# Story Draft Validation Checklist

## Purpose
Comprehensive validation framework for Product Owners and Scrum Masters to ensure each user story contains sufficient context, clarity, and guidance for successful implementation by development teams, including AI agents.

## Required Artifacts
Before proceeding, ensure access to:
- ✅ Story document being validated
- ✅ Parent epic context and goals
- ✅ Referenced architecture and design documents
- ✅ Previous related stories if applicable
- ✅ Technical constraints and standards

## Validation Principles
1. **Clarity**: Developers understand WHAT to build without ambiguity
2. **Context**: WHY this is being built and how it fits the bigger picture
3. **Guidance**: Key technical decisions and implementation patterns provided
4. **Testability**: Clear criteria for verifying implementation success
5. **Self-Containment**: Most necessary information included in the story

---

## 1. Goal & Context Clarity

### Story Purpose Definition
- [ ] Story goal and objective clearly stated
- [ ] User value and business benefit explicitly described
- [ ] Acceptance criteria specific and measurable
- [ ] Success outcome defined in concrete terms
- [ ] Story scope boundaries clearly established

### Epic & System Integration
- [ ] Relationship to parent epic goals clearly explained
- [ ] Integration with overall system architecture described
- [ ] Dependencies on previous stories identified and documented
- [ ] Impact on downstream stories or features considered
- [ ] Business context and strategic value articulated

### User-Focused Perspective
- [ ] Story written from user's perspective (As a [user], I want [goal] so that [benefit])
- [ ] User scenarios and use cases clearly described
- [ ] User journey step this story addresses identified
- [ ] Expected user behavior and interactions specified
- [ ] Error conditions and edge cases from user perspective considered

**Context Assessment**: {{context_clarity_notes}}

---

## 2. Technical Implementation Guidance

### Implementation Direction
- [ ] Key files, components, or modules to create/modify identified
- [ ] Technology stack choices specified where non-standard
- [ ] Integration points with existing codebase clearly described
- [ ] Required APIs, services, or external systems identified
- [ ] Database schema changes or data model updates specified

### Technical Specifications
- [ ] Critical API endpoints and contracts defined
- [ ] Data structures and models clearly specified
- [ ] Required environment variables or configuration documented
- [ ] Security considerations and requirements outlined
- [ ] Performance requirements and constraints specified

### Architecture Alignment
- [ ] Adherence to established coding standards confirmed
- [ ] Consistency with project architecture patterns verified
- [ ] Exceptions to standard patterns clearly justified
- [ ] Code organization and file structure guidance provided
- [ ] Naming conventions and style requirements specified

**Technical Guidance Assessment**: {{technical_guidance_notes}}

---

## 3. Reference Effectiveness & Documentation

### Reference Quality
- [ ] External document references point to specific, relevant sections
- [ ] Reference relevance and purpose clearly explained
- [ ] Critical information summarized within story (not just referenced)
- [ ] Reference accessibility and availability verified
- [ ] Reference format consistency maintained

### Context Sufficiency
- [ ] Previous story context summarized when needed
- [ ] Domain-specific terminology explained or defined
- [ ] Assumptions made explicit rather than implied
- [ ] Background information sufficient for implementation
- [ ] Related work and dependencies clearly documented

### Documentation Standards
- [ ] Story follows consistent format and structure
- [ ] Language clear, concise, and jargon-free
- [ ] Visual aids (diagrams, mockups) included where helpful
- [ ] Code examples provided for complex requirements
- [ ] Implementation examples from similar features referenced

**Documentation Quality**: {{documentation_assessment_notes}}

---

## 4. Self-Containment & Completeness

### Information Completeness
- [ ] Core requirements contained within story (minimal external dependency)
- [ ] Implementation approach guidance self-contained
- [ ] Business rules and logic clearly specified
- [ ] Data validation and processing requirements detailed
- [ ] Error handling and exception scenarios covered

### Context Independence
- [ ] Story comprehensible without reading extensive external documentation
- [ ] Key decisions and rationale included in story
- [ ] Necessary background information provided
- [ ] Domain knowledge requirements minimized or explained
- [ ] Implementation can proceed with story as primary reference

