Requirements Refinement
The purpose of Refinement of Requirements, or simply Refinement, is to translate product-centric requirements into implementation-ready development specifications. This process ensures that high-level product needs are clearly defined and broken down into actionable and precise tasks for the Delivery Team. By converting broad requirements into specific, manageable specifications, refinement helps streamline the development process and aligns the team’s efforts with the Product Owner’s descriptions.
Purpose
The purpose of refinement is to convert product-centric requirements into development specifications.
Cadence
Refinement occurs once per Cadence near the middle of the Cadence.
Time
Allow one hour minimum for Refinement.
People
Refinement attendance includes senior Delivery Team members, and has an integral presence of the Product Owner.
Input
Artifact: Product Statements
Output
Artifact: Product Statements with Task IDs
Artifact: Updated Task Board
Process
The meeting should by facilitated be the Delivery Team with the Product Owner in attendance for question and answer.
With the Product Statements in priority order, begin with the first Statement to have been defined by the Product Owner yet not yet enhanced with completion specific instructions by the Delivery Team.
It is the responsibility of the Delivery Team to convert Product Statements to technical specifications during Refinement. The Delivery Team converts the product requirement into detailed explanation of what must be done in the technical domain. The signature of a Refined Task is its Statement of Completion, also called “Done when.”
Allow time for clarifications of product requirements. Allow time for investigation. Expect to need input from coordinators who may not be present in the meeting. Be thorough enough to not allow unrecognized specifications. Unrecognized specifications can interrupt the Cadence and cause undue pressure on a Delivery Team during implementation. They cause schedules to be delayed, or extra work to be performed in the alloted scheduled time. Unrecognized specifications are a sign of lack of seniority of the Refinement cohort, and if they become a common occurance, the Director should take action to ensure proper seniority is available for proper Task Refinement.
It is imperative to craft a Task’s description to the seniority of the expected Tasker. The only requirements of Process Script is the presence of Background Information (which may come directly from the Product Owner’s requirements) and the Statement of Completion. This may be enough for a sufficiently experienced Delivery Team, though any forethought will be helpful for a member early in their career.
The Product Owner need not be immediately engaged in the discussion at Refinement. This time is for Delivery Team members to finely translate Product Requirements to technical objectives; the Product Owner’s proximity is to ensure a quick feedback loop with the Statement writer.