What should be done if the Development Team's velocity shows a significant decline over multiple Sprints?

When the Development Team's velocity shows a significant decline over multiple Sprints, it is essential to take a thoughtful approach to understand and address the underlying issues. Reassessing the Product Backlog and prioritizing the completion of current work first is a proactive step in ensuring that the team can focus on manageable tasks that can be completed effectively.

This approach enables the team to identify any obstacles that may be impacting their performance and allows them to prioritize work that is most valuable to the stakeholders. By focusing on completing existing work, the team can analyze why the velocity has declined—whether it's due to external factors, change in team dynamics, technical challenges, or other issues. This ensures that the team maintains a clear direction and can make informed decisions on whether to revise their processes or overhauling their strategies in future Sprints.

Finding and addressing the core reasons for the velocity decline is more productive than attempting to accommodate the decreasing velocity without a clear understanding of the issues, which may lead to increased frustration and decreased morale. Prioritizing current work while stabilizing the team's velocity supports gradual improvements and sustainability in the longer term, ensuring the team remains effective and engaged in their roles.