8. Refinement meeting checklist

Use this during backlog refinement.

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Refinement Checklist

Ticket Understanding

• [ ] What problem are we solving?
• [ ] Who has this problem?
• [ ] Why does it matter now?
• [ ] What happens if we do nothing?
• [ ] What is the expected outcome?

Intent Validation

• [ ] Can the Product Owner explain the intent?
• [ ] Can a developer repeat the intent in their own words?
• [ ] Is there a source of truth?
• [ ] Are we sure the ticket did not drift from the original request?

Scope Control

• [ ] What is in scope?
• [ ] What is out of scope?
• [ ] What should not be refactored?
• [ ] What should not be redesigned?
• [ ] What future work should be split out?

Acceptance Criteria

• [ ] Are the criteria testable?
• [ ] Are edge cases covered?
• [ ] Are failure cases covered?
• [ ] Are permission/security cases covered?
• [ ] Are non-functional expectations clear?

AI Hygiene

• [ ] Was AI used to draft or modify this ticket?
• [ ] Who reviewed the AI output?
• [ ] What sources were checked?
• [ ] What assumptions remain?
• [ ] What must be verified manually?

Final Refinement Decision

• [ ] Ready
• [ ] Needs product clarification
• [ ] Needs technical clarification
• [ ] Needs design clarification
• [ ] Needs security/compliance review
• [ ] Split into smaller tickets
• [ ] Reject or archive