Planning Methodology
Structured approach to planning development work and prioritizing features.
Planning Levels
Strategic (Quarterly/Yearly)
- Vision and goals
- Major initiatives
- Resource allocation
- Success metrics
Tactical (Monthly/Sprint)
- Feature breakdown
- Task prioritization
- Dependency mapping
- Capacity planning
Operational (Daily/Weekly)
- Task execution
- Blocker resolution
- Progress tracking
- Scope adjustment
Prioritization Frameworks
RICE Score
RICE = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
Reach: How many users affected (per quarter)
Impact: How much it helps (0.25 = minimal, 3 = massive)
Confidence: How sure are we (0-100%)
Effort: Person-months required
MoSCoW Method
| Category | Definition | Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| Must Have | Critical for release | 60% |
| Should Have | Important but not critical | 20% |
| Could Have | Nice to have | 15% |
| Won't Have | Out of scope (this time) | 5% |
Value vs Effort Matrix
High Value │ Quick Wins │ Major Projects
│ (Do First) │ (Plan Carefully)
├─────────────┼─────────────────
Low Value │ Fill-ins │ Don't Do
│ (If Time) │ (Avoid)
└─────────────┴─────────────────
Low Effort High Effort
Feature Breakdown
Epic → Story → Task
Epic: User Authentication
├── Story: User can sign up with email
│ ├── Task: Design signup form
│ ├── Task: Implement email validation
│ ├── Task: Create user in database
│ └── Task: Send verification email
├── Story: User can log in
│ ├── Task: Design login form
│ ├── Task: Implement password verification
│ └── Task: Generate session token
└── Story: User can reset password
├── Task: Design reset flow
├── Task: Generate reset token
└── Task: Implement password update
Story Template
**As a** [user type]
**I want** [action]
**So that** [benefit]
**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Given X, when Y, then Z
- [ ] Edge case A is handled
- [ ] Error case B shows appropriate message
Dependency Management
Dependency Map
[Auth System] ───────────────────┐
│ │
▼ ▼
[User Profile] ────────► [Permissions]
│ │
▼ ▼
[Settings Page] ◄────── [Admin Panel]
Critical Path
Identify the longest chain of dependencies—this is your minimum timeline.
- List all tasks with durations
- Map dependencies
- Find the longest path
- Optimize by parallelizing or reducing scope
Estimation
Relative Estimation
Use story points or t-shirt sizes for relative complexity:
| Size | Complexity | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| XS | Trivial change | Hours |
| S | Simple, well-understood | 1-2 days |
| M | Moderate complexity | 3-5 days |
| L | Complex, some unknowns | 1-2 weeks |
| XL | Very complex, many unknowns | 2+ weeks (break down) |
Estimation Principles
- Never estimate alone—use planning poker or similar
- Include testing, review, and deployment time
- Add buffer for unknowns (20-50%)
- Track actual vs estimated to calibrate
Risk Management
Risk Matrix
High Impact │ Monitor │ Mitigate
│ Closely │ Actively
├────────────┼────────────
Low Impact │ Accept │ Monitor
│ │ Occasionally
└────────────┴────────────
Low Probability High Probability
Mitigation Strategies
- Avoid - Change plan to eliminate risk
- Reduce - Take action to lower probability or impact
- Transfer - Shift responsibility (insurance, outsourcing)
- Accept - Acknowledge and prepare contingency
Planning Meetings
Sprint Planning
- Review priorities and capacity
- Select items from backlog
- Break down into tasks
- Identify dependencies and risks
- Commit to sprint goal
Retrospective
- What went well?
- What could improve?
- Action items for next sprint
Planning Checklist
- Goals are clear and measurable
- Work is broken into manageable chunks
- Dependencies are mapped
- Risks are identified
- Estimates are realistic
- Team has agreed to commitments
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