How to Automate the Jira Definition of Done Checklist

[#1]

The Definition of Done acts as a foundational document for Scrum teams and is often sufficient to facilitate an effective software development process.

The Definition of Done in Jira is a collaborative inventory of essential tasks necessary for delivering software across various stages. Without a shared understanding of done, it is challenging to estimate velocity accurately. Conversely, with consistency in the definition of done, better quality and predictability in the software development process can be achieved.

 As Agile teams operate on the basis of trust between team members, it is essential that everyone operates under the same definition of what should be done. It is like a contract between the Product Owner and the development team and defines what he wants and what the team will deliver. Every team member must comprehend and be aware of the actual meaning of "Done" in terms of functionality and quality.

Creating a Definition of Done checklist is just the beginning of a long journey. To make it successful, it is essential to master writing checklists and add them across all issues in Jira. Unfortunately, Jira lacks a built-in function for monitoring the DoD, hence the optimal approach to ensure consistency and organization across all issues is to leverage a plugin such as the Recurring Checklist and Report add-on.

With the Recurring Checklist and Report add-on, you can do more than just create checklists to keep your team up to date. You have the flexibility to customize list items to suit your specific requirements, monitor project progress, and track which tasks are genuinely considered "done".

It is essential to recognize that there cannot be a universal Definition of Done that can be applied to all situations.

But in Recurring Checklist and Report you can create as many checklist templates as you need, name them and your team member can add the exact checklist that he needs in the task manually.

How to actually manage Definition of Done in Jira?

Once you install the plugin, simply go to any of your issues, and you will notice the Recurring Checklist and Report in the add-on line. You can open it and add your Definition of done Checklist.

To manage DoD in Jira, follow these steps:

1. Create a DoD with the needed checklist themes for your project and select the issue type where it will be available. This will ensure that team members only see relevant checklists based on their responsibilities, avoiding overwhelm with other templates. 
2. You can set the checklist to recur at specific timeframes, such as the end of a sprint, and the recurring task in the issue will be created automatically. Alternatively, when defining your DoD, you can manually add the checklist to an issue.
3. Once the task is complete, mark checklist items as done and submit the checklist.
4. To track your DoD progress, use Jira's reporting feature to view completed checklists and identify areas for improvement. This will help you ensure that your team.

DoD Examples: One Type Doesn’t Fit All

User story Definition of Done

A User Story, a Sprint, an Epic, or a Release each has its unique DoD. Acceptance Criteria for a user story is a set of requirements that has to be met, and if met it defines user story as ‘done’. It's important to write acceptance criteria and Definition of done before development to capture all customer needs beforehand.

User Story Checklist example:

Sprint Definition of Done Checklist:

On this level, we can check the greater part of our work, such as if all the implemented features fulfil their original assumptions.

Done on this level may refer to a collection of features that will satisfy a market need.

Release Definition of Done Checklist:

A Definition of Done (DoD) checklist is a set of criteria or requirements that must be met before a user story or a task can be considered complete, ready for release, and pushed to the staging environment. Items in the DoD may vary depending on the project, member of a team, or organization, but here is a general example of a Definition of Done checklist, including ensuring that all tasks with the 'To do' status have been finished.

 

 In conclusion, managing the Definition of Done is crucial for successful product delivery in Scrum teams. It is essential to master writing checklists, add them across all issues, and use a plugin like Recurring Checklist and Report to keep them updated and organized. An alternative approach to manage DoD by utilizing a Forms add-on like Smart Jira Forms, which enables the completion of forms directly within a task. This solution simplifies the process by allowing users to conveniently fill out necessary forms without leaving the task interface.  By following this simple steps, the team can ensure they meet the DoD to ensure quality and deliver a releasable product.

Start your free trial to try it with your team!