"Done" - Are We There Yet?
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One of the core values expressed in the agile manifesto is “working software over comprehensive documentation” because working software is what delivers value to our customers. Agile development requires a sofware development team have working software ready to deploy at the end of each iteration; but accomplishing this can be harder than it seems, especially when first starting with agile. In this highly interactive session you will understand how a team definition of “Done” is necessary to making agile delivery possible, and what you can do to make it happen while avoiding the pitfalls.
Introduction (10 mins)
I will introduce the basic concepts and give some examples of what happens when a team does not have a definition of “Done”. We will also take some time for collecting a backlog of questions and concerns the participants might have in regards to applying the session content in their situations.
Crafting a Definition of “Done”(70 mins)
This will be a very interactive session with a combination of teaching, discussion, Q&A, and group exercises. Participants should be prepared for lots of group work, movement, sticky notes, whiteboard sketches, handouts, and roleplaying.
Participants will be provided with sample definitions of “Done” from real development teams to use as a basis for discussion.
At a minimum, the following important questions will be covered:
- How would you define “Done” for your current team situation?
- What would your team need to change in the definition to have working software that can be released at the end of each iteration?
- What challenges would changing this definition present to the team?
- Where are the differences in “Done” criteria at the product backlog item, iteration and release levels?
- Who should be involved in defining the criteria for “Done”?
- How does testing fit into “Done” and how does it impact quality?
- What challenges might arise when deployment is included?
- How does “Done” relate to story size and velocity?
- What is the relationship between “Done” and user story acceptance criteria?
- How does being mindful of the criteria for “Done” factor into iteration planning, demonstrations, daily standup meetings, impediment backlog etc?
- What if we release a story that is “Done,” but then find a bug or the customer requests a change?
As groups we will roleplay and brainstorm definitions of “Done” for participants to demonstrate how this can be done in a real project team situation.
Final Review (10 mins)
This is where we do a retrospective of the overall learning experience and ensure that participants leave ready to apply what they have learnt in their own situations.
- Review learning outcomes and ensure that they were met.
- Ensure that all concerns and questions were addressed in the session.
- The participant will understand what a definition of “Done” is at the product backlog item, iteration and release levels
- The participant will understand what can happen when no definition of “Done” is in place
- The participant will be able to relate the definition of “Done” to planning, demonstrations, daily standup meetings, story size, acceptance criteria, velocity, product delivery, production releases, daily coding practices and other aspects of agile development.
- The participant will be able to work with their team to develop a meaningful, effective definition of “Done”
