mediumConceptScenarioEntryMidSenior
What is the Definition of Done, who owns it, and what do you do with an item that misses it at the end of a Sprint?
4 min readUpdated 2026-08-15
Answer
Short answer
The Definition of Done is one shared quality standard every increment must meet, owned by the Scrum Team unless the organisation mandates a stricter minimum.An item that misses it is not partially done: it returns to the Product Backlog rather than being released or presented as complete.
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Likely follow-ups
- Your Definition of Done says "code reviewed and unit tested" but a separate QA team signs off two weeks later. Is the increment done?
- How would you strengthen a Definition of Done without stalling delivery for a quarter?
- Who decides whether an item met the Definition of Done - the Product Owner, the tester, or the Developers?
- What is the difference between the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal as commitments?
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