How to evaluate the actual effort of a team?

The actual effort of the team is assessed through a combination of several approaches:

• Historical data: analyze how much time the team actually spends on tasks of similar complexity in the past.
• Estimation in story points or hours: use Agile methodologies (Planning Poker, T-shirt sizing) to estimate tasks, considering the team's experience.
• Accounting for unforeseen factors: add buffer time for communication, bugs, technical debt.
• Regular retrospective analysis: after a sprint, compare planned and actual time, adjust estimates.
• Use of performance metrics: velocity, cycle time, throughput help understand the actual work speed.

Thus, the actual effort is not just a sum of estimates but a dynamic value based on data and constant adjustment.