Don't let them disappear.they often block sprint planning.

• Capture Decisions Made

Record any scope decisions, technical approaches agreed upon, or priority changes. These decisions are valuable context that gets lost without documentation.

• Note Action Items

Any follow-up work needed before stories are sprint-ready: mockups to create, technical spikes to run, stakeholders to consult.

• Flag Blocked Stories

Clearly identify stories that can't proceed until blockers are resolved. Include what the blocker is and who owns resolution.

• Plan Next Session

Note what should be refined next and any preparation needed.

Output Format

Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output. Complete notes fill every template section: Session Info; Summary; Stories Refined; Stories Summary Table; Questions Raised; Decisions Made; Action Items; Blocked Stories; Parking Lot; and Next Session.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• [ ] All discussed stories have outcomes recorded
• [ ] Open questions have owners assigned
• [ ] Decisions are captured with enough context
• [ ] Blocked stories are clearly flagged
• [ ] A reader who missed the session can tell each story's outcome and what happens next without asking

Examples

See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.