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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

Clarity: Developers understand WHAT to build without ambiguity
Context: WHY this is being built and how it fits the bigger picture
Guidance: Key technical decisions and implementation patterns provided
Testability: Clear criteria for verifying implementation success
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

{{critical_issue_1}}
{{critical_issue_2}}
{{critical_issue_3}}

Specific Improvements Needed

{{improvement_1}}
{{improvement_2}}
{{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

{{next_step_1}}
{{next_step_2}}
{{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}}

8.7 KiB Raw Blame History