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"Done" vs. "Definition of Done": What's the Difference?
Documenting a clear Definition of Done will help your project maintain a consistency, transparency and most important of all, continued quality.
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Recently, while discussing a particular project’s overruns with one of our Developers, he asked if utilization of a Definition of Done (DoD) list would help in ensuring the Project was complete. He seemed to think that DoD applied to the end of a Project as opposed to an ongoing checklist that is used throughout the Project.
To help make this clearer I’d like to explain to you how Definition of Done should be applied to help ensure a Project’s success, and how this differs from Acceptance Criteria and Project Close.
Often, the Definition of Done is confused with Acceptance Criteria (AC). They are not the same. AC is specific to individual user stories or features, while Definition of Done is typically in the form of a checklist that is applicable across all work items throughout the project. It is a repeatable set of processes and checks that are designed to ensure quality is maintained.
While AC is specific to a particular user story, it can certainly be included as one of the necessary criteria before a Story or Task can be confirmed as “Done”. Other criteria that may be considered include code reviews, completed documentation, and satisfactory deployment. It’s important that you define what is required for the success of your project.
For a feature to be considered done, it might have to meet the following:
💡Key Tip: When preparing your DoD to be utilized throughout your project, avoid anything that cannot be easily defined. Criteria such as “The site must look good” is far too subjective to be of any value in a DoD checklist. Criteria must be measurable and definitive.
Unlikely. Confirming something is “Done” only applies to that specific story or task - Not the entire project. Essentially, throughout the course of a project there would be numerous DoDs, but only one Project Close, conducted at the completion of the Project.
Project Close is the final step of the project lifecycle, where the entire project is wrapped up, and all final activities are completed. Unlike the DoD, Project Close signifies the end of the entire project.
| Aspect | Definition of Done (DoD) | Project Close |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Defines when a work item is complete | Concludes the entire project |
| Scope | Applies to individual deliverables | Applies to the entire project |
| Timing | Used throughout the project lifecycle | Used at the very end of the project |
| Key Activities | Testing, quality checks, stakeholder sign-off for each item | Final deliverable handover, administrative and financial closure |
| Output | Deliverable marked "done" | Project marked "closed" |
The DoD helps teams align on quality and completion standards during the project, while Project Close ensures the whole project is formally wrapped up and handed over.
As a Project Manager, you may not be using DoD in your projects. However, while you may not have a clear, documented DoD checklist, I guarantee that you are applying at least some of the DoD principles. You may be applying some of these at every sprint completion, or prior to every deployment. Either way, these standard, repeatable processes are often the very same functions that you would include in your DoD.
If you are using DoD already, well done. If not, start now: Document your current processes, include the checks mentioned above and circulate them to everyone in your project - It provides clarity, sets definitive expectations, and goes a long way towards ensuring continued success throughout the project.
Done.
