How to Leverage a Definition of Done Checklist for Flawless Project Delivery

By: Hajime Estanislao, PMP, CSM; Editor: Geram Lompon; Reviewed by: Alvin Villanueva, PMP

Does your team struggle with misalignment, rework, and low-quality deliverables? Do different team members have different interpretations or shared understanding of when a task is “done”?

Without a clear and actionable Definition of Done (DoD), teams risk delays, inconsistent work, and dissatisfied stakeholders.

A well-defined DoD checklist helps every team member understand what is required to complete work, from development and testing to stakeholder validation and documentation.

With a structured DoD, your team can confidently deliver high-quality increments, minimize rework, and improve the technical team and overall efficiency.

What’s in it for you?

• No more unfinished features slipping through the cracks
• Fewer delays, less rework, and better predictability
• Stronger collaboration between developers, testers, and product owners
• Higher customer satisfaction and confidence in releases

Don’t let “done” be a vague concept! Read this article and start setting clear, repeatable quality standards!

What is a Definition of Done?

A Definition of Done (DoD) is a formal agreement that outlines the quality criteria a product backlog item or product increment part must meet before being considered complete. It ensures work meets predefined standards, functional requirements, and stakeholder expectations before release.

In Agile and Scrum, the DoD serves as a quality gate between done and acceptance criteria, making every task meet code review, testing, documentation, and approval requirements before it is marked “done.” Unlike acceptance criteria, which apply to individual user stories, the DoD is universal, governing all backlog items to maintain consistent quality and transparency.

A strong DoD reduces rework, enhances transparency, and aligns teams on deliverables, ensuring that everyone, from Scrum Masters to Product Owners, operates on the same page and under the definition of “done.”

Can You Use a Checklist for the Definition of Done?

Yes! A Definition of Done checklist is one of the most practical ways to enforce quality standards. It ensures that all required steps—development, validation, stakeholder review, product management, and documentation—are completed before an item is marked as done.

A DoD checklist is applicable at multiple levels: Epics, User Stories, and Tasks.

DoD Checklist at the Epic Level

At the Epic level, the DoD ensures that large, strategic initiatives are fully developed, tested, and aligned with business objectives before deployment.

• All related user stories meet their own DoD.
• Business goals and stakeholder expectations are validated.
• Completion of the User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Security and compliance checks are confirmed.
• Documentation, including user guides and training materials, is completed.
• Deployment readiness validated by the Product Owner.

DoD Checklist at the User Story Level

• For individual User Stories, the focus is on functionality, testing, and integration.
• The code is peer-reviewed and merged into the main branch.
• Unit tests and integration tests pass successfully.
• Meeting the Non-functional requirements (performance, security, usability).
• Acceptance criteria are fully validated.
• No critical defects remain open.
• Feature demonstration in a Sprint Review.
• Documentation and release notes are updated.

Reasons You Need to Know the Definition of Done

Understanding the Definition of Done (DoD) is essential for completing work within an Agile team and meeting consistent quality standards, stakeholder expectations, and business goals. Without a clear DoD, teams risk delivering incomplete, low-quality, or untested work, leading to rework, misalignment, and project delays. Whether you are a Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developer, or Stakeholder, knowing and applying a DoD helps create transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Agile projects.

Why Use a DoD Checklist?

• Eliminates ambiguity—ensures all team members align on what’s delivered.
• Reduces rework and defects—validates quality at every stage.
• Improves transparency—clarifies expectations across teams.
• Supports Agile scaling—standardizes deliverables in multi-team projects.
• Enhances stakeholder confidence—ensures release-ready work.

A well-defined DoD is not just a process step—it is a critical tool for maintaining Agile excellence, reducing waste, and ensuring that the team delivers value with each iteration of the software product.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Definition of Done Checklist

A checklist isn’t enough—it must be integrated into your development team’s workflow. Here’s how to make it a natural part of your process:

Define “Done” as a Team

• Gather the Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers, and Testers) to discuss expectations.
• Align the DoD with organizational quality standards.
• Document the DoD in a centralized, accessible location (JIRA, Confluence, shared document).

Keep it realistic—avoid making the checklist too vague (unclear expectations) or too detailed (overly restrictive).

Customize the Definition of Done for Different Work Items

• Epic-Level DoD: Focuses on business goals and stakeholder alignment.
• User Story-Level DoD: Ensures code quality, testing, and documentation.
• Task-Level DoD: Applies to specific engineering or compliance requirements.

