Name the decision

Start with the choice

Write the decision, accountable owner, evidence that could change it and responses to plausible findings. “Show progress” is too vague. “Continue funding, reduce scope or stop after this evidence window” is actionable.

The Scrum Guide makes Sprint Review an inspection of the Sprint outcome and future adaptations with stakeholders. It does not prescribe an operations review or this decision contract.

Failure mode: the decision owner is absent and nobody has delegated authority. Reschedule or explicitly treat the meeting as evidence preparation.

Worked example and transfer practice

All examples below are fictional teaching material. Use synthetic notes; no workplace or personal data is required or uploaded.

Make a review govern a bounded choice. A fictional library has trialled collection confirmations for two weeks. The service owner can continue the trial, revise it or stop. The review asks whether borrowers understand the date and whether volunteers can sustain the work. It prepares alternatives before the meeting. If the owner cannot attend and has delegated no authority, the meeting prepares evidence but does not invent a decision.

Try before reading the guide: Write a decision contract for a maintenance handover trial: choice, accountable role, evidence that could change it, and plausible responses. Identify what is outside that role’s authority.

Practice review guide

A decision contract makes a bounded choice and authority visible. It may confirm the current plan when evidence supports it; an actionable review need not manufacture a change every time.