Work Breakdown

Purpose

Break down large features, enhancements, or requirements into small, actionable tasks that can be implemented independently with clear success criteria.

When to Use

• Planning implementation of new features
• Breaking down enhancement specifications
• Creating task lists for workflows
• Organizing complex work into manageable pieces
• Planning sprints or iterations

Key Capabilities

1. Task Identification - Identify discrete, implementable work units
2. Dependency Analysis - Determine task order and relationships
3. Scope Definition - Create clear, bounded task descriptions

Approach

1. Read Requirements - Understand the full scope of work
2. Identify Components - What parts of the system are affected?
3. Break into Phases - Architecture → Implementation → Testing → Documentation
4. Define Tasks - Each should be:
   • Completable in 2-8 hours
   • Independently testable
   • Has clear acceptance criteria
   • Assigned to appropriate agent
5. Order by Dependencies - What must happen first?
6. Validate Completeness - Do tasks cover all requirements?

Example

Context: Feature - "Add user authentication with OAuth"

Work Breakdown:

## Phase 1: Architecture & Design
**Task 1.1**: Design authentication flow
- Agent: architect
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Output: Authentication sequence diagram
- Acceptance: Covers login, logout, token refresh

**Task 1.2**: Design database schema for users/sessions
- Agent: architect
- Duration: 2 hours
- Output: Schema definition with indexes
- Acceptance: Normalized, handles OAuth tokens

## Phase 2: Implementation
**Task 2.1**: Implement OAuth integration
- Agent: implementer
- Duration: 4-6 hours
- Dependencies: Task 1.1 complete
- Output: OAuth client code
- Acceptance: Can authenticate with Google/GitHub

**Task 2.2**: Create user session management
- Agent: implementer
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Dependencies: Task 1.2, 2.1 complete
- Output: Session middleware
- Acceptance: Sessions persist, timeout after 24hrs

**Task 2.3**: Add authentication middleware
- Agent: implementer
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Dependencies: Task 2.2 complete
- Output: Route protection middleware
- Acceptance: Protected routes require auth

## Phase 3: Testing
**Task 3.1**: Write authentication tests
- Agent: tester
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Dependencies: Phase 2 complete
- Output: Test suite
- Acceptance: >90% coverage, tests auth flows

## Phase 4: Documentation
**Task 4.1**: Document OAuth setup
- Agent: documenter
- Duration: 2 hours
- Dependencies: Phase 2 complete
- Output: Setup guide
- Acceptance: Includes provider config steps

Why This Breakdown Works:

• Each task is 2-6 hours (right-sized)
• Clear dependencies prevent blocking
• Phases group related work
• Each has specific agent and acceptance criteria
• Can be implemented/tested independently

Best Practices

• ✅ Tasks should be 2-8 hours of work (not days)
• ✅ Each task has clear acceptance criteria
• ✅ Assign appropriate agent to each task
• ✅ Group related tasks into phases
• ✅ Identify dependencies explicitly
• ✅ Ensure tasks cover all requirements
• ❌ Avoid: Tasks that are too large (>1 day)
• ❌ Avoid: Vague acceptance criteria ("make it work")
• ❌ Avoid: Circular dependencies between tasks