Managing Tasks in SAFe

Tasks represent the technical work needed to implement User Stories. They are the most granular level of work in the SAFe hierarchy and are typically assigned to individual team members. This guide shows you how to create and manage Tasks in Safedevops.app.

Task Management Overview

Tasks break down User Stories into specific, actionable work items that can be assigned to individual developers and tracked through completion. They represent the actual implementation work required to deliver user value.

What is a Task?

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), a Task is a unit of technical work that contributes to the completion of a User Story. Tasks are:

• Specific: Clearly defined technical work with concrete deliverables
• Assignable: Can be assigned to an individual team member
• Time-Bound: Can be completed within a few hours to a few days
• Measurable: Progress can be tracked through hours or completion status
• Technical: Focus on implementation details rather than user value
• Trackable: Enable detailed progress monitoring and impediment identification

Creating a New Task

Task Types and Categories

Development Tasks

Tasks focused on writing and implementing code:

• Backend Development: API endpoints, business logic, data models
• Frontend Development: User interface components, user experience features
• Database Work: Schema changes, data migrations, queries
• Integration Work: Connecting systems, third-party API integration

Testing Tasks

Tasks focused on quality assurance and validation:

• Unit Testing: Writing automated tests for individual functions/components
• Integration Testing: Testing interactions between system components
• User Acceptance Testing: Validating user story acceptance criteria
• Performance Testing: Load testing, stress testing, performance optimization

Infrastructure and DevOps Tasks

Tasks focused on deployment and operational concerns:

• Environment Setup: Configuring development, staging, or production environments
• Deployment Tasks: CI/CD pipeline configuration, deployment scripts
• Monitoring and Logging: Setting up observability and alerting
• Security Tasks: Security reviews, vulnerability fixes, compliance work

Documentation and Communication Tasks

Tasks focused on knowledge sharing and documentation:

• Technical Documentation: API documentation, architecture diagrams
• User Documentation: User guides, help content, training materials
• Code Documentation: Code comments, README files, inline documentation
• Knowledge Transfer: Team presentations, code reviews, pair programming sessions

Task Effort Tracking

Time Estimation and Tracking

Tasks support detailed time tracking to monitor progress and improve estimation accuracy:

• Estimated Hours: Initial effort estimate for the task
• Actual Hours: Time actually spent working on the task
• Remaining Hours: Estimated time left to complete the task

Effort Estimation Guidelines

• 0.5-2 Hours: Small bug fixes, minor configuration changes
• 2-8 Hours: Individual features, unit tests, documentation updates
• 8-16 Hours: Complex features, integration work, major refactoring
• 16+ Hours: Consider breaking down into smaller tasks

Daily Updates

Best practices for maintaining accurate task progress:

• Daily Standup Updates: Update remaining hours during daily standup meetings
• Actual Time Tracking: Log actual time spent for future estimation improvements
• Impediment Identification: Update status when blocked or facing issues
• Completion Marking: Mark tasks as complete when all work is finished

Task Iteration Planning

Integration with Iterations

Tasks are typically part of iterations (sprints) as they implement specific aspects of User Stories:

• Sprint Planning: Tasks are identified and estimated during story breakdown
• Daily Standups: Task progress and blockers are discussed
• Sprint Execution: Tasks are worked on and completed throughout the iteration
• Sprint Review: Completed tasks contribute to story demonstrations

Assigning Tasks to Iterations

Tasks can be assigned to iterations using several methods:

• During Creation/Edit: Select the iteration in the "Iteration" field when creating or editing a Task
• From Iteration View: Use the "Add workitems" dialog from the iteration management page to assign existing tasks
• Bulk Assignment: Select multiple tasks and assign them to an iteration simultaneously
• Story Breakdown: Tasks are often assigned to iterations when breaking down User Stories during sprint planning

Task with Iteration Assignment

Here's an example of a Task showing the iteration field and how tasks are assigned to specific iterations:

Notice how this Task includes the iteration assignment along with other essential task information like title, description, parent User Story, team assignment, and owner. The iteration field shows which specific sprint this task will be completed in.

Task Planning Best Practices

• Right-Size for Iteration: Tasks should be completable within the iteration timeframe
• Dependency Management: Consider task dependencies when planning iteration work
• Capacity Planning: Balance task assignments with team member availability
• Daily Tracking: Update task progress daily during standups

Task Lifecycle Management

Status Progression

Tasks typically progress through these statuses:

• New/To Do: Task identified and ready to be started
• In Progress: Active work is being performed on the task
• Under Review: Work is complete and under peer review
• Testing: Task deliverables are being tested
• Blocked: Task cannot proceed due to impediments
• Done: Task is complete and meets all requirements
• Closed: Task is verified and officially closed

Task Dependencies

Managing dependencies between tasks:

