Who Creates the Definition of Done

Creating the Definition of done is a difficult question to answer as no one agrees where exactly the project is going to be "there" yet, i.e., the finished stage in the agile world, where every solution is driven by cloud-based solutions as there's no exact tool or widget that truly signifies the completion of the project. There is always an opportunity to ship code that makes you far from a finished product. That's why we call it the "Definition of Done," as it holds critical importance to achieving a consensus on when product initiatives and features are actually completed to be used in the project. 

Definition of Done (DoD) in Agile

The Definition of done is known as the pre-defined set of items that must be completed before the projects or user story can be considered complete. It is referred to as the understanding among the team members of when a product increment is ready to be released, even if the increment is large and consists of many items.

The "Done" is defined in the project when the agile Team is focused on delivering value with every sprint and minimizes the rework. It is advisable in agile that one person does not create the Definition of Don. Rather it should be agreed upon by the entire project team, such as developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders. 

The Done particulars tend to vary from organization to organization as the standard Definition of done should contain these things such as

1. The code is checked in. 
2. The code is peer-reviewed.
3. The code is deployed in the test environment.
4. The code feature should pass the regression testing.
5. The code feature should pass the smoke testing.
6. The code should be documented.
7. All the documentation should be updated and reviewed,
8. The stakeholders should approve the feature.

Every company and development group will come up with their variant, but they all follow the same things to get the result: using the code as it was supposed to without breaking anything else. The making of every feature, release, and sprint requires following every step to ensure that we reach the done stages while simultaneously maintaining consistency, quality, and completeness.

The element of transparency should be tied in everything before the project reaches the done stage. If there are pending features or releases that you haven't checked yet, then stop and wait till you get the approval to move ahead. 

Also, check:  Definition of Done in Scrum

Who is responsible for creating DOD?

The Definition of done is created in collaboration by the scrum team, which involves many key stakeholders who are managing the project, such as The product owner, Scrum master, and development team collectively The shared understanding ensures everyone knows what constitutes a completed and acceptable deliverable for the specific product, its features, or whether it requires an iteration.

The process of creating begins by incorporating the organizational standards and, in the absence of such standards, by creating a custom Definition of Done. The approach focuses on developing a sense of ownership and aligning the Team to achieve the project goal and quality benchmarks. The "Definition of Done" is known as a dynamic document that evolves through continuous improvement and adaptation.

Steps for creating the Definition of Done

Creating a "Definition of Done" is one of the crucial processes in agile development where one should ensure that you have a shared understanding of what makes it a completed and acceptable deliverable within the Team.

Let's learn in detail the steps of creating DoD

1. Taking-off the Standards

Acquiring the standard helps you build a foundation to create the" Definition of Done." Many organizations work within the set criteria for their products and focus on aspects like quality, security, privacy, and availability. Here, the development team is focused on starting the process by incorporating the existing standard to create the baseline for DOD.

Every organization has a set of criteria defined for every product regardless of the technology and its usage. It means these criteria can range from stringent quality checks to adhering to different security protocols. The use of these acquired standards ensures consistency across different projects and aligns with the broader goals of the organization.

2. Personalizing the creation of DOD

When an organization doesn't have set standards, the scrum team proceeds with creating a definition of done, which is tailored to the specific product, feature, or iteration needed in the project. This step initiates a collaborative effort that focuses on bringing together the key stakeholders, such as the product owner, scrum master, and other developers.

3. Inviting Key Stakeholders of the Project

Creating a DoD cannot be a single person's decision; it involves the active participation of the people involved in the project. It includes inviting all the key stakeholders, such as the product owners, scrum masters, developers, and representatives, such as end-users, support staff required in the product, and other system architects. 

The main goal is to ensure the DoD is fully comprehensive and meets the diverse perspectives and expectations of those who were part of the product development lifecycle. 

Incorporating key stakeholders in the discussion fosters a sense of shared responsibility and accountability. The collaborative approach ensures that you are getting a holistic view of what creates a "DONE" increment by checking it has not only the technical aspects but also has the perfect end-user experience, documentation, and any compliance specifications.

4. Focusing on aspects of the Product Development Process

Crafting meaningful and effective DoD covers all the aspects of the product development process. It allows you to check everything that is required before you make a change to the product and can be considered as part of the new increment. Each piece of the work is shown and scrutinized by outlining every detail specifically. 

These detailed aspects are documented to provide physical or virtual tools similar to sticky notes on the wall. This helps maintain a hygiene check process until all the necessary work items are identified, which ensures that DoD is exhaustive and has no space for explanation. It also allows for maintaining transparency, which allows the stakeholders to quickly provide feedback or make iterations when the increment meets the set criteria.

What are some best practices for defining done?

Defining done is one of the most important aspects of project management, especially in agile methodologies like Scrum. It helps ensure that everyone who is actively involved in the project understands what constitutes a completed task or deliverable.

Here are some best practices that define done properly.

1. Defining the set criteria within the Team

Defining the DoD is a collaborative effort that involves the whole Team, including developers, testers, designers, product owners, and other relevant stakeholders, in defining what "Done" means for each task or user story. Creating a DoD ensures a proper understanding of what it means for a product increment to be completed.

2. Incremental Approach

Emphasizing an incremental approach is to achieve "DONE." The approach is to break down the larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces that can be completed within a reasonable timeline and clearly define what is done for each increment.

3. Make it visible

The DoD should be available and visible during each sprint planning and also when many discussions are going around estimating product backlog items. The Team should watch the progress each day regularly. 

4. Be practical and realistic.

The DoD should be realistic enough to achieve within the time frame and with available resources. Also, it should be relevant according to customer needs.

5. Continuous Improvement

Focus on building that promotes a culture of continuous improvement where team members actively seek feedback, learn from experiences, and refine their understanding of what it means to be done with the project or deliverable.

6. Maintaining Transparency and Accountability

Transparency is maintained by checking the status of the tasks and deliverables depending on the defined "Done" criteria. The team members are fully accountable for meeting the set standards.

Conclusion

The creation of the "Definition of Done" within the scrum team is a collaborative effort related to the project's success. It puts major emphasis on the significance of understanding and focusing on continuous improvement, where the process involves the entire Team. The journey from inheriting the organizational standards requires making a customized "Definition of Done," ensuring alignment with broader goals.

In the agile landscape, there is a huge demand for professionals who play a major role in taking the project towards excellence in delivering high-quality increments. Simpliaxis offers Agile methodology courses helps professionals develop skillsets and set standards, which leads to the project's success. As one of the leading certification platforms, Simpliaxis is perfect for individuals seeking to excel in their professional careers.

FAQ

1. What is the "Definition of Done"?

The Definition of Done refers to a set of criteria or standards that must align with the task, user story, or deliverable that should be considered completed and ready to be released. 

2. Who is the creator of "Definition of Done"?

The Definition of Done is created in collaboration with the agile Team, which includes developers, testers, product owners, designers, and other relevant team stakeholders.

3. What should be included in the "Definition of Done"?

The Definition of Done includes criteria related to functionality, quality, performance, documentation, testing, security, and other aspects that define completeness as per the team deliverables.