### Edge Case Coverage
- [ ] Error conditions and failure scenarios identified
- [ ] Boundary conditions and limits specified
- [ ] Unexpected input handling requirements defined
- [ ] Fallback behaviors and recovery procedures outlined
- [ ] Performance edge cases and constraints considered

**Self-Containment Assessment**: {{self_containment_notes}}

---

## 5. Testing & Validation Guidance

### Testing Strategy
- [ ] Required testing approach specified (unit, integration, E2E)
- [ ] Key test scenarios and use cases identified
- [ ] Test data requirements and setup procedures documented
- [ ] Mock services or test doubles requirements specified
- [ ] Performance testing requirements outlined where applicable

### Success Criteria Definition
- [ ] Acceptance criteria written in testable format
- [ ] Success metrics and measurement methods defined
- [ ] Verification procedures clearly outlined
- [ ] Demo scenarios for stakeholder validation provided
- [ ] Regression testing considerations addressed

### Quality Assurance
- [ ] Code quality standards and review requirements specified
- [ ] Security testing considerations outlined
- [ ] Accessibility testing requirements documented
- [ ] Browser/platform compatibility testing specified
- [ ] User experience validation criteria established

**Testing Guidance Assessment**: {{testing_guidance_notes}}

---

## 6. Implementation Feasibility

### Technical Feasibility
- [ ] Implementation approach technically sound and achievable
- [ ] Required resources and skills available within team
- [ ] Timeline estimates realistic for story complexity
- [ ] Technical risks identified with mitigation strategies
- [ ] Dependencies on external systems or services manageable

### Story Sizing & Scope
- [ ] Story appropriately sized for single sprint completion
- [ ] Complexity level matches team capacity
- [ ] Story can be implemented independently
- [ ] Scope creep risks minimized through clear boundaries
- [ ] Story breakdown appropriate for incremental development

### Resource Requirements
- [ ] Development effort estimation provided
- [ ] Special tools or environment requirements identified
- [ ] Third-party service or API requirements documented
- [ ] Training or knowledge transfer needs considered
- [ ] Review and approval processes defined

**Feasibility Assessment**: {{feasibility_notes}}

---

## Final Validation Summary

### Overall Assessment
**Story Readiness Level**: {{readiness_level}} (Ready/Nearly Ready/Needs Revision/Blocked)
**Clarity Score**: {{clarity_score}}/10
**Implementation Risk**: {{implementation_risk}} (Low/Medium/High)

### Category Status Summary
| Category | Status | Critical Issues |
|----------|--------|----------------|
| Goal & Context Clarity | {{context_status}} | {{context_issues}} |
| Technical Implementation Guidance | {{technical_status}} | {{technical_issues}} |
| Reference Effectiveness | {{reference_status}} | {{reference_issues}} |
| Self-Containment | {{containment_status}} | {{containment_issues}} |
| Testing Guidance | {{testing_status}} | {{testing_issues}} |
| Implementation Feasibility | {{feasibility_status}} | {{feasibility_issues}} |

### Critical Issues Identified
1. {{critical_issue_1}}
2. {{critical_issue_2}}
3. {{critical_issue_3}}

### Specific Improvements Needed
1. {{improvement_1}}
2. {{improvement_2}}
3. {{improvement_3}}

### Developer Perspective Questions
- {{developer_question_1}}
- {{developer_question_2}}
- {{developer_question_3}}

### Recommendations
[ ] **READY FOR DEVELOPMENT** - Story provides sufficient context for implementation
[ ] **NEEDS MINOR REVISION** - Address specific issues before development
[ ] **REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT REVISION** - Major gaps need resolution
[ ] **BLOCKED** - External dependencies must be resolved

### Next Steps
1. {{next_step_1}}
2. {{next_step_2}}
3. {{next_step_3}}

---

## Sign-off

**Product Owner**: {{po_name}}
**Scrum Master**: {{sm_name}}
**Date**: {{validation_date}}
**Story ID**: {{story_id}}

**Final Notes**: {{final_validation_notes}}