Based on the provided reference, only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint.
While team members or stakeholders might identify issues or suggest cancelling a Sprint, the final decision-making power rests solely with the Product Owner. This is because the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Development Team, and cancelling a Sprint directly impacts this value delivery.
Reasons for Sprint Cancellation
A Sprint cancellation is a significant event that should happen rarely, as it consumes resources and disrupts the team's rhythm. According to the reference, a Sprint would typically be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
This obsolescence can occur due to various factors, including:
- Company Direction Changes: The organization's strategic goals shift, making the current Sprint's objective irrelevant.
- Market Conditions Change: New competitors, customer demands, or economic shifts alter the product's required direction.
- Technology Conditions Change: New technologies emerge or existing ones become obsolete, impacting the feasibility or value of the work in progress.
In essence, a Sprint should only be cancelled if, given the circumstances, continuing with the defined Sprint Goal no longer makes sense. The reference emphasizes that a general guiding principle is to cancel the Sprint if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances.
What happens after a Sprint is cancelled?
While the reference doesn't detail the steps following a cancellation, typically:
- Work that is "Done" is reviewed and potentially accepted.
- Incomplete work is re-estimated and added back to the Product Backlog.
- There is often a meeting to understand why the Sprint was cancelled and learn from the situation.
- The team proceeds to the next Sprint Planning.
Cancelling a Sprint is a serious decision and should be a rare occurrence, as it can be quite disruptive to the team and the flow of work. It's a tool of last resort when the current path offers no significant value.
