Which estimating technique employs relative sizing to assess the effort of tasks?

The technique that employs relative sizing to assess the effort of tasks is called Story Points. This method is commonly used in Agile and Scrum practices, helping teams estimate the amount of work that is involved in completing a user story. Instead of assigning a specific time estimate to a task, Story Points provide a way to gauge the complexity and effort required by comparing it to other tasks or user stories. This relative sizing allows teams to make informed decisions based on their past experiences and capabilities as opposed to precise time estimates, which can be more difficult to accurately determine.

In Story Points, the numeric values assigned represent a team's collective understanding and assessment of the effort, with higher values indicating higher complexity or difficulty. This approach is beneficial in fostering team collaboration and communication, leading to more accurate sprint planning and workload management. Teams can thus improve their velocity over time as they become more familiar with their own estimating capabilities.