Priority Management

Purpose

Determine the optimal sequence and priority of tasks based on dependencies, business value, risk, and resource availability to maximize project progress and value delivery.

When to Use

• Sprint planning
• New urgent request arrives
• Resource constraints change
• Scope changes
• Blocker impacts schedule
• Stakeholder priority changes

Prerequisites

• Task breakdown available
• Dependencies mapped
• Business value understood
• Resource availability known

Process

Step 1: Assess Task Attributes

For each task, evaluate:
- Business value (High/Medium/Low)
- Urgency (Critical/High/Normal/Low)
- Dependencies (blocking others?)
- Risk (technical uncertainty)
- Effort (S/M/L/XL)
- Required skills (which agent)

Step 2: Apply Prioritization Matrix

Priority Score = (Value × 3) + (Urgency × 2) + (Blocking × 2) - (Risk × 1)

Where:
- Value: High=3, Medium=2, Low=1
- Urgency: Critical=4, High=3, Normal=2, Low=1
- Blocking: Blocks 3+=3, Blocks 1-2=2, Blocks 0=1
- Risk: High=3, Medium=2, Low=1

Step 3: Consider Dependencies

Dependency rules:
1. Blocked tasks cannot be prioritized until blocker resolves
2. Tasks blocking many others get priority boost
3. External dependencies flagged for early start
4. Critical path tasks get highest attention

Step 4: Balance Agent Workload

Distribution rules:
1. No agent > 3 concurrent tasks
2. Mix task sizes (not all XL)
3. Consider skill match
4. Allow slack for interrupts

Step 5: Create Priority Queue

Output priority-sorted task list:
1. P0 - Critical: Do immediately
2. P1 - High: Do this sprint
3. P2 - Normal: Do when P0/P1 clear
4. P3 - Low: Backlog

Inputs

Input	Type	Required	Description
task_breakdown.json	JSON	Yes	All tasks
dependency_graph.json	JSON	Yes	Task dependencies
agent_availability	JSON	Yes	Agent capacity
business_priorities	JSON	Optional	Stakeholder input

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
priority_queue.json	JSON	Sorted task list
sprint_backlog.md	Markdown	Sprint plan
agent_assignments.json	JSON	Task distribution

StudyAbroad-Specific Considerations

• Authentication tasks are P0 (blocks most features)
• GDPR compliance tasks are high priority (legal risk)
• User journey: Application flow > Discovery flow (core value)
• External API tasks: start early (dependency risk)

Integration Points

• BMAD Scrum Master: Sprint planning coordination
• Ralph Wiggum: /ralph-loop for autonomous task execution
• All Agents: Receive prioritized task assignments
• Test Manager: Test priority aligned with implementation

Examples

Priority Queue - Sprint 3

P0 - Critical (Do Now):
├─ TASK-004-01: OAuth2 implementation [Blocks: 12 tasks]
└─ TASK-010-03: Fix login security vulnerability

P1 - High (This Sprint):
├─ TASK-005-01: User profile API [Blocks: 4 tasks]
├─ TASK-005-03: Profile database migration
├─ TASK-006-01: University search API
└─ TASK-012-01: GDPR consent mechanism

P2 - Normal (If Capacity):
├─ TASK-007-02: Email notification service
├─ TASK-008-01: Application status dashboard
└─ TASK-009-01: Document upload feature

P3 - Backlog:
├─ TASK-015-01: Dark mode UI
└─ TASK-016-01: Analytics integration

Validation

• All tasks have priority assigned
• No circular priority dependencies
• Critical path tasks are P0/P1
• Agent workload balanced
• Sprint capacity not exceeded