Transition operating promises
These templates keep transition approvals, escalations, and cadences explicit. Codify your operating promises or Browse the runbooks index. Pair them with the Handover RACI template so every role knows the service level they own during a transition.
Approvals template
Fill this table before the handover call so nobody waits for ad-hoc green lights.
| Condition | Action | Primary owner | Time box / SLA | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope change increases effort by >1 sprint | Revalidate scope, align on tradeoffs, capture delta in ledger | Transition decider (Product lead) | 2 business days | Engineering lead |
| New risk rated Sev-2+ surfaces | Triage with receiving team, confirm mitigation owner, update stop rule | Facilitator | Same day | On-call EM |
| Resource gap longer than 3 business days | Trigger staffing request, pause handover until backfill is confirmed | Delivery lead | 24 hours | Program manager |
| Policy questions outside Band A | Escalate to governance owners, log answer in FAQ | Doc steward | 48 hours | Governance backup |
Escalation path
When a promise is violated, the on-call should know exactly who to page.
| Breach | First escalation | Second escalation | Auto-stop rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLA missed by >24h | Delivery lead pings facilitator + owning lead | Program sponsor | Pause transition until next review |
| Risk not acknowledged in 48h | Facilitator pings governance owner | VP sponsor | Strip scope to minimum viable handover |
Status cadence
| Signal | Audience | Channel | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily checkpoint (10 min) | Core transition team | Async thread with template | Facilitator | Share blockers + highlight upcoming promises |
| Weekly executive update | Sponsors + partner teams | Snapshot doc + link to receipts | Program manager | Include SLA/RACI deltas + next focus |
| Release-ready review | QA, doc steward, product lead | Live call + notes | QA lead | Run Quick-Run |
Communication promises
- Everyone gets the same story — Publish the status snapshot in the same doc you use for RACI, never in DMs.
- Receipts or it didn’t happen — Every action item references a runbook section or screenshot.
- “Stop the line” stays literal — Anyone can pause the transition if a promise is at risk; log the pause in the transition doc.
After the handover
- Archive the fulfilled promises in the State ledger with the release tag.
- Update the Fast support index if new interrupts surfaced during the transition.
- Review this page every 6 months—promises that no one owns should be removed or reassigned.
Related references
- Handover RACI template — align each promise with the accountable role.
- SLI states map — show state changes when promises trigger handoffs.
- Playbook canon — link to the governing decision patterns you referenced.