Digital Kanban

The Columns

• 📥 Inbox - ideas, user feedback, new specifications that emerge as work is delivered.
• ❄️ Icebox - valid work, but needs definition
• ✏ Needs Design - valid work, but needs design and definition
• 📋 Backlog - valid work, prioritized according to 1) user value + 2) throughput
• 🎯 Current - valid work, prioritized and scope for one iteration
• Work In Progress (WIP) - work that is currently being worked on by a team member. If work is blocked, In progress work may be moved back to another column and/or labeled as blocked
• 👀 Acceptance - review to ensure work is delivered according to definition
• ✅ Done - accepted work. work otherwise done. work otherwise decided not to do and is done being considered.

Note: Additional ad-hoc columns may be added and removed as necessary to track specific sets of work (example: many cards for a specific feature). The kanban board is designed to be adjusted to support the dynamic needs of the team.

The Flow

• New cards are added to the Inbox. Anybody can add a card.
• Cards move left toward Done.
• People add themselves to card. Don't assign somebody to a card unless on their behalf. Team members "pull" in their own tasks and take ownership for their work.
• Inbox is groomed by the team at least weekly.
• Is a card clearly written (is the story "well-formed" or "refined")?
  • Does the Card have acceptance criteria/a clear definition of done?
  • Does the Card have an Owner?
  • If the Card has more than 1 member, is a specific member referenced in the Checklist?
  • Does the Card have a checklist representing the work to be done to get from the current state to the desired done state? Is that work bite-sized enough? (Objectively complete-able?)
• Always to try to move a card forward by adding clarity or taking action

References

• https://digital.gov/2016/09/13/kanban-for-government/
• https://digital.gov/event/2019/11/13/intro-kanban-i/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_(development)
• https://agilemanifesto.org/