Project management · Defining the work · Component
The definition of done
What would have to be true for this to be finished, in terms someone could check.
The deliverable
What it is
Projects without a definition of done do not finish; they fade. The last twenty per cent extends indefinitely because nobody can say it is complete.
Done usually includes more than building: documentation, handover, training and the operational readiness that is discovered afterwards.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The tail
What tends to remain after the main work is finished.
3 attributes: Remaining work · Typical length · In the estimate
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Projects without a definition of done do not finish. The last twenty per cent extends indefinitely.
The other components in defining the work
The scope
What is being done, and what is deliberately not — the second half doing most of the work.
LearnThe change record
What was added or removed, when, and who agreed — because scope change is normal and scope drift is change nobody recorded.
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