RUDE is a handy mnemonic for estimating the work needed to deliver its intended outcome(s).
It stands for Risks, Uncertainties, Dependencies, Effort.
It reminds teams that when estimating work, they need to consider more than the effort needed to deliver the work.
| FACTOR | DESCRIPTION |
| Risks | Consider the likelihood and impact of known aspects that, if they come true, will threaten the work or its outcome(s). Such aspects can be managed. |
| Uncertainties | What unknowns could there be? How unfamiliar is this work? Amongst stakeholders, how acceptable is the work and its outcome(s)? Early in the project, such factors are likely to be unpredictable. |
| Dependencies | Who, and what, is the team dependent upon to deliver the outcome(s). The greater the dependencies the greater the complexity. |
| Effort | Estimated time and energy needed by the team to deliver the outcome(s).
This is separate from the effort of other parties who are needed to deliver the outcome(s), but should include the team’s effort to liaise with those parties. |
Sizing work items
Teams may want to use Fibonacci estimation to size work items relative to each other.
Note that two work items may be of the same size for different reasons.
For example, a work item may need little team effort but have high dependencies, whereas another work item – of the same size – may need lots of team effort but have no dependencies beyond the team.
Example – Project to build a house extension
The Goal
Your family would like a house extension built. Consider the family as the project team.
Risks
There could be known aspects which threaten the extension. For example, it may be known that it needs to be built on land prone to subsidence.
Uncertainties
This might be the first time the family is having a house extension built. So, for them, there are many unknowns.
The extension’s design will be subject to the agreement of local authorities, building regulations and your neighbours’ consent. Consider these parties as stakeholders.
Regarding the work itself, you may need to gain permission to access your neighbour’s land.
At the start of the project, stakeholders’ responses are likely to be unpredictable.
Dependencies
What specialists are needed to build a house extension? Has your team and the various specialists worked together before?
Effort
How much time and energy do you and your family estimate will be needed to manage the house extension project?
