Answering: “Who creates the Definition of Done?” (PSM I)

The Scrum Team creates the Definition of Done, unless the organization already has one as a standard. It is not the Product Owner’s, the Scrum Master’s or the Developers’ decision alone.

Exam Question

Who creates the Definition of Done?
(choose the best answer)
A. The Scrum Master.
B. The Developers.
C. The Product Owner.
D. The Scrum Team.

Correct Answer

D. The Scrum Team.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Under the 2020 Scrum Guide, if the organization has no Definition of Done standard, “the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product.” The 2017 Guide gave this decision to the people doing the development work, which is why older practice questions sometimes point to the Developers. Under the current Guide, the whole team owns it. The Developers are then required to conform to it. Creating it together means the Product Owner’s quality expectations and the Developers’ technical knowledge both shape the standard, and the Scrum Master helps the team keep it meaningful.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. The Scrum Master. The Scrum Master may coach the team on a strong Definition of Done but does not create it alone.

B. The Developers. This matches the 2017 Scrum Guide. The 2020 Guide moved this to the whole Scrum Team, while the Developers must conform to it.

C. The Product Owner. The Product Owner contributes to the Definition of Done as one team member but does not set it alone.

Exam Tip

Know which decisions changed in the 2020 Guide. Ownership of the Definition of Done moved from the developers to the whole Scrum Team, and practice questions test that shift.

Key Takeaways

• The Scrum Team creates the Definition of Done.
• An organizational standard, if one exists, is the minimum.
• The Developers must conform to it.