Who is responsible for creating the Sprint Goal?

The Sprint Goal is a collaborative commitment that reflects what the Scrum Team aims to achieve during a Sprint. The responsibility for creating the Sprint Goal lies with the entire Scrum Team, which includes the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team.

While the Product Owner articulates the highest priority items in the Product Backlog and helps inform the purpose of the Sprint, it is during Sprint Planning that the whole Scrum Team collaborates to create the Sprint Goal. This collaborative effort ensures that all team members are aligned on the objective and have a shared understanding of what the focus will be for the duration of the Sprint. This collective approach fosters team accountability and encourages both teamwork and commitment towards achieving the identified goal.

The Scrum Master plays a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue and ensuring that the Scrum framework is adhered to, but does not hold the sole responsibility for the Goal’s creation. Similarly, while the Development Team contributes to the discussions surrounding the Sprint Goal and its feasibility, they do not create the goal in isolation; they work collaboratively with others in the Scrum Team. Thus, the involvement of the entire Scrum Team in creating the Sprint Goal underscores the importance of collaboration in Scrum.