What is a 'burndown chart' used for?

A burndown chart is an essential tool used in Agile project management, particularly within the Scrum framework. It serves as a visual representation that illustrates the amount of work completed against the amount of work remaining in a sprint or project. This chart typically plots effort (often measured in story points or hours) against time, showing how much work is left to do (the "burn down") as the sprint progresses.

The burndown chart is particularly valuable because it allows the team to monitor their progress in real-time. It helps identify trends, such as whether the team is on track to finish the sprint on time or if they need to adjust their efforts for better alignment with the sprint goals. By providing a clear visual depiction of completed versus pending tasks, the burndown chart facilitates discussions during daily stand-ups and sprint retrospectives, enabling teams to reflect on their productivity and plan accordingly.

In contrast, other options do not align with the primary function of a burndown chart. For instance, team capacity refers to the amount of work a team can handle, which is separate from the visual progress tracking that a burndown chart provides. Likewise, metrics for team morale and records of tasks assigned do not encapsulate the core purpose of monitoring work progress