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h1. Sprint Close Process (Mandatory)

*Applies to all Scrum teams using Redmine*  

*This process is mandatory and must be followed for every sprint*

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h2. 1. Overview

The Sprint Close Process defines the **mandatory steps** to correctly close a sprint in Redmine while preserving:

* Permanent sprint history

* Accurate velocity and throughput

* Clear spillover accountability

* Audit-ready data

* Clean and performant Redmine usage

This process ensures sprint data remains reliable **months or years later**.

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h2. 2. Scope

This process applies to:

* All Scrum / Sprint-based teams

* All issues assigned to a Sprint Version

* All Trackers (Stories, Tasks, Bugs)

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h2. 3. Ownership & Timing

|*. Item |*. Details |

| Owner | Scrum Master |

| Required Participants | Product Owner |

| When | After Sprint Review and before next Sprint Planning |

| Mandatory | Yes – no steps may be skipped |

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h2. 4. Core Principle (Golden Rule)

*bq.* *Never clear the Sprint Version before setting the “Completed In Sprint” field.*

Breaking this rule permanently destroys sprint history.

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h2. 5. Required Fields & Rules

h3. 5.1 Mandatory Custom Fields

|_. Field Name |_. Type |_. Required When |

| Completed In Sprint | Dropdown | Status = Done |

| Spillover Reason | Dropdown / Text | Status ≠ Done |

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h3. 5.2 Field Rules

h4. Completed In Sprint

* Must be set for every completed item

* Represents the **only source of truth** for sprint completion

* Must never be changed after sprint close

h4. Spillover Reason

* Mandatory for all unfinished items

* Must explain *why* work was not completed

* Used for retrospective and improvement analysis

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h3. 5.3 Allowed Statuses at Sprint End

|_. Status |_. Allowed |

| Done / Closed | Yes |

| In Review | Yes (counts as spillover) |

| In Progress | Yes (spillover) |

| Blocked | Yes (spillover) |

| Ready / New | Yes (spillover) |

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h2. 6. Sprint Close Saved Queries (Before Closing)

Saved queries act as **validation gates**.  

All blocker queries **must be empty** before proceeding.

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h3. Q1 – All Sprint Items (Working Set)

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

* Columns:

** Tracker, Subject, Status, Assignee, Priority

** Story Points, Completed In Sprint, Spillover Reason

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – All items (Sprint YYYY-NN)*

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h3. Q2 – Completed Candidates (Verification)

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

** Status = Done / In Review

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – Done in sprint version (verify fields)*

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h3. Q3 – DONE but Missing Completed In Sprint (BLOCKER)

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

** Status = Done

** Completed In Sprint = empty

* Rule:

This query **must be empty**

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – Missing Completed In Sprint (BLOCKER)*

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h3. Q4 – Not Done Yet (Spillover Candidates)

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

** Status = New, Ready, In Progress, In Review, Blocked

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – Not done (spillover candidates)*

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h3. Q5 – Spillover Missing Reason (BLOCKER)

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

** Status ≠ Done

** Spillover Reason = empty

* Rule:

This query **must be empty**

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – Spillover missing reason (BLOCKER)*

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h3. Q6 – Blockers Snapshot

* Filters:

** Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

** Status = Blocked

* Saved as:

*Sprint Close – Blocked items snapshot*

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h2. 7. Step-by-Step Sprint Closing Procedure

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h3. Step 1 – Freeze the Sprint

After Sprint Review:

* No new issues may be assigned to the Sprint Version

* No priority changes are allowed

* Sprint scope is frozen

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h3. Step 2 – Review Every Sprint Issue

Filter issues using:

<pre>

Fixed version = Sprint YYYY-NN

</pre>

Each issue must follow **exactly one** of the paths below.

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h4. A. Completed Issues

Set **all** of the following:

|*. Field |*. Required Value |

| Status | Done |

| Completed In Sprint | Sprint YYYY-NN |

Verify before continuing:

* Acceptance Criteria met

* QA completed

* No open sprint bugs

*Do NOT clear the Sprint Version yet.*

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h4. B. Not Completed (Spillover)

Set **all** of the following:

|*. Field |*. Required Value |

| Status | In Progress / Ready |

| Spillover Reason | Mandatory |

| Completed In Sprint | *Do not set* |

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h3. Step 3 – Validate Sprint Data (Non-Negotiable)

Before proceeding, confirm:

* All Done items have *Completed In Sprint*

* All unfinished items have *Spillover Reason*

* No blocker queries contain results

If anything is wrong: **STOP and fix it**.

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h3. Step 4 – Clear Sprint Version

For *every issue* in the sprint:

|*. Field |*. Action |

| Fixed version | Clear (empty) |

Sprint Version is now free for future use.

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h3. Step 5 – Close Sprint Version

Navigate to:

<pre>

Administration → Versions → Sprint YYYY-NN

</pre>

Set:

|*. Field |*. Value |

| Status | Closed |

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h2. 8. Metrics Capture & Validation

After sprint close, use history-based queries.

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h3. Completed Work

<pre>

Completed In Sprint = Sprint YYYY-NN

Status = Done or Closed

</pre>

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h3. Velocity

* Sum of Story Points for completed stories

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h3. Spillover Analysis

<pre>

Spillover Reason is not empty

</pre>

Group by Spillover Reason.

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h2. 9. Sprint Wiki Update

Update the sprint Wiki page:

<pre>

Sprint YYYY-NN

</pre>

Include:

* Sprint Goal

* Total completed stories

* Final velocity

* Spillover summary

* Retrospective action items (linked issues)

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h2. 10. Final Validation Checklist

Before declaring sprint closed, confirm:

* Can we list everything completed in this sprint?

* Can velocity be recalculated months later?

* Are spillover reasons explicit?

* Can a new team member understand this sprint from records?

If all answers are *Yes*, the sprint is correctly closed.

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h2. 11. One-Page Summary

<pre>

1. Freeze sprint

2. Mark completed issues → Completed In Sprint

3. Mark spillover → Spillover Reason

4. Clear Sprint Version

5. Close Sprint Version

6. Capture metrics

7. Update Sprint Wiki

8. Prepare next sprint

</pre>

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h2. 12. Final Statement

Following this process guarantees:

* Permanent sprint traceability

* Accurate velocity & throughput

* Clean releases

* Audit-ready delivery history

* Sustainable Redmine usage

*This process is mandatory for all teams.*