01Make the delivery boundary explicit
Define the business outcome, included work, exclusions and acceptance owners. Distinguish a target date from a commitment backed by agreed scope and capacity. Record assumptions so a changed dependency leads to a decision rather than an unexplained missed date.
02Give dependencies a named owner
Map access, source data, vendor work and decisions that another team controls. Include due dates and the consequence of delay. An action log should explain what is needed and who has the authority to resolve it. Working example: A release checklist, owner map and issue register.
03Review progress through evidence
Use working demonstrations, tested interfaces and accepted deliverables alongside schedule reporting. Identify remaining uncertainty rather than interpret activity as completion. Changes to scope should record the effect on resources, timing and acceptance. For research-to-product knowledge handoffs, agree how research, product management and engineering contribute where those functions are involved.
04Plan release and operational handover
Agree readiness checks, support coverage and recovery conditions before deployment. Confirm who accepts the changed service and who resolves subsequent issues. A project is not operationally complete merely because the build has been deployed. Review check: The sponsor can see tested scope and unresolved dependencies.