Different items require different levels of scrutiny, but core quality standards should remain consistent.

Integrate the Definition of Done into Sprint Planning

• Use the DoD as a reference when estimating work during Sprint Planning.
• Identify any gaps or potential roadblocks early.
• Ensure all backlog items have clear acceptance criteria alongside the DoD.

If the DoD checklist seems unachievable, adjust priorities or seek additional support.

Validate Work Against the Definition of Done

• Developers self-check against the DoD before submitting work.
• Peer reviews and QA teams validate compliance with all quality measures.
• Product Owners verify that the acceptance criteria are met.

Automate repetitive DoD checks—use test coverage, security scans, and code quality tools.

Review and Improve the Definition of Done

• Discuss DoD effectiveness in Sprint Retrospectives.
• Adjust criteria as team maturity or product complexity evolves.
• Introduce the DoD to new team members during onboarding.

Balance thoroughness with efficiency—a rigid DoD can slow down progress.

Considerations For Successfully Implementing the Checklist

A Definition of Done (DoD) checklist is helpful if it is practical, actionable, and consistently applied across all teams. One mistake teams make is treating the DoD as a static document rather than a living guideline. As projects evolve, teams gain experience, and product complexity increases, the DoD should be reviewed and refined to stay relevant.

Another key consideration is balancing thoroughness with agility. While the DoD ensures quality, an overly rigid checklist can slow delivery and create unnecessary bottlenecks. The goal is an adaptable DoD that prevents incomplete work without stifling innovation.

Teams should be open to adjusting their DoD based on retrospective insights, user feedback, testing results, and stakeholder reviews. A flexible approach allows for continuous improvement while maintaining quality standards.

Visibility and enforcement are critical. The DoD should be accessible to everyone, whether embedded in Agile tools like JIRA, displayed in a team workspace, or integrated into automated checks.

Encouraging team ownership and accountability ensures the checklist is not just a formality but a valuable tool for maintaining consistency, transparency, and high-quality project delivery. When the DoD is actively enforced and referenced, it becomes an integral part of the development workflow.

Taking It to the Next Level: Automate & Optimize

Technology can supercharge your DoD checklist, making it more efficient and scalable.

• Embed DoD checklists in Agile tools like JIRA, Trello, and Azure DevOps.
• Automate compliance checks with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD).
• Use AI-driven analytics (Atlassian Advanced Roadmaps, Jira Align) to identify bottlenecks and quality trends.

By integrating these technologies, teams move beyond just checking boxes—they continuously refine and optimize their DoD for faster, higher-quality releases.

Another powerful approach is integrating continuous integration (CI) and automated testing with the DoD. For example, using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or CircleCI, teams can set up pipelines that verify code quality, run security scans, and validate functional tests before marking an item as done. It improves efficiency and reduces the risk of human error in quality control.

For larger teams or organizations, AI-powered Agile analytics and dashboards can provide insights into how effectively the DoD adheres to. AI tools like Atlassian’s Advanced Roadmaps, Jira Align, and Azure DevOps Insights can highlight bottlenecks, common quality issues, and areas where the DoD needs adjustment.

By integrating these technologies, teams can move beyond just checking boxes—they can continuously refine and optimize their definition of done to improve delivery speed, reduce defects, and enhance stakeholder confidence.

Download Your DoD Checklist Now!

A Definition of Done checklist is a game-changer—it ensures that work isn’t just “done,” but examples are ready for deployment. By implementing a structured DoD framework, your team gains clarity, transparency, and confidence in every release.

Make the Definition of Done work for you! Download the free customizable DoD checklist from ROSEMET LLC and start improving!

Get your checklist now and build better, more reliable products!

References

Scrum.org. (2025). What is the Definition of Done? Retrieved from https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-definition-done

Scrum.org. (2024). Definition of Done Explanation and Example. Retrieved from https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/definition-done-dod-explanation-and-example

ProjectManager.com. (2025). Agile Definition of Done (DoD) Checklist. Retrieved from https://www.projectmanagertemplate.com/checklist/-agile-definition-of-done-%28dod%29-checklist

JIRA Atlassian. (2025). What is the Definition of Done?. Retrieved from https://www.atlassian.com/agile/project-management/definition-of-done#:~:text=Deciding%20on%20a%20clear%20definition%20of%20done%20%28DoD%29,one%20to%20make%20projects%20more%20effective%20and%20valuable.