From problem to stewardship
1. Proposal
Identify the problem, people affected, existing solutions, evidence, technological rationale, risks, expertise, and proposed outcome.
2. Research
Validate the need, assumptions, existing interventions, domain constraints, regulatory considerations, and feasibility. Reject or return proposals when evidence does not justify the next step.
3. Specification
Define requirements, users, architecture, data, privacy, accessibility, security, deployment, and success measures. Publish unresolved questions.
4. Build
Break the specification into contribution-sized work units with acceptance criteria, dependencies, and named review responsibility.
5. Verification
Complete automated tests, security review, accessibility review, documentation review, and relevant domain review. Unresolved material risks block a pilot.
6. Pilot
Operate in a limited, consenting real-world setting with rollback and support plans. Collect only necessary data.
7. Measurement
Compare actual outcomes with the proposed baseline and success measures. Publish uncertainty and unintended effects.
8. Deployment
Expand only where evidence supports it and operating responsibility is clear.
9. Stewardship
Maintain security, documentation, governance, infrastructure, contributor succession, and an eventual retirement plan.