Being Agile is not only the trend and dream for a Technical Writer, but it has become a basic requirement. The writer has to virtually lead the team through different ceremonies, meetings or events to deliver on the documentation tasks in the project. This checklist lists all the tasks that a Technical Writer can perform in a Agile/Scrum project. The writer can use this checklist to succeed as a Agile Technical Writer.

1. Prepared by Sudhir Subudhi, Lead Technical Writer
http://in.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsubudhi
http://www.slideshare.net/sudhira.tw
sudhir.subudhi@outlook.com
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 5
Checklist for Agile Technical Writer
The terminologies, artifacts, and meetings mentioned in this checklist are
followed in SCRUM methodology of Agile.
Checklist for Scrum Ceremonies or Meetings
Release Planning Meeting
□ Attend the meeting.
□ Understand the scheduled requirements (user stories, change requests
and defects).
□ Participate with the team to estimate the requirements at high level (in
story points or any other units).
□ Takes a note of the release plan.
□ Raise concerns if any.
□ Commit for the release.
Sprint Planning Meeting
□ Attend the meeting.
□ Participate with the team to browse Product Backlog and clarify each
item.
□ Participate with the team to select requirements for the sprint.

2. Prepared by Sudhir Subudhi, Lead Technical Writer
http://in.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsubudhi
http://www.slideshare.net/sudhira.tw
sudhir.subudhi@outlook.com
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 5
□ Understand sprint goal and theme.
□ Verify that the documentation completion is clearly defined through
acceptance criteria.
□ Break down (help breaking down) the documentation tasks and make
them granular.
□ Discover, quantify, and add all documentation tasks (even the smaller
ones) in the sprint backlog.
□ Estimate each documentation task in hours.
□ Schedule (or help scheduling) the documentation tasks.
□ Commit for the sprint.
Daily Scrum Meeting
□ Attend the meeting.
□ Discuss daily progress on documentation tasks.
□ Share what you did yesterday.
□ Share what you plan to do today.
□ Share blockers if any.
Sprint Review Meeting
□ Attend the meeting.

3. Prepared by Sudhir Subudhi, Lead Technical Writer
http://in.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsubudhi
http://www.slideshare.net/sudhira.tw
sudhir.subudhi@outlook.com
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Page 3 of 5
□ Participate with the team and walk through the completed user stories
and defects.
□ Verify the documentation against the acceptance criteria for the
completed items.
□ Suggest marking stories incomplete if documentation acceptance
criteria are not met.
□ Verify the documentation deliverables in the software build, in the
repository or version control system.
□ Take note of the action items on documentation.
Retrospective Meeting
□ Attend the meeting.
□ Share things that helped in last iteration to progress better.
□ Share difficulties faced in last iteration that prevented documentation
progress.
□ Share any impediments that are preventing the team to improve the
documentation process and practices.
□ Evaluate the process and practices and propose plans for
improvement.
□ Share if the project team doesn’t cooperate or work on completion of
documentation tasks.
□ Share if the project doesn’t respond to and delivers on the
documentation requirements on time.

4. Prepared by Sudhir Subudhi, Lead Technical Writer
http://in.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsubudhi
http://www.slideshare.net/sudhira.tw
sudhir.subudhi@outlook.com
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Page 4 of 5
□ Shares if the Action Points on documentation lapses are not closed on
time.
□ Suggest resolving documentation issues, if any, in next iteration.
Checklist to gain visibility and leadership
□ Get visible to the project team (and the organization) and explore ways
to reach the leadership at times of requirement.
□ Acquire full knowledge on the functional domain through training and
self-research.
□ Guide the team on documentation requirements with your experience
and expertise.
□ Build a good rapport with the team. Attend team events, parties, enjoy
company of the team, and build rapport continuously.
□ Convince management on documentation requirements and mobilize
the team to complete the same.
□ Open up communication channels other than project meetings within
the team and the organization.

5. Prepared by Sudhir Subudhi, Lead Technical Writer
http://in.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsubudhi
http://www.slideshare.net/sudhira.tw
sudhir.subudhi@outlook.com
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Page 5 of 5
Checklist to complete groundwork
□ Obtain access permission to all repositories, knowledgebase, version
control systems, defect and requirement management systems,
reporting systems, issue reporting and management systems, and so
on.
□ Productize all documentation deliverables. Define the deliverables,
their content, delivery medium, targeted audience, and other attributes
(What content goes in where and for whom?). Use a number scheme
to distinctly identify them.
□ Make sure that the Delivery or Shipping Checklist contains the
productized documentation deliveries.
□ Discover and quantify documentation requirements and follow-up
with the team and push to add these to Product Backlog.
□ Raise concerns if you are unable to quantify and add hidden (and
unlisted or listed on other systems) documentation requirements in
the Product Backlog either as stories or defects.
□ Channelize customer feedback as quantified requirements in the
product backlog.
□ Push to make the metrics and statistics on documentation deliveries
and customer feedback transparently maintained and visible to the
whole team.