When do agile practitioners typically refine and elaborate backlog items during the Delivery Horizon?

In Agile practices, refining and elaborating backlog items on a just-in-time basis aligns perfectly with the principles of agility and responsiveness to change. This approach means that teams focus on detailing and preparing items for implementation only when they are needed for an upcoming iteration.

This method helps ensure that the team is not investing time and resources into refining items that may change or become irrelevant due to evolving project conditions, feedback, or changing business needs. By refining on a just-in-time basis, the team can react more nimbly to new information and stakeholder input, which is a core value of Agile methodologies.

Practitioners aim to keep the backlog flexible and prioritize only the most relevant and valuable items for near-term development. Thus, it enhances efficiency and improves the overall workflow, ensuring that the team is always working on the highest priority tasks that are ready for implementation.