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Note that we have some Incomplete Pages That Require Work on this site:-)
Note that we have some Incomplete Pages That Require Work on this site:-)
The Definition of Ready (DoR) is part of a working agreement that specifies the conditions that need to be met for a Story before it can be accepted into an Iteration or Sprint. The DoR is typically based on the INVEST criteria for a Story.
The Definition of Ready is an analog to the Definition of Done (DoD), but is aimed at the earlier part of a story’s life cycle.
“The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes” - Benjamin Disraeli
Simply getting your stories ready will have an immediate and dramatic impact on the Team’s productivity; the data indicates at least a 2X improvement in Team performance. The reason for this improvement is:
How do we know if we have a “good” User Story? People use the mnemonic to make sure they have good Stories to work with – INVEST. INVEST stands for:
The initial draft of a Story will not have all these characteristics. Rather the mnemonic guides the discussion to improve our understanding of the Story. Many teams establish a Definition of Ready (DoR) crtieria for a Story. In other words we are “READY” when the Story has the INVEST characteristics. Then as Story bubbles up the Backlog and it becomes a candidate for work, they refine the Story so that it has these characteristics helping to increase overall understanding.
The Product Owner is responsible for putting the Features and Stories in the Backlog. The Team works with the Product Owner during Backlog Refinement to help Product Owners get the stories into actionable shape.
Backlog refinement is usually the first time that the Team can work though an understanding of dependencies associated with the work, be they internal (e.g. availability of specialists or systems) or external (e.g. need for something from a supplier).
The main thing to achieve is to ensure that we understand how the dependency lines up with Iteration (Sprint) timing. For example, if an external dependency with a supplier is expected to be resolved in 2 months time, then it probably doesn’t make sense to prioritize our work so that it would be scheduled for the upcoming iteration. You might as well wait until the value can be delivered and, in the meantime, deliver other valuable stuff (control WIP by “stop starting, start finishing”).
The way to think about the information on a card is that, while you do not list out all the details you have, you use the card to capture the basics, to act as a reminder and to provide information on where to find more details if required. One way to think about the level of information is to think about an old library system to find books - an index card would allow you to find the information you need. And don't forget, I User Story is a “reminder to have a conversation”.
The following sample information follows the expectations from established as a result of following the the INVEST criteria, assuming you are capturing the results in a work management system (e.g. Jira, VersionOne, Rally, etc.):
If you are doing this with physical 5×3“ index cards, the back of the card will typically have the acceptance criteria and other notes that come up during the discussion, while the front will have the title, description, estimates, etc.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you develop your Definition of Ready practice:
We know the Definition of Ready is being successfully applied when:
The Definition of Ready is not being used well when: