Review Gates
Overview
Review gates are checkpoints between phases that ensure quality and alignment before proceeding.
Gate Philosophy
Never Skip Gates
Gates exist to catch issues early when they're cheap to fix.
Gate ≠ Bureaucracy
Gates should be lightweight verification, not lengthy approval processes.
Document Decisions
Record gate decisions for future reference.
Gate Checklist by Phase
Discovery → Definition Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Is this problem worth solving?
- Do we understand who has this problem?
- Does solving this align with our goals?
Definition → Design Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Do we know what "done" looks like?
- Have we thought through the user experience?
- How will we measure success?
Design → Development Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Is the technical approach sound?
- Have we identified the hard parts?
- Do we have a plan to build this?
Development → Documentation Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Does it work as specified?
- Is the code quality acceptable?
- Has QA validated the implementation?
Documentation → Delivery Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Can users figure out how to use this?
- Can support help users who have problems?
- Can ops respond to incidents?
Delivery → Data Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Is the feature working in production?
- Can we detect problems?
- Can we roll back if needed?
Data → Debrief Gate
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Did we achieve our success metrics?
- What do the numbers tell us?
- Are there surprises to investigate?
Debrief → Deprecation Gate (when applicable)
Required:
Questions to Answer:
- Is it time to retire this?
- How will affected users transition?
- Have we communicated clearly?
Gate Decision Template
## Gate Review: [Phase] → [Phase]
**Feature**: [Name]
**Date**: [Date]
**Reviewer(s)**: [Names]
### Checklist
- [x] Item 1
- [x] Item 2
- [ ] Item 3 (waived - reason)
### Decision
[ ] Pass - Proceed to next phase
[ ] Pass with conditions - Proceed but address [items]
[ ] Fail - Return to [phase] to address [issues]
### Notes
[Any additional context or decisions]
Escalation
When to Escalate
- Gate criteria cannot be met
- Disagreement on pass/fail
- Need to waive critical requirement
- External dependencies blocking
How to Escalate
- Document the issue clearly
- Propose options with trade-offs
- Bring to appropriate decision maker
- Document the decision