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How responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”

Last post 08:22 pm July 10, 2023 by Nicholas Gabrichidze
21 replies
02:44 pm June 15, 2016

Hello, i have a Question: How is responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”? In my view the Scrum Team, not only the Development Team?

Thank you.


05:29 pm June 15, 2016

Does the Scrum Guide say that Scrum Team members must have a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete?


07:06 pm June 15, 2016

Okay, the Scrum Team. Thank you!


10:03 am June 16, 2016

Acording to the Guide, the minimum requirements for the definition of done is given by the organization. The development team may add more things to this definition.

When there are more than one Scrum Team working on the product, again, all the Develpment Teams should work in a common definition of done.


06:08 pm June 16, 2016

In Nexus specifically it's the Nexus Integration Team that's responsible for the DoD.

The Nexus Integration Team is responsible for a definition of “Done” that can be applied to the Integrated Increment developed each Sprint. All Scrum Teams of a Nexus adhere to this definition of “Done”.

Individual Scrum Teams may choose to apply a more stringent definition of “Done” within their own teams, but cannot apply less rigorous criteria than agreed for the Increment.


01:49 pm June 18, 2016

Scrum team as a whole is responsible at the end of every iteration of Sprint and in a way creation of the DoD. In adherence with Scrum guide, every member of Scrum team is accountable for the definition of "Done".


10:57 am June 21, 2016

Hi again,
I have to read the nexus guide again to get a more complete point of view about this issue but, at this moment, I've found a question in the mlapshin test.


Who is responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”?



The correct answer is The Development Team

Other options were:
* The Product Owner
* The Scrum Team
* The Scrum Master


07:45 pm June 21, 2016


Posted By David Crecente on 21 Jun 2016 10:57 AM
Hi again,
I have to read the nexus guide again to get a more complete point of view about this issue but, at this moment, I've found a question in the mlapshin test.


Who is responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”?



The correct answer is The Development Team

Other options were:
* The Product Owner
* The Scrum Team
* The Scrum Master


If there is no guide lines / standards in the organisation, the Development Team is responsible for creating the Definition of Done.
The DoD will be more stringent with the time, discussed by the Scrum Team (PO, Scrum Master and DevTeam)


08:28 am June 23, 2016

Hi again,
I am reading the next book:
Scrum_Narrative_and_PSM_Exam_Guide__Allinone_Guide_for_Professional_Scrum_Master_PSM_1_Certificate_Assessment_Preparation

And I've found another point of view regard to the Definition of "Done"


The Development Team defines the definition of "Done". It is essential for the entire
Scrum Team including Product Owner to be well aware of the definition. However,
there is no need for approval from Product Owner.




While a Product Owner needs to be involved and made understood about the conditions,
it is the Development Team’s responsibility to define the conditions in a verifiable way....



I've already read the piece of Definition of "done" for a Nexus Team and, in my opinion, in the Nexus Guide is explicit Nexus Integration Team is reponsible of a Definition of "Done". And a Nexus Integration Team consists of a Product Owner, Scrum Master and Team Members.

About the Scrum Guide, I think is too opened about this issue and I think what the book says is true. Although, everyone can think the Product Owner should be very important.

I would like to listen more opinions about what the book says.

Thank you in advance.


05:59 pm June 23, 2016

I'm new here. Sometimes I believe these definitions on the Scrum Guide are a bit contradictory. I believe the correct approach is to have the input from everyone including Dev. Team and PO, after all, if the Dev. Team defines "done" something unacceptable by the PO, he will reject that.

BUT, the Scrum Guide states that:
"If "done" for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “done” appropriate for the product. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working on the system or product release, the development teams on all of the Scrum Teams must mutually define the definition of “Done.”"

Meaning, the correct answer according to the Scrum Guide is: The Development Team.


09:14 am June 30, 2016

A little bit more subtil to me, because the Scrum Guide states :

During each Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team plans ways to increase product quality by adapting the definition of “Done” as appropriate.



and also

As Scrum Teams mature, it is expected that their definitions of “Done” will expand to include more stringent criteria for higher quality.



For me, the Definition of Done belongs to the whole Scrum Team. The whole Scrum Team is responsible to have a strong DOD, but it is mainly the Dev Team that actually write the DOD, because it will contain many technical criteria


01:41 pm June 30, 2016


the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “done” appropriate for the product.



If the Development Team does not collaborate with the Product Owner regarding the creation of the DoD, then how will they discern what is appropriate for the product?

This may be nitpicking, but in my opinion, while the Development Team may initially create a Definition of Done, it is not a working, living document until it is reviewed and approved by the entire Scrum Team.


