Backlog Health Assessment Template

Backlog Health Assessment Template

"A healthy backlog means fewer surprises and more value delivered!"

This template can be used monthly or quarterly as a retrospective activity or health-check audit.

Backlog Health Check

Yes
No
⚠️ N/A
Section 1: General Overview
Attribute Assessment Notes
Product Goal is defined and visible / / ⚠️ e.g. Visible on the backlog tool homepage
Items are linked to Product Goal or Roadmap / / ⚠️ Traceability to high-level goals
Backlog reflects current customer/stakeholder needs / / ⚠️ Recent insights incorporated
Tooling setup supports team collaboration / / ⚠️ E.g., Jira, Trello, Azure Boards
Section 2: Backlog Item Quality
Quality Check Assessment Notes
Items follow the INVEST principle / / ⚠️ Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable
Items are written in user story format (if applicable) / / ⚠️ Who – What – Why
Acceptance Criteria are defined / / ⚠️ Clear and testable
Items are concise and not overly detailed / / ⚠️ No novels in the backlog!
Technical debt, bugs, enablers are clearly labeled / / ⚠️ Categorized appropriately
Section 3: Refinement & Readiness
Refinement Indicator Assessment Notes
Regular refinement sessions happen / / ⚠️ Weekly/biweekly cadence
DoR (Definition of Ready) is used / / ⚠️ Consistently applied
Upcoming 2-3 sprints worth of items are Ready / / ⚠️ Smooth flow into Sprint Planning
Stakeholders participate in backlog refinement / / ⚠️ Helps maintain alignment
Backlog items are estimated (if needed) / / ⚠️ Use of Story Points or T-Shirt sizes
Section 4: Prioritization & Value Focus
Prioritization Check Assessment Notes
Items are ordered based on business value / / ⚠️ Most valuable = top of the list
Prioritization method is clearly defined (MoSCoW, WSJF, etc.) / / ⚠️ Consistency is key
Stakeholders understand how prioritization is done / / ⚠️ Avoid surprises or mistrust
Outdated or completed items are removed/archived / / ⚠️ Keep it lean and clean
Value-based metrics are used (e.g., customer impact, ROI) / / ⚠️ Beyond velocity or deadlines
Section 5: Backlog Churn & Hygiene
Hygiene Indicator Assessment Notes
Items aren’t moving sprint-to-sprint without closure / / ⚠️ Check for frequent spillovers
Old/irrelevant items are regularly cleaned / / ⚠️ Backlog grooming is happening
Backlog size is manageable (not 500+ items!) / / ⚠️ Quality over quantity
Item history/changelog is maintained for traceability / / ⚠️ Helpful for compliance or audits
Section 6: AI Usage (Optional Modern Add-On)
AI-Aided Practice Assessment Notes
ChatGPT/AI used to generate or refine stories / / ⚠️ Initial drafts or slicing
AI used for sentiment analysis from stakeholder feedback / / ⚠️ Trend identification
AI tools help track prioritization rationale / / ⚠️ RICE/WSJF automation
Tools like Miro AI or Notion AI are used in backlog workshops / / ⚠️ Collaboration boost

Summary Scoring (Optional)

Section Score (out of 10)
General Overview
Item Quality
Refinement
Prioritization
Hygiene
AI Usage
TOTAL (out of 60)

✅ 50+ = Excellent!

⚠️ 35–49 = Needs Improvement

❌ Below 35 = High Backlog Risk Zone

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