INVEST Criteria
INVEST is an acronym that stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. These criteria help assess and create well-structured user stories. Independent means each story should be self-contained, without any dependencies on other stories. Negotiable means that there should be room for discussion and adaptation of a user story. Valuable signifies that a story should provide value to the customer or stakeholder. Estimable implies that the story should be clear enough to allow the team to estimate effort required. Small means that a story should be concise, fitting within a single sprint. Testable implies that a story should have clear acceptance criteria so that it can be verified when completed. Following the INVEST guidelines helps teams create more effective user stories and build a better product.
Guide on INVEST Criteria in Agile Project Management
The INVEST Criteria is a crucial aspect of Agile Project Management, specifically when it comes to User Stories. The INVEST acronym stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Each term is a characteristic that a good user story should possess:
Independent: The work completion should not be dependent on other user stories.
Negotiable: Details could be changed or negotiated at any time.
Valuable: It must deliver value to the end-user.
Estimable: Enough clarity should be there to estimate development effort.
Small: It's size should be manageable, not too large.
Testable: It should be possible to write tests for the story.
The importance of INVEST Criteria lies in ensuring consistent and effective user stories, which in turn, lead to successful project completion. It provides a basis for understanding the user story's scope and potential challenges, thus empowering the team to handle them efficiently.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on INVEST Criteria
1. Understand what each term stands for in the INVEST criteria - this is often tested directly.
2. Be able to give examples of how a user story satisfies each term in the INVEST criteria.
3. Understand how the INVEST criteria contribute to successful Agile project management - this might be asked in a multiple-choice context.
4. Be prepared to identify if a user story does not satisfy one or more of the INVEST criteria and be able to explain why.
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