Definition of Ready (DoR)

[MrHinsh]

title: Definition of Ready (DoR)
path: practices/Definition-of-Ready-DoR.md

WARNING: Definition of Ready can result in significant anti-patterns in teams.

Developers should NEVER take Backlog Item into a Sprint that they do not fully understand and agree, as a team, that there is a reasonable likelihood of being successful.

A Definition of Ready often results in a lack of refinement with the Scrum Team and thus a lack of understanding of the Backlog Items. Refer to the Backlog Item Format that you have chosen for what might be contained within it. If you MUST have a DoR then consider:

• I (Independent). The PBI should be self-contained and it should be possible to bring it into progress without a dependency upon another PBI or an external resource.
• N (Negotiable). A good PBI should leave room for discussion regarding its optimal implementation.
• V (Valuable). The value a PBI delivers to stakeholders should be clear.
• E (Estimable). A PBI must have a size relative to other PBIs.
• S (Small). PBIs should be small enough to estimate with reasonable accuracy and to plan into a time-box such as a Sprint.
• T (Testable). Each PBI should have clear acceptance criteria which allow its satisfaction to be tested.