How a proposal moves through review
The committee first validates the business case. After conditional approval, the accountable Engineer sizes and stress-tests the work before a Final Review determines whether and when it enters the roadmap.
Process at a glance
- 01
Draft the one-pager
Business stakeholder
Define the problem, expected value, success criteria, first release, risks, alternatives, and named owners.
- 02
Circulate for pre-read
Business stakeholder
Submit the completed proposal ideally one week ahead. The minimum is 48 hours before the meeting.
- 03
Resolve pre-read questions
Stakeholder + reviewers
Committee members ask questions in the one-pager; answers stay visible to everyone reviewing it.
- 04
Initial Review
Committee
Stress-test the business case and conditionally approve it for Engineering Assessment, return it for revision or research, defer it, or decline it.
- 05
Engineering Assessment
Accountable Engineer
Record the work-week estimate, build-versus-buy recommendation, dependencies and constraints, and key risks and assumptions.
- 06
Final Review
Business stakeholder + Committee
Present the assessed proposal, stress-test whether it is still worth doing, and resolve remaining questions.
- 07
Decide and record
Committee
Approve and schedule, return for revision or research, defer, or decline. Record the rationale, decision owner, date, and next action.
Approved
Schedule it or record that timing is pending. Link the proposal to delivery work when a team begins.
Deferred or needs refinement
Keep it on the pending list with an owner and next action. Revisit it at a future monthly review.
Declined
Capture the reason and close the proposal. The decision history remains available.
Before the meeting
- One week ahead, ideally: circulate the complete document for Q&A and involve Engineering for a high-level estimate in work-weeks wherever possible.
- 48 hours ahead, minimum: the committee must have the document for pre-read. A later submission may need the next meeting.
- Shared answers: use the Pre-read Q&A so reviewers see the same clarifications. Submission creates in-app notices for committee members who have them enabled.
At and after the meeting
- Stakeholder presentation: explain the proposal using the one-pager, then take questions.
- Decision: approve and schedule, approve with timing pending, defer, return for refinement, or decline. Record who made the final entry and when.
- Pending review: also revisit previously submitted work that has not yet been approved or scheduled. Individual committee responses may be recorded remotely.
Suggest an improvement or share process feedback.