DG-11
Architecture Not Approved Before Development
DoD Gates
Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputQuality
What it detects
Architecture approval DoD field is unchecked when the issue enters the configured development stage.
Detection formula
arch_field = config.dod.architecture_approval_field // configurable field name IF field_value(arch_field) = false AND issue.status IN config.dod.development_stages THEN FLAGExamples 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 architecture approval dod field is unchecked when the issue enters the configured development stage while architecture approval field is set to null.
Suggested response
Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
Architecture approval DoD field is unchecked when the issue enters the configured development stage.
Why it matters
When "Architecture Not Approved 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 "Architecture Not Approved 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.