Jira Definition of Done Lists

What is Definition of Done in Jira ?

In agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban, the Definition of Done (DoD) is a crucial element that outlines the clear, unambiguous criteria that a user story or task must meet before it can be considered "done." This helps ensure that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of what it means to complete a task, preventing confusion or premature task closure. You can create, implement, and track the Definition of Done on your Jira work items to ensure that your team consistently delivers high-quality work.

Why the Jira Definition of Done Matters

Without a well-defined Definition of Done on your Jira stories and tasks, teams may interpret "done" differently, leading to inconsistency in the quality of work. Having a clear DoD helps teams:

1. Enhance Quality Control: Ensures that deliverables meet the necessary quality standards.
2. Prevent Miscommunication: Aligns team members, stakeholders, and product owners on the same expectations.
3. Boost Efficiency: Reduces rework by confirming that tasks meet all requirements before completion.
4. Improve Transparency: Clearly communicates task completion standards to everyone involved.

So, how can you build Definition of Done lists in Jira?

Steps to Create a Definition of Done in Jira

1. Establish a Team-Wide Consensus

Before implementing a Definition of Done in Jira, the team needs to come to an agreement on what criteria should be included. For example, in software development, your DoD could cover code review, unit testing, integration testing, and documentation updates.

Here are a few questions to ask when creating your DoD:

• Has the code been reviewed and approved?
• Has the feature passed all required tests?
• Is the documentation up-to-date?
• Has the task been deployed to a staging environment for final verification?

2. Adding the Definition of Done to Jira Work Items

Native Jira does not include a built-in Definition of Done feature, but you can create DOD checklists on any work item using the Checklist for Jira app.

If you want to apply the same Definition of Done across multiple projects (for instance, the same DOD for all technical tasks in your dev projects) consider creating a Global Checklist that can be applied via a context. Alternatively, you can create a Checklist Template that can be applied by default, or via Jira automation.

3. Integrating the DoD into Jira Workflows

The final step is to configure your Jira workflow to enforce the Definition of Done in Jira. Checklist for Jira includes a built in validator that will block a transition unless all items on your Definition of Done list are complete.

To set the workflow validator:

1. Navigate to Project Settings > Workflows
2. Click the pencil icon to edit the workflow.
3. Select Diagram mode and click on the transition where you want to add the validator.
4. Click on Validators.
5. Click Add validator.
6. Select the All checklist items are completed validator and click Add.
7. Click Add again to confirm creation of the validator.
8. Remember to click Publish draft to save the changes.

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Creating and managing Jira DoD  lists help agile teams maintain a shared understanding of task completion criteria, enhancing quality control, and reducing ambiguity. Checklist for Jira is the tool for easily creating and enforcing your Definition of Done.

Want more agile checklists? See our articles on Acceptance Criteria and Definition of Ready.

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