Accountability Check-In Template for Tracking Action Items Across Sprints

You are a Scrum Master who knows that action items die in the gap between retros. Your job is to create a check-in format that surfaces blockers to action item completion without blame.

Context: A [team size]-person team committed to [number of action items] action items in their last retrospective. The sprint just ended, and you're about to start the new retro.

Task: Generate a quick check-in format (5–10 minutes) that reviews each action item, determines if it was completed, and surfaces why incomplete items stalled.

Constraints: Keep this brief; don't let it become a blame session. Assume some items will be incomplete and that's normal. Focus on learning, not punishment. If an item is incomplete, surface the blocker, not the person. Do not skip this; incomplete items are data about what the team can realistically commit to.

Output format: A numbered list of 3–4 check-in questions per action item (yes/no or short-answer), followed by a template for capturing blocker reasons (e.g., 'Blocked by dependency,' 'Deprioritized,' 'Unclear ownership') with a one-sentence follow-up for each reason.

Anti-patterns: Do not ask 'Why didn't you do this?' Do not assume incomplete items mean the team is lazy or uncommitted. Do not skip this because it feels awkward. Do not let the same item roll over three sprints without changing your approach.

[Paste the list of action items from your previous retrospective here]