• Sequential Dependencies: Tasks that must be completed in order
• Parallel Work: Tasks that can be worked on simultaneously
• Blocking Issues: External dependencies that prevent task completion
• Resource Conflicts: Tasks competing for the same team member's time

Integration with Agile Practices

Sprint Planning Integration

Tasks play a crucial role in sprint planning:

• Story Breakdown: User Stories are decomposed into tasks during planning
• Capacity Planning: Task hour estimates help determine sprint capacity
• Work Distribution: Tasks enable work assignment across team members
• Progress Tracking: Task completion provides detailed sprint progress visibility

Daily Standup Support

Tasks facilitate effective daily standup meetings:

• Yesterday's Work: Report on tasks completed or progressed
• Today's Plan: Identify which tasks will be worked on
• Impediments: Highlight tasks that are blocked or facing issues
• Collaboration: Identify opportunities for pair programming or help

Task Quality and Best Practices

Well-Defined Tasks

Characteristics of high-quality tasks:

• Clear Objective: Specific deliverable or outcome is defined
• Acceptance Criteria: Clear definition of what constitutes completion
• Testable: Results can be verified or tested
• Right-Sized: Can be completed by one person in a reasonable timeframe
• Actionable: Team member can start work immediately

Task Writing Guidelines

• Use Action Verbs: Start with verbs like "Implement," "Create," "Fix," "Test"
• Be Specific: Include technical details and requirements
• Include Context: Reference related files, systems, or components
• Define Completion: Clearly state what "done" means for the task

Good Task Examples:

• "Implement POST /api/users endpoint with email validation and password hashing"
• "Create responsive login form component with error handling"
• "Write unit tests for user authentication service with 90% coverage"
• "Update user table schema to include last_login timestamp field"

Task Collaboration and Communication

Team Collaboration

• Pair Programming: Two developers working together on complex tasks
• Code Reviews: Peer review of task deliverables before completion
• Knowledge Sharing: Documentation and transfer of task-related knowledge
• Cross-Training: Using tasks to develop team member skills

Communication Patterns

• Status Updates: Regular communication about task progress
• Help Requests: Asking for assistance when stuck on tasks
• Technical Discussions: Collaborating on implementation approaches
• Definition of Done: Confirming task completion criteria

Task Metrics and Tracking

Individual Performance Metrics

• Task Completion Rate: Percentage of tasks completed on time
• Estimation Accuracy: How closely actual hours match estimates
• Cycle Time: Average time from task start to completion
• Quality Metrics: Defect rate in completed tasks

Team Performance Metrics

• Throughput: Number of tasks completed per iteration
• Work Distribution: Balance of task assignments across team members
• Blocked Time: Time spent on tasks in blocked status
• Rework Rate: Percentage of tasks requiring significant rework

Advanced Task Management

Task Templates and Standards

Establish consistent patterns for common task types:

• API Development Template: Standard checklist for creating new endpoints
• Bug Fix Template: Systematic approach to investigating and fixing bugs
• Testing Template: Comprehensive testing checklist for features
• Documentation Template: Standard format for technical documentation tasks

Automation and Integration

• Task Generation: Automatically create tasks from code commits or pull requests
• Status Updates: Integrate with development tools to update task status
• Time Tracking: Connect with time tracking tools for accurate reporting
• Deployment Tasks: Automatically create deployment tasks for completed features

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Task Management Challenges

• Over-Granular Tasks: Tasks that are too small and create overhead
• Under-Defined Tasks: Tasks lacking clear objectives or completion criteria
• Estimation Problems: Consistently poor time estimates
• Blocked Tasks: Tasks stuck waiting for external dependencies

Solutions and Best Practices

• Right-Size Tasks: Aim for 2-8 hour tasks as a general guideline
• Improve Definition: Use task templates and checklists for consistency
• Estimation Training: Practice estimation techniques and track accuracy
• Dependency Management: Proactively identify and manage dependencies

Integration with Development Tools

Version Control Integration

• Branch Naming: Use task IDs in Git branch names for traceability
• Commit Messages: Reference task IDs in commit messages
• Pull Requests: Link pull requests to tasks for code review context
• Automated Updates: Update task status based on merge events

CI/CD Pipeline Integration

• Build Validation: Ensure task-related code passes all tests
• Deployment Tracking: Track which tasks are deployed to which environments
• Quality Gates: Prevent deployment of incomplete or failing tasks
• Rollback Procedures: Link task completion to deployment rollback capabilities

What's Next?

With your Task created and properly configured, you can now:

• Track Progress: Monitor task completion and time spent.
  → Work Item Tracking
• Manage Iterations: Include tasks in sprint planning and daily standups.
  → Managing Iterations
• Collaborate Effectively: Use tasks to coordinate team work.
  → Team Collaboration
• Measure Performance: Use task metrics to improve estimation and delivery.
  → Agile Metrics and Analytics