Process Flags (Governing Process Adherence Across the SDLC)

Introduction

Process Flags act as foundational governance enablers by continuously monitoring how teams execute delivery, not just what they deliver. While health reports indicate where delivery, quality, or predictability is at risk, Process Flags explain why—by surfacing deviations from defined delivery processes.

They ensure that governance is embedded into everyday execution rather than enforced through periodic reviews.

Governance Objective

The objective of Process Flags is to ensure that teams consistently follow defined, agreed-upon delivery practices, while allowing flexibility in how those practices are configured.

Specifically, Process Flags aim to:

• Detect execution drift early

• Prevent silent accumulation of process debt

• Enable timely correction before delivery outcomes degrade

What Process Flags Monitor

Process Flags continuously evaluate signals across the SDLC toolchain, including:

• Backlog ageing and readiness gaps

• Missing requirements, designs, or test cases

• Estimation gaps and effort overruns

• Sprint spillover likelihood

• Overloaded team members

• Workflow and approval violations

• Traceability gaps between work items and code

Each flag represents a governance expectation that is evaluated automatically and continuously.

Process Drift Detection

Process drift occurs when teams gradually deviate from agreed ways of working—often unintentionally. Examples include:

• Starting work without complete requirements or designs

• Consistently underestimating effort

• Allowing PRs to merge without proper reviews

• Carrying unfinished work across sprints
  
  

Process Flags surface these drifts as they emerge, not after outcomes are affected.

Linking Process Flags to Health Signals

Health reports (Sprint Health, Portfolio Health, Predictive Repository Health) identify delivery risk and degradation. Process Flags provide the explanatory layer beneath those signals.

For example:

• Poor Sprint Health can be traced to estimation gaps or overloaded team members

• Portfolio-level instability can be linked to recurring planning or workflow deviations

This creates a closed-loop governance model where:
 Health signals → Process deviations → Corrective action

Operational Impact

By introducing continuous process governance, organisations achieve:

• Earlier risk detection without additional meetings

• Reduced sprint spillovers and execution surprises

• More consistent delivery outcomes across teams

• Objective evidence for retrospectives and audits

Process Flags enable governance that is preventive and corrective, not punitive.

Role-Based Value

• Delivery Managers / PMO trace delivery risk to process causes

• Team Leads balance workload and readiness

• Engineering Managers detect execution discipline gaps early

• Audit Teams gain evidence-backed visibility into process adherence

Role in the Overall Governance Framework

Process Flags:

• Power Ongoing Governance by explaining sprint health degradation

• Feed Retrospective Governance with objective execution data

• Strengthen Predictive Governance by improving signal quality

They form the process integrity layer of the governance framework.

Conclusion

Process Flags ensure that delivery health signals are never abstract. By continuously detecting process drift and linking it directly to health outcomes, they enable organisations to govern delivery with clarity, consistency, and confidence.