What describes the purpose of a definition of "Done" in a Development Team?

The purpose of a definition of "Done" is fundamentally about establishing a clear and shared understanding within the Development Team of what it means to complete a piece of work effectively. It ensures consistency and quality in the deliverables that the team produces.

While the selected answer suggests that the definition of "Done" serves as a guide for forecasting during Sprint Planning, this is a narrower interpretation of its broader purpose. The definition of "Done" primarily functions as a checklist that describes the specific criteria that must be met for the work to be considered complete. This includes elements such as code being fully tested, documentation being updated, or features being free of known bugs.

By having a robust definition of "Done," the team can make accurate forecasts during Sprint Planning since it gives them a common framework to evaluate the amount of work that can realistically be completed in the upcoming sprint. When the team understands what “Done” truly means for their increments, they can better assess their capacity and set realistic expectations for both themselves and stakeholders.

Furthermore, the definition of "Done" also helps maintain the integrity of the product being developed by preventing incomplete or unreviewed work from being released. This directly ties into the foundational principles of Scrum, which emphasize transparency and the importance of delivering