What pre-conditions must be fulfilled in order to allow Sprint Planning to begin?

For Sprint Planning to begin, the primary requirement is that the Scrum Team must have a shared understanding of the items in the Product Backlog, which includes the highest-priority items that could potentially be selected for the upcoming Sprint. However, there are no specific pre-conditions that must be formally fulfilled before this event takes place. The Scrum framework emphasizes flexibility and adaptation, allowing the team to start Sprint Planning as long as they are prepared to discuss and refine the work necessary for the upcoming Sprint.

This means that while having a well-prepared Product Backlog is beneficial and can contribute to an effective Sprint Planning session, it is not a strict requirement that all backlog items be completed or that specific checks with stakeholders and lists of team member availability are in place. The Scrum framework is designed to facilitate collaboration and incremental progress, allowing teams to initiate planning sessions with whatever information they currently possess, thereby promoting agility and responsiveness to changing conditions.