DG-10
Critical DoD Field Unchecked Before Development
DoD Gates
Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputQuality
What it detects
A configured critical DoD field (e.g. KPI definition, architecture approval) is unchecked when the issue enters the configured development stage. Critical fields are configurable per organisation.
Detection formula
critical_fields = config.dod.critical_before_development // configurable list of must-have fields FOR each_field F IN critical_fields: IF field_value(F) = false AND issue.status IN config.dod.development_stages THEN FLAG (field-level finding with field name in output)Examples in practice
- Issues advance workflow stages without meeting the configured Definition of Done score.
- Stage transitions occur before required DoD evidence is present.
- A team shows a configured critical dod field (e while critical before development is set to \[\].
Suggested response
Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
A configured critical DoD field (e.g. KPI definition, architecture approval) is unchecked when the issue enters the configured development stage. Critical fields are configurable per organisation.
Why it matters
When "Critical DoD Field Unchecked Before Development" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Critical DoD Field Unchecked Before Development" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.