A project team meets to estimate user stories for a sprint. While an important non-functional requirement must be delivered in the sprint, the estimate exceeds sprint capacity. What should the team…

The correct answer is D. Break non-functional requirements into those that can be delivered in the given sprint. Agile teams handle oversized work items by breaking them down into smaller, deliverable increments. This preserves the sprint timebox, maintains a sustainable pace, and still delivers partial value. Ignoring non-functional requirements (A) risks quality and technical debt…

Submitted by andres_qro· Apr 18, 2026Adaptive Planning

Question

A project team meets to estimate user stories for a sprint. While an important non-functional requirement must be delivered in the sprint, the estimate exceeds sprint capacity. What should the team do?

Options

AEstimate only functional requirements that will impact product quality
BAdd team resources
CRefer the issue to the product owner
DBreak non-functional requirements into those that can be delivered in the given sprint

How the community answered

(34 responses)

A
3% (1)
B
6% (2)
C
9% (3)
D
82% (28)

Explanation

Agile teams handle oversized work items by breaking them down into smaller, deliverable increments. This preserves the sprint timebox, maintains a sustainable pace, and still delivers partial value. Ignoring non-functional requirements (A) risks quality and technical debt. Adding resources mid-sprint (B) disrupts the team and rarely improves output immediately. Referring to the product owner (C) may be needed for prioritization, but the team first has an obligation to attempt to fit the work by decomposing it.

Topics

#Sprint Planning#Non-Functional Requirements#Work Decomposition#Capacity Management

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