Kehitystehtävät

Kehitystehtävät is a Finnish term used in many Finnish organizations to describe tasks that are intended to develop capabilities, products, processes, or knowledge. The term is commonly used in project management, software development, and professional development contexts to distinguish growth-oriented work from routine operations or maintenance.

In software and product development, kehitystehtävät describe work aimed at adding or improving functionality, exploring new approaches, or validating ideas. Typical items include implementing new features, refactoring code, improving performance, expanding test coverage, creating proof-of-concepts, and automating repetitive processes. They are usually recorded as backlog items or development tasks with defined goals, estimates, and acceptance criteria.

In an organizational or educational setting, kehitystehtävät refer to tasks designed to develop skills, knowledge, or capabilities. This may include on-the-job training tasks, practical projects linked to a learning plan, mentoring assignments, or simulations that expand a professional’s competence. The emphasis is on learning outcomes and long-term improvement rather than immediate operational needs.

Management and evaluation typically address prioritization, resource estimation, and progress tracking. Selection criteria may include business value, strategic alignment, potential for learning, risk, and time requirements. Progress is monitored through regular reviews, retrospectives, and metrics such as completion rate, impact on performance, and time-to-delivery.

Relation to other concepts: Kehitystehtävät are distinguished from routine maintenance or bug-fix work. In many organizations they appear within a development backlog or roadmap as items that push the product, process, or people forward.