A nonprofit hired a consultant to restart a stalled implementation.

User stories are the "building blocks" of an Agile implementation. A well-written user story follows the format: "As a [persona], I want to [action], so that [value/benefit]." To ensure a stalled project gets back on track, two critical components are alignment and prioritization.

Vision Alignment (B): Every story must have a purpose that contributes to the overall Implementation Vision. If a nonprofit’s vision is "Improving Donor Retention," but a user story is created for "Automating Facilities Management," the consultant must evaluate if that story is a distraction. Aligning stories to the vision ensures the consultant builds what the organization actually needs to succeed, rather than just what users want.

Priority (C): In any implementation, there is limited time and budget. Assigning a priority (often using the MoSCoW method: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have) is essential. It allows the consultant and the nonprofit to focus on mission-critical features first, ensuring that if the project runs out of resources, the most valuable parts of the system are already delivered.

Why other options are less critical:

Configuration Instructions (Option A): This is a mistake. User stories describe the requirement (the "What"), while technical documentation describes the solution (the "How"). Putting configuration steps in a user story makes it rigid and difficult for a developer to suggest better technical alternatives.

Epics (Option D): While epics are useful for grouping stories, they are a structural tool for project management rather than a "component" of the story's internal logic or value definition. Alignment and Priority are what drive project success.