GuideRolesEventsWorkflow

Nexus Events

Nexus Sprint Planning

Nexus Sprint Planning happens in two phases: first, representatives from all teams coordinate on cross-team concerns and dependencies. Then each team conducts its own Sprint Planning. The Nexus-level phase ensures teams are aligned before they plan independently.

Cross-team then per-team · Timebox: Nexus: ≤2 hrs + team planning

Overview

Nexus Sprint Planning happens in two phases: first, representatives from all teams coordinate on cross-team concerns and dependencies. Then each team conducts its own Sprint Planning. The Nexus-level phase ensures teams are aligned before they plan independently.

Event Ownership

Owned / Facilitated By
NIT Scrum Master (Nexus-level) / Team Scrum Masters (team-level)
NIT SM facilitates the Nexus-level planning phase with representatives from all teams
Product Owner presents priorities and helps teams understand which items involve cross-team dependencies
Teams coordinate on shared work, interfaces, and integration points before individual team planning
Each team then conducts standard Sprint Planning to create their Sprint Backlog

Who Should Be Present

Team Representatives
At least one representative per team (often more). Discuss cross-team dependencies, coordinate work selection, identify integration risks
Product Owner
Presents priority items, clarifies dependencies between items, helps teams understand which items may span multiple teams
NIT Members
Facilitate dependency detection, propose integration strategies, help teams identify cross-team coordination needs
All Team Members (team phase)
Standard Sprint Planning per team — decompose items, create Sprint Backlog, agree on Sprint Goal

Preparation Checklist

01Product Backlog refined with dependency indicators visible
02Cross-team refinement completed for top items
03NIT: integration environment and CI/CD pipeline ready
04Teams: capacity calculated, prior Sprint outcomes reviewed

Facilitation Techniques

Click any technique to expand details and learn when to apply it.

Dependency Auction

Post all selected items on a board. Teams identify dependencies by drawing connection lines between items. Items with many connections get discussed first. Teams negotiate who does what to minimize coupling.

Click to expand

Integration Point Planning

For items with unavoidable dependencies, teams explicitly agree on integration points: ‘Team A delivers the API by Wednesday, Team B integrates Thursday.’ Making integration timing explicit prevents end-of-Sprint scrambles.

Click to expand

Nexus Sprint Goal Workshop

Before team-level planning, the Nexus collaboratively defines a Nexus Sprint Goal that all teams’ work contributes to. This creates coherence and helps teams make trade-off decisions during the Sprint.

Click to expand

Tips & Tricks

01
An adequately refined Product Backlog minimizes the emergence of new dependencies during planning
02
If planning consistently surfaces many dependencies, the root cause is likely in team organization or architecture
03
Keep the Nexus-level phase to ≤2 hours. If it takes longer, refinement quality needs improvement
04
Teams should leave planning knowing exactly when and how they’ll integrate with other teams
05
New dependencies discovered during planning should be visualized on the Nexus Sprint Backlog immediately
06
Nexus Sprint Backlog Visualization
Immediately after planning, create a visible Nexus Sprint Backlog showing all cross-team items, dependencies, and integration points. This becomes the coordination tool for the Nexus Daily Scrum.
07
Integration Calendar
For Sprints with significant cross-team dependencies, create a simple integration calendar showing when each team’s component will be available for integration. Make it visible to all teams.

Success Takeaways by Role

What each participant should walk away with when this event is run well.

Teams

Clear Sprint plan with known dependencies; coordination agreements with other teams; confidence in Sprint forecast

Product Owner

Confidence that highest-priority items are being addressed; visibility into cross-team coordination

NIT

Dependency map for the Sprint; integration risks identified; coaching opportunities surfaced

Goal

All teams aligned on which items involve cross-team work

Goal

Dependencies identified with coordination strategies agreed

Goal

Each team has a Sprint Backlog and Sprint Goal

Goal

Nexus Sprint Backlog created showing cross-team work and dependencies

Cross-Framework Definition
See Nexus Sprint Planning in the glossary
→