Definition of Ready

Similar to the Definition of Done, the Definition of Ready serves as a checklist that ensures we are ready to proceed by ensuring all necessary items are in place to execute without the risk of commonly experienced impediments.

It encompasses the essential standards that a team must meet before considering a task or item as ready to begin.

These "Definition of Ready" checklists can be applied in various contexts, particularly in situations where a team encounters inconsistent results or repeated unplanned impediments. While they are frequently utilized for stories before work begins, they can also be extended to other areas, such as starting an iteration or specific events like inception planning.

The "Definition of Ready" is a general list that applies uniformly to all similar items, such as all stories in a project or all iterations.

A pro tip: The "Definition of Ready" should include only those critical items generating inconsistent results or having severe consequences if overlooked. Any other non-essential items can gradually be removed from the checklist over time, streamlining the process and enhancing efficiency.

Resources

The topic of Definition of Ready is covered in the Adaptive Agility Fundamentals class.