Scrum : Done Criteria :What are the Key Differences between Done Criteria and Acceptance Criteria?

Acceptance Criteria are the objective components by which a User Story’s functionality is judged. Acceptance Criteria are developed by the Product Owner according to his or her expert understanding of the customer’s requirements. The Product Owner then communicates the User Stories in the Prioritized Product Backlog to the Scrum Team members and their agreement is sought. Acceptance Criteria should explicitly outline the conditions that User Stories must satisfy. Clearly defined Acceptance Criteria are crucial for timely and effective delivery of the functionality defined in the User Stories, which ultimately determines the success of the project.

The diagram illustrates the concept of Acceptance Criteria along with product increment flow:

The major difference between “Done Criteria” and “Acceptance Criteria” is that while Acceptance Criteria are unique for individual User Stories, Done Criteria are a set of rules that are applicable to all User Stories in a given Sprint. General Done Criteria could include any of the following:

·         Reviewed by other team members

·         Completed unit testing of the User Story

·         Completion of quality assurance tests

·         Completion of all documentation related to the User Story

·         All issues are fixed

·         Successful demonstration to stakeholders and/or business representatives

As with the Acceptance Criteria, all conditions of the Done Criteria must be satisfied for the User Story to be considered Done. The Scrum Team should use a checklist of the general Done Criteria to ensure a task is finished and the result meets the Definition of Done (DoD). A clear Definition of Done is critical because it helps remove ambiguity and allows the team to adhere to required quality norms. The definition of Done is typically determined and documented by the Scrum Guidance Body.

The required records and data to comply with the project’s documentation requirements can be generated as the team proceeds through Sprints and Releases. The inclusion of activities such as holding review meetings and writing design documents can help ensure compliance with internal and external quality standards. The basic principles of Scrum such as short iterations, incremental building, customer involvement, adaptation to changing requirements, and constantly adjusting scope, time, and cost within the project will still apply.

To conclude, you can watch the following video on Acceptance Criteria: http://www.scrumstudy.com/watch.asp?vid=594