Key Principle: Create and Use a Definition of Ready

Just as the Definition of Done helps a team avoid moving work to the next stage before it is really done, a clear, documented Definition of Ready (DoR) helps a team avoid moving requirements into development before they are ready. A PBI is considered to be ready when it is:

• Understood by the Development Team well enough to decide whether it’s doable in the sprint.

• Estimated, and it fits comfortably into a single sprint.

• Free from dependencies that would block it from being implemented during the sprint.

• Defined with acceptance criteria (testable).

Teams can create their own DoR, which will be a variation on these points. The goal is to have the targeted PBIs fully refined before the next sprint planning meeting so that the team will have all the information it needs to plan effectively and not be sidetracked by open issues.