Tasksgathering

Tasksgathering is the process of collecting, validating, and organizing tasks, requirements, and work items from diverse sources into a cohesive backlog to support planning and execution. It translates high-level goals and user needs into actionable items that can be estimated, prioritized, and assigned to teams or individuals.

Sources for tasksgathering include input from stakeholders, product users, business documents, regulatory or operational requirements, support tickets, analytics, and existing backlogs. The primary outputs are a structured backlog or task list, task descriptions, acceptance criteria, estimated effort, and defined dependencies and priorities. The outputs are designed to support planning, sprint or milestone development, and progress tracking.

Common methods include interviews, workshops, surveys, document analysis, and direct observation. Tasks are decomposed from larger objectives into smaller units, categorized by type or domain, and prioritized according to value, urgency, risk, and dependencies. Each task is documented with clear scope, success criteria, and any prerequisite work. The process is often iterative, with reviews and refinements to maintain alignment with changing goals.

Roles involved typically include product managers or owners, project managers, business analysts, developers, and stakeholders. Tools range from issue trackers and product backlogs to requirements management systems and collaborative platforms. Tasksgathering overlaps with requirements gathering and backlog refinement, and it informs downstream planning and execution.

Challenges include ambiguity in needs, conflicting priorities, scope creep, incomplete information, and changing requirements. Best practices emphasize defining a clear template for task records, ensuring traceability to goals, validating with stakeholders, maintaining regular reviews, and linking estimates to outcomes to support realistic planning.