INVEST
The INVEST acronym encapsulates the key attributes that good user stories should possess to be considered "ready" for development in adaptive methodologies like Agile and Scrum. INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. These criteria serve as a primary verification technique for evaluating the quality and readiness of user stories. Here's a breakdown of each attribute:
Independent
This characteristic focuses on minimizing dependencies between user stories. The goal is to create stories that can be developed in any sequence without relying on the completion of another story. By doing so, planning becomes more straightforward, allowing teams to prioritize based on value and size rather than being constrained by the order in which stories must be developed.
Negotiable
This aspect ensures that the details of the user stories remain flexible until they are moved into the development phase. Too much information upfront can restrict the ability for changes and adjustments. The negotiability allows for discussions and adaptations between the development team and business stakeholders until the point the story is accepted for development.
Valuable
Every user story should provide value either to the business or to the end-user. This aspect ensures that only meaningful work progresses into development phases. User stories in the backlog should be prioritized based on their value to ensure alignment with business objectives.
Estimable
While maintaining the negotiable characteristic, each story should contain enough detail to allow for a rough size estimate. If the development team is unable to size the story, it indicates that more information is needed. The business analyst is then responsible for further elaboration to reach a level where estimation is possible.
Small
The size of the user story should be manageable enough to be completed within a single iteration. Stories that are too large need to be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces that fit within the time constraints of a single time-boxed iteration.
Testable
Lastly, a good user story needs to have clear acceptance criteria to be considered testable. The story should be specific and detailed enough to allow the testing team to create test cases for it. It also ensures that the customer understands what 'done' means for that specific requirement.
Together, these six characteristics offer a comprehensive framework for evaluating the readiness of user stories for development. Properly INVESTed user stories significantly contribute to the efficient and effective progression of adaptive development projects.