What occurs during backlog refinement sessions?

During backlog refinement sessions, the primary goal is to prepare and prioritize the product backlog for upcoming sprints, which includes the estimation of story sizes. Estimating story sizes helps the team understand the effort involved in completing each story, ensuring that they can effectively plan their workload and allocate resources appropriately. This assessment allows the team to identify high-priority items and ensures that stories are well-defined and achievable within the sprint time frame.

In addition to estimating story sizes, backlog refinement often involves clarifying acceptance criteria and discussing user stories to ensure all team members have a shared understanding of the requirements before they are taken into the sprint. While one may assume preparation for multiple sprints or reflecting on past performance could occur, the specific focus of these sessions is on refining and estimating the backlog items to optimize the next sprint's planning process.