09:06 pm October 11, 2016

I'm looking at this for now strictly in terms of how to respond to a PSM exam question that asks "Who is responsible for the definition of Done?". The Scrum Guide must serve as the source for the appropriate response. But the Scrum Guide is not unambiguous. Specifically, in the section under "Increment", there is a reference to "meeting the Scrum Team's Definition of Done". On the other hand, the section "Definition of Done" includes the following "...the Development team of the Scrum team must define a Definition of Done". My opinion is that the "Definition of Done" section of the Scrum Guide serves as the highest priority for all things related to the DoD, in the event there is ambiguity. Moreover, the sentence specifically answers the question of who defines DoD. Hence, the correct response would be the Development Team, if this is listed as one of the choices (and Scrum team otherwise)


09:57 pm October 11, 2016

Think of the Development Team as owning the Definition of Done on behalf of the Scrum Team, since they are the ones who must meet it.

The DoD, of which the Development Team are custodians, must satisfy the product qualities articulated by the PO and the standards of the wider organization.


07:46 pm November 3, 2016

Input comes from the company, PO, industry, regulations, etc. and then the Dev Team compliments and elaborates the DoD related to the product. The Dev Team is more "qualified" to decompose the DoD due to their cross-functionality.

Sprint Retro doesn't have roles, everyone is just a Scrum Team member. All the participants share their input on the DoD adaptation. If it's not a straightforward improvement, and rather it's a new rule/standard level/criteria/regulation - it should be elaborated and defined by the cross-functional Dev Team.


06:31 am June 22, 2017

I came also to that question in the open assessment mentioned above. And I want to share my opinion on that.

On the one hand I think of the DoD as a general set of non-functional quality standards that must be fullfilled to state an increment as done. From this perspectice I would say the PO has many stakes in the DoD.

On the other hand the development team is responsible to have such a good code quality, that it ensures maintainability and a constant development pace.

I also found it easier to have the hole scrum team committed to the DoD as it enhance its compliance.

Therefor I like and share the way Ian thinks of the DoD.("Think of the Development Team as owning the Definition of Done on behalf of the Scrum Team").

Kind regards


04:02 pm April 4, 2018

Hi All,

Would the Scrum Master in anyway be helping in Creating or updating the definition of done for the scrum team.

 

Thank you


05:34 pm October 10, 2019

From my point of view, the ScrumGuide seems to be a bit inconsistent regarding the definition of “Done”. Also Questions in the assessment seem to not fit the intention of the Guide. There is (was) a question somehow like this:

Who has the final say regarding the definition of “Done”

The Product Owner is responsible. The Development Team may be consulted.

The Development Team is responsible. The Product Owner may be consulted.

May be consulted? 

The Scrum Guide says: 

  • Those performing the work and those inspecting the resulting increment must share a common definition of “Done”. 
  • …members must have a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete…
  • This is the definition of “Done” for the Scrum Team and is used to assess when work is complete on the product Increment. 
  • If "Done" for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “Done” appropriate for the product. 

 

How does this all fit together?

The Development team defines, what “Done” means. All others must share that understanding, without being asked! They may be consulted. 

Why has the definition of “Done” for the Scrum Team to be defined by the Development Team of the Scrum Team?

Why not accepting, what is done in real world. The Scrum Team works on the definition of "Done" in the Retro.All of them are there, so why only the Developers. And what about Stakeholders (Sponsors, users, ...) We also adapt it in Refinements, when Stakeholders are present.

The question/rule should only be, who is accountable for the definition of done, while leaving the responsibility at maybe the Scrum-Team. Stakeholders would be included by PO and/or asking them in Reviews and Refinements (maybe in the Planning).


10:42 am December 5, 2021

In the 2020 Scrum Guide, the Definition of Done is created by the Scrum Team. In previous versions of the Scrum Guide, this responsibility was explicitly owned by the Development Team


09:19 pm October 23, 2022

In the 2020 Scrum Guide, the Definition of Done is created by the Scrum Team!

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In previous versions of the Scrum Guide, this responsibility was explicitly owned by the Development Team

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Please be aware of this for the psm1 assessment and stick to the latest scrum guide.


08:01 pm July 10, 2023

In Scrum Guide 2020, it stated clearly that the Scrum Team must create DoD if it isn't an organizational standard. However the Developers are required to conform to it


08:22 pm July 10, 2023

The way its worded in in Scrum Guide 2020, its an Organization, and if they have no standard for it, then its a Scrum team. Now question remains what is the "Organization" exactly, but for that I invite for my previous post here Changes for the next update of the Scrum Guide | Scrum.org


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