DG-13

Issue Not Decomposed Before Development

DoD Gates

Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputQuality

What it detects

Decomposition DoD field is unchecked when a parent-level issue type enters the configured development stage. Parent types are configurable.

Detection formula

decomposition_field = config.dod.decomposition_field parent_types = config.workflow.parent_issue_types // e.g. \[\'Epic\', \'Feature\', \'Initiative\'\] IF issue.type IN parent_types AND field_value(decomposition_field) = false AND issue.status IN config.dod.development_stages THEN FLAG

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 decomposition dod field is unchecked when a parent-level issue type enters the configured development stage while decomposition field is set to null.

Suggested response

Hold stage transitions until DoD evidence is complete and visible for auditors.

Coaching playbook

Symptom

Decomposition DoD field is unchecked when a parent-level issue type enters the configured development stage. Parent types are configurable.

Why it matters

When "Issue Not Decomposed 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 "Issue Not Decomposed 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.

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DG-13: Issue Not Decomposed Before Development — FlowAnalyzer