BMAD-METHOD/.bmad-core/templates/tech-debt-prd-tmpl.md

Technical Debt Paydown PRD

Overview

This PRD focuses on addressing accumulated technical debt that has reached a threshold requiring dedicated attention. The total estimated effort has exceeded 10 days, triggering the need for a focused debt reduction sprint.

Current Debt Status

• Total Items: [Number]
• Total Estimated Effort: [Days]
• High Priority Items: [Number]
• Medium Priority Items: [Number]
• Low Priority Items: [Number]

Debt Inventory

Priority	Description	Effort	Risk	Impact	Story Origin
HIGH	[Description]	[Days]	[Risk description]	[Systems affected]	[Story ref]
HIGH	[Description]	[Days]	[Risk description]	[Systems affected]	[Story ref]
MEDIUM	[Description]	[Days]	[Risk description]	[Systems affected]	[Story ref]
LOW	[Description]	[Days]	[Risk description]	[Systems affected]	[Story ref]

Prioritization Criteria

1. High Risk: Could cause production issues or security vulnerabilities
2. High Friction: Significantly slows development velocity
3. Quick Wins: Low effort, high impact improvements
4. Foundation: Blocks other improvements or feature development

Proposed Approach

Sprint 1: Critical Items (High Risk & High Friction)

• Address all HIGH priority items
• Focus on items that pose security or stability risks
• Target: days of debt reduction

Sprint 2: Foundation & Developer Experience

• Address MEDIUM priority items that improve developer velocity
• Fix foundational issues blocking other work
• Target: days of debt reduction

Ongoing: Quick Wins

• Incorporate LOW priority items into regular development
• Address when working in related code areas
• Target: Opportunistic improvement

Success Metrics

• Reduction in bug reports related to debt areas
• Improved development velocity (measured by story completion rate)
• Reduced time spent on workarounds
• Improved code coverage in affected areas
• Reduced build/deployment times (if applicable)

Non-Goals

• Feature development (unless required for debt paydown)
• Achieving perfection (aim for "good enough" improvements)
• Refactoring areas not identified in debt inventory
• Upgrading dependencies not related to identified debt

Resource Requirements

• Development Team: [X developers for Y sprints]
• Testing Resources: [Additional testing needs]
• Code Review: [Senior developer review requirements]

Risk Mitigation

Risk	Mitigation Strategy
Introducing new bugs during refactoring	Comprehensive test coverage before changes
Scope creep during debt paydown	Strict adherence to identified debt items
Business pressure for features	Clear communication of velocity improvements

Timeline

• Start Date: [Date]
• Sprint 1 Completion: [Date]
• Sprint 2 Completion: [Date]
• Final Review: [Date]

Approval

• Product Owner
• Technical Lead
• Development Team

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This PRD was generated based on technical debt accumulated during [Epic/Feature names] development.