Is it ready or not!? Definition of the Ready (DoR)
The Definition of Ready (DoR) is a crucial concept in Agile project management, serving as a checklist or set of criteria that a user story, task, or feature must meet before it can be considered ready for development.
I do not know, but it is quite uncommon in every project to understand when something could be defined as Ready.
Have you thought about this? Is It a Project Management tool or an inner agreement, when a developer, an SEO manager or a Project Manager could define a task as ready to be started in the chain of work?
Everyone involved should understand exactly what needs to be done and agree that the prerequisites for starting work are met, Agile Methodology, acts as a safeguard to ensure that all work undertaken during a sprint is well-defined, achievable, and aligned with the project goals.
What is the Ready state?
The ready stage at which a task, user story, or feature is considered sufficiently prepared to start development or work.
It is different from the concept of "done," which is the completion of a task or user story.
Prerequisites of the Definition of Ready in Agile
Now, this is the hardest part, what to consider as Ready and define within the team, but in which parameters should be respected before could considered.
Ensures that before any work starts, or a new employer joins the team, everyone involved understands exactly what needs to be done, and agrees that the prerequisites for starting work are met.
In my experience, those are the components typically included in a DoR:
Clarity; the user story or task must be clearly defined and understandable to all team members. It should include specific details and not leave room for assumptions or ambiguity.
Acceptance Criteria; the story includes defined acceptance criteria that outline what must be true when a story is completed, helping to guide development and testing.
Dependencies Resolved; all dependencies, such as other tasks that need to be completed before starting this one, should be identified and resolved.
Estimation; the task or story has been sized by the development team and deemed feasible to complete within the sprint or iteration.
Right Sizing; the story should be neither too large nor too complex; it should be appropriately sized to be completed in a single sprint by the team, without needing to be broken down further.
Availability of Resources; necessary resources, whether they be personnel, technologies, or information, must be available so the team can start and complete the work without undue delay.
Stakeholder Buy-in; there should be an agreement or buy-in from stakeholders regarding the importance and priority of the story.
The inner goals of the Definition of Ready
The Definition of Ready has to be read as the efficiency of the team’s development process, reducing work, scope creep, bugs and testing.
Why I should have the definition of Ready?
One single word: Scope Creep.
By establishing clear criteria that each task must meet before development begins, the DoR helps prevent scope creep, ensuring that features and functionality are not added without proper planning and agreement, moreover. having a clear DoR helps all team members understand what is expected before they start work.
A shared understanding is key to effective collaboration and communication within the team.
The DoR allows teams to be more accurate in estimating the time and resources needed for a task, which in turn enhances the reliability of sprint planning and the scheduling of work.
Acceptance Criteria
With well-defined acceptance criteria as part of the DoR, the quality of the final deliverables is more likely to meet the project standards and stakeholder expectations.
As tasks only starts once they meet the agreed-upon DoR, the likelihood of having to revisit and revise work due to unmet prerequisites or misunderstandings is greatly reduced, ensuring that the team only commits to tasks that are truly ready, preventing scenarios where work begins with numerous unknowns or unresolved dependencies that could block progress.
Difference between Ready and Done
The Agile methodology emphasizes adaptability and customer satisfaction through iterative development, so becomes fundamental to centralize the two principal states; when to start and when to finish a take.
The "Definition of Ready" (DoR) and "Definition of Done" (DoD), naturally serve as bookends to the lifecycle of a task or user story within an Agile project ensuring that a project progresses smoothly, efficiently, and with a clear focus on delivering value.
Before a task begins, it must be "ready."
It is funny but is easy as it is, the state of readiness is not merely about a task being next in line for development; it encapsulates a broader set of criteria ensuring that the work can proceed without significant impediments.
The DoR includes clear requirements, well-defined acceptance criteria, resolved dependencies, and a shared understanding among team members and stakeholders about what needs to be achieved, the preparation is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it mitigates the risk of starting work on tasks that are vague or poorly understood, which can lead to wasted effort, rework, or deviations from project goals.
Secondly, it fosters better planning and estimation, as tasks that meet the DoR can be more accurately sized and scheduled within sprints.
Lastly, it promotes transparency and alignment, ensuring that everyone involved has a common understanding of the task at hand.
The Criterion of "Done"
On the other end of the spectrum is the concept of "done", which is a declaration that a task has been completed to a standard that meets all predefined criteria.
The Declaration of Done DoD ensures that every piece of work delivers value and meets quality standards, including functional requirements, performance benchmarks, and adherence to coding standards.
The benefits of a well-defined DoD are manifold, it ensures a consistent quality of work, reduces the need for rework, and facilitates a smoother transition of tasks through subsequent stages of development and testing providing a clear signal to the team and stakeholders that a task is completed, allowing for better tracking of project progress.
However, defining "done" can be complex, especially in projects with multiple stakeholders or where the final product evolves over time. The DoD may need to be revisited and revised as the project progresses, requiring ongoing communication and agreement among all parties involved.
The Interplay and Balance
The interplay between "ready" and "done" is a delicate balance.
Too stringent a DoR can stall progress; too lax a DoD can compromise quality.
The reality of Agile is to conquer flexibility, and these definitions should be adaptable, evolving as the project and team dynamics change.
In conclusion, the concepts of "ready" and "done" are foundational to Agile project management, ensuring that tasks are started with clarity and completed with quality.
Is the Dor really useful?
I know, the application of these concepts is not without its challenges, requiring a nuanced approach that balances thorough preparation with the Agile principles of adaptability and continuous improvement almost everything impacts our project life, it needs to be used in balance or, almost, me clearly declared at the beginning of each project and explained in cubital words for each stakeholder.
Setting the bar too high for readiness can delay work unnecessarily, while too low a threshold can lead to ambiguity and inefficiency. Finding the right criteria for readiness that suit the project and team dynamic is therefore essential.
Not an easy task, but it is possible…