A common challenge for Scrum Teams, particularly new ones or those undergoing significant change, is establishing a clear and shared understanding of what constitutes ‘Done’. A poorly defined, or ignored, Definition of Done (DoD) leads to inconsistent quality, unexpected rework, and ultimately, an unreliable Sprint forecast. The Scrum Master plays a critical role in guiding the team through this process, not by dictating the DoD, but by facilitating its creation and ensuring it remains relevant.
Understanding the Problem
The core issue stems from varying individual interpretations of ‘completeness’. Developers may have different standards for code quality, testers might have varying levels of thoroughness, and the Product Owner might have unstated expectations about functionality and user experience. Without a formal, agreed-upon DoD, these differences surface late in the Sprint, causing friction and delays.
Root Causes: Several factors contribute to this problem: Lack of experience with Agile principles, insufficient collaboration, unclear product requirements, time pressure, and a lack of psychological safety to challenge existing norms. Sometimes, teams simply inherit a generic DoD that doesn’t reflect their specific context or project needs.
Potential Solutions
Several solutions can address this:
* Facilitated Workshops: The Scrum Master can organize workshops specifically dedicated to defining and refining the DoD. These should involve the entire Scrum Team.
* Visual Aids: Using visual tools like whiteboards or online collaboration platforms to collaboratively brainstorm and document the DoD.
* ‘Done’ Checklist: Creating a checklist of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) criteria that must be met before a Product Backlog Item (PBI) can be considered ‘Done’.
* Regular Review and Adaptation: The DoD is not static. It should be reviewed and updated regularly, especially during Sprint Retrospectives, to reflect lessons learned and changing circumstances.
* Example Mapping: Use example mapping technique to clarify requirements and acceptance criteria related to DoD.
Choosing the Optimal Solution: The most effective approach combines these solutions. Workshops provide the initial forum for discussion and agreement. Visual aids ensure transparency and shared understanding. A ‘Done’ checklist provides a practical tool for daily use. Regular review and adaptation ensure the DoD remains relevant and effective. The criteria for choosing include team buy-in, clarity, and ease of use.
Implementation
The Scrum Master guides the team through a series of workshops. Initially, the team brainstorms all possible criteria for ‘Done’, considering aspects like code quality, testing, documentation, and deployment. They then refine these criteria, making them SMART. The resulting DoD is documented visibly and referred to during Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, and Sprint Reviews. The team commits to regularly reviewing the DoD during Sprint Retrospectives.
Success is measured by a reduction in escaped defects, improved Sprint predictability, and increased team collaboration and shared understanding. Failure indicators include frequent disagreements about whether a PBI is ‘Done’, consistent rework, and low team morale. Tracking the number of bugs found post-Sprint and the team’s velocity can provide quantitative data.
Learning and Improvement
The Scrum Master facilitates a discussion during Retrospectives to identify areas for improvement in the DoD. Perhaps certain criteria are too strict, too lenient, or ambiguous. The team learns from their experiences and adjusts the DoD accordingly. This iterative process ensures the DoD continuously evolves to meet the team’s needs.
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Example
A newly formed Scrum Team at a fintech company, ‘FinCorp’, struggled to deliver consistently. They had a generic DoD inherited from another team, but it didn’t address their specific challenges related to security and regulatory compliance. During Sprint Planning, the team often underestimated the effort required, leading to unfinished work at the end of the Sprint. In the Daily Scrum, developers would claim tasks were ‘done’, only to discover later that crucial security checks or documentation were missing.
The Scrum Master, Sarah, observed this pattern and identified a poorly defined DoD as the root cause. She facilitated a dedicated workshop where the team, including developers, testers, and the Product Owner, collaboratively redefined their DoD. They used a whiteboard to brainstorm all the necessary steps for a PBI to be truly ‘Done’.
This included items specific to their context:
- All code must pass static analysis with zero critical vulnerabilities.
- All security-related code must undergo a peer review by a designated security expert.
- All required regulatory documentation must be completed and approved.
- All acceptance criteria defined by Product Owner are met.
- User Story is demonstrable.
They created a checklist based on this refined DoD and posted it prominently in their team space and in their digital project management tool. During Sprint Reviews, they explicitly verified each PBI against the DoD checklist. They also dedicated time in each Sprint Retrospective to review and update the DoD, making it more stringent or adaptable as needed. Over the next few Sprints, FinCorp saw a significant improvement. The number of escaped defects related to security and compliance decreased dramatically. Sprint forecasts became more reliable, and the team’s velocity stabilized. The shared understanding of ‘Done’ fostered better collaboration and reduced friction within the team.
