What happens to acceptance criteria as functional requirements are developed?

As functional requirements are developed, acceptance criteria are refined to ensure they accurately reflect the expected outcomes of the system being built. Acceptance criteria serve as a clear and measurable set of conditions that need to be met for a feature or functionality to be considered complete and acceptable.

As the understanding of the functional requirements deepens during the development process, it may lead to adjustments in the acceptance criteria to better align with the defined functionalities, ensuring they are practical and relevant. This refinement process involves clarifying ambiguities, getting feedback from stakeholders, and ensuring that the criteria are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

This continuous refinement helps the development team and stakeholders maintain a clear vision of what success looks like for each requirement, ultimately contributing to a more effective development process and a higher quality end product.