From ff68dde9cca554983e0c58b2911d1fa458521d5e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Deal Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:53:56 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Clarify roles, add approval workflows, and establish architectural governance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Enhance the roles-and-responsibilities framework to provide clearer guidance on team responsibilities, approval processes, and architectural governance: Major improvements: - Add comprehensive Approval Workflows section with IT/Operations review process, expedited approval for urgent issues, and disagreement resolution procedures - Establish Ongoing Architectural Governance with weekly 1-hour review call for cross-product alignment and architectural decision-making - Add concrete examples to all boundary statements for Product Owners, Engineers, and IT/Operations roles - Add Platform Engineering support request guidance Clarity enhancements: - Remove duplicate escalation section from Product Owners - Clarify environment management: Engineers define specifications, IT/Operations provisions infrastructure - Update decision authority to reflect Engineers own deployment configuration design while IT/Operations owns deployment approvals - Make collaboration language more specific across all project phases - Rename "Product Decisions" to "Decision Authority by Domain" for clarity Technical refinements: - Update Engineers responsibilities to include presenting architectural changes at weekly review call - Change IT/Operations infrastructure security from "recommend and implement" to "implement" to clarify authority - Add specific items requiring architectural team review (architecture changes, technology stack, API patterns, data models, security, performance) These changes establish clear separation of concerns while defining collaboration points and approval processes to ensure organizational alignment and compliance. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude Signed-off-by: David Deal --- expectations/roles-and-responsibilities.md | 220 +++++++++++++++++---- 1 file changed, 178 insertions(+), 42 deletions(-) diff --git a/expectations/roles-and-responsibilities.md b/expectations/roles-and-responsibilities.md index 5d79a2b..048e235 100644 --- a/expectations/roles-and-responsibilities.md +++ b/expectations/roles-and-responsibilities.md @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -# Roles and Responsibilities Framework: Product Owners, Engineers, and IT/Operations +# Roles and Responsibilities Framework: Product Owners, Engineers, and Platform Engineering ## Product Owners @@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ - UX Design & User Interactions: Define user experience flows, wireframes, and interaction patterns - Success Criteria Definition: Establish measurable KPIs, acceptance criteria, and business objectives - Product Documentation: Maintain product specifications, user stories, and feature documentation +- Product Functional Testing: Ensures product functionality matches the proposed success criteria ### Product Owners Additional Responsibilities @@ -21,16 +22,12 @@ ### Product Owners Boundaries -- Does not make technical architecture decisions -- Does not directly manage engineering resources or timelines -- Does not configure or deploy infrastructure - -### Product Owners Escalation and Decision-Making Authority - -- Product Decisions: Product Owners have final authority on feature requirements and business priorities -- Technical Decisions: Engineers have authority on technical implementation and architecture choices -- Operational Decisions: IT/Operations has authority on infrastructure, deployment methods, and operational procedures -- Cross-functional Conflicts: Escalate to management when decisions impact multiple domains +- Does not make technical architecture decisions (e.g., cannot mandate specific + frameworks, database choices, or API designs) +- Does not directly manage engineering resources or timelines (e.g., cannot assign + tasks to individual engineers or set development sprint schedules) +- Does not configure or deploy infrastructure (e.g., cannot modify CI/CD pipelines, + deployment configurations, or cloud resources) ## Engineers/Developers @@ -38,54 +35,83 @@ - End-to-End Software Development: Design, code, and implement UX, backend, and data components - Testing: Create and execute unit tests, integration tests, and functional tests +- CI/CD Pipeline Development: Build, test, and validate continuous integration and + deployment pipelines for all environments - Software Security: Implement security best practices and address vulnerabilities - Release Documentation: Provide technical inputs for release notes and deployment guides -- Deployment Configuration Support: Specify runtime requirements and configuration needs for IT +- Deployment Configuration Build-out and Support: Develop and specify runtime + requirements and configuration needs for product deployment ### Engineers/Developers Additional Responsibilities -- Technical Architecture: Design system architecture, APIs, and data models -- Code Quality & Standards: Establish coding standards, conduct code reviews, and maintain technical debt +- Technical Architecture: Design system architecture, APIs, security, and data + models following the Architectural and Platform Engineering Team guidelines and + recommendations. Present significant architectural changes and proposals at the + weekly architectural review call for team alignment and approval. +- Code Quality & Standards: Establish coding standards, implement automated lint + and test checks, conduct code reviews, and maintain technical debt - Performance Optimization: Ensure applications meet performance and scalability requirements -- Technical Documentation: Create API documentation, technical specs, and architecture diagrams -- Environment Management: Support development, staging, and testing environment needs +- Technical Documentation: Create API documentation, technical specs, and + architecture diagrams. Ensure product documentation is deployed following the + latest guidelines and standards. +- Environment Management: Define configuration requirements and specifications for + development, staging, testing, and production environments. Coordinate with + Platform Engineering to ensure secrets and run-time dependencies are available. +- Deployment Operations: Implement and manage product deployment configurations, + including scaling policies, load-balancing rules, auto-scaling groups, and + deployment strategies. Monitor and optimize deployment processes for reliability + and performance. - Incident Response Support: Provide technical expertise during outages and debugging - Technology Evaluation: Research and recommend new tools, frameworks, and technologies -- Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with Product Owners on feasibility and IT on deployment requirements +- Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with Product Owners on feasibility and Platform + Engineering on deployment requirements ### Engineers/Developers Boundaries -- Does not define business requirements or product strategy -- Does not manage production infrastructure or CI/CD pipelines +- Does not define business requirements or product strategy (e.g., cannot decide + which features to build or prioritize product roadmap) +- Does not provision underlying cloud infrastructure or manage cloud resources + directly (e.g., cannot create AWS accounts, VPCs, IAM roles, or modify cloud + billing settings without Platform Engineering) +- Does not bypass Platform Engineering review and approval processes for deployment + changes (e.g., cannot deploy infrastructure changes to production without proper + review and approval) - Does not directly handle customer support or business stakeholder communication + (e.g., does not negotiate SLAs or respond to customer feature requests) -## IT/Operations +## Platform Engineering -### IT/Operations Primary Responsibilities +### Platform Engineering Primary Responsibilities -- CI/CD Management: Configure and maintain build, test, and deployment pipelines +- Review & Approval Authority: Review and approve all CI/CD pipelines, deployment + configurations, environment changes, scaling policies, and infrastructure + modifications developed by Engineers. Ensure all changes comply with organizational + security policies, compliance requirements, and operational standards. - Infrastructure Provisioning: Manage cloud resources, servers, and networking components -- Service Deployment: Execute application deployments across environments - Monitoring & Alerting: Implement and maintain system monitoring, logging, and alerting - Incident Management: Respond to outages, coordinate resolution, and conduct post-mortems - Service Health Reporting: Track and report on uptime, performance metrics, and SLA compliance -### IT/Operations Additional Responsibilities +### Platform Engineering Additional Responsibilities - Infrastructure Security: Implement security controls, access management, and compliance frameworks - Capacity Planning: Monitor resource usage and plan for scaling requirements - Backup & Disaster Recovery: Maintain data backup systems and disaster recovery procedures -- Environment Management: Provision and maintain development, staging, and production environments +- Environment Management: Provision and maintain development, staging, and production + environments based on Engineer-defined specifications - Cost Optimization: Monitor cloud costs and optimize resource allocation - Vendor Management: Manage relationships with cloud providers and third-party service vendors - Documentation & Runbooks: Maintain operational procedures and troubleshooting guides - Compliance & Auditing: Ensure infrastructure meets security and regulatory requirements -### IT/Operations Boundaries +### Platform Engineering Boundaries -- Does not make product feature decisions or business requirements -- Does not write application code or business logic -- Does not define user experience or product functionality +- Does not make product feature decisions or business requirements (e.g., cannot + decide which features to implement or change product priorities) +- Does not write application code or business logic (e.g., does not develop + application features, APIs, or user interfaces) +- Does not define user experience or product functionality (e.g., cannot determine + UI workflows, feature specifications, or user interaction patterns) ## Cross-Role Collaboration Points @@ -93,31 +119,141 @@ - Product Owners define requirements and success criteria - Engineers provide technical feasibility and effort estimates -- IT/Operations advise on infrastructure constraints and deployment considerations +- Platform Engineering advise on infrastructure constraints and deployment considerations ### Development Phase - Product Owners provide clarification and acceptance testing -- Engineers develop features and coordinate deployment requirements with IT -- IT/Operations prepare environments and deployment configurations +- Engineers develop features, build deployment configurations, and implement + deployments subject to Platform Engineering approval +- Platform Engineering review and approve environment and deployment configurations ### Release Phase - Product Owners coordinate go-to-market activities and communicate with stakeholders -- Engineers support deployment activities and provide technical guidance -- IT/Operations execute deployments and monitor system health +- Engineers execute deployments and troubleshoot deployment issues +- Platform Engineering approve deployments and monitor infrastructure health, security, and costs ### Post-Release Phase - Product Owners gather user feedback and measure success metrics -- Engineers address bugs and performance issues -- IT/Operations monitor system performance and manage operational concerns +- Engineers address bugs, resolve security issues, and optimize performance +- Platform Engineering monitor infrastructure cost and manage operational concerns -## Summary of Escalation and Decision-Making Authority +### Ongoing Architectural Governance + +- Engineers present architectural changes and proposals at weekly 1-hour architectural review call +- Architectural team (cross-product representation) provides feedback, guidance, and approval +- Ensures architectural consistency and knowledge sharing across the engineering organization +- Decisions and recommendations documented for reference by all teams + +## Approval Workflows + +### Items Requiring Platform Engineering Review and Approval + +The following items require formal review and approval from Platform Engineering before +implementation in production environments: + +- CI/CD pipeline configurations and modifications +- Production environment configuration changes +- Deployment configurations including scaling policies and load balancing rules +- Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates and modifications +- Security group rules and network configurations +- Access management and permissions changes + +### Items Requiring Architectural Team Review + +The following items are presented at the weekly 1-hour architectural review call +for team alignment and approval: -### Product Decisions +- Significant system architecture changes or new architectural patterns +- New technology stack additions or framework changes +- API design patterns and cross-service integration approaches +- Data model changes affecting multiple services or products +- Security architecture decisions and implementations +- Performance and scalability architectural considerations + +### Approval Process + +1. **Submission**: Engineers submit change requests via designated channels (e.g., + pull requests, ticketing system, or infrastructure change request forms) +2. **Review**: Platform Engineering reviews for compliance with security policies, + operational standards, and best practices +3. **Feedback**: Platform Engineering provides feedback within agreed-upon SLA (typically + 1-2 business days for standard changes) +4. **Approval**: Platform Engineering approves or requests modifications +5. **Implementation**: Engineers implement approved changes +6. **Verification**: Platform Engineering verifies implementation meets approved specifications + +### Expedited Approval Process + +For urgent production issues or security vulnerabilities: + +- Engineers may request expedited review via designated escalation channels +- Platform Engineering provides accelerated review (target: within 4 hours during business hours) +- Post-implementation review conducted within 24 hours for compliance verification + +### Disagreement Resolution + +If Engineers and Platform Engineering disagree on approval decisions: + +1. Document technical rationale from both perspectives +2. Schedule joint review meeting within 24 hours +3. If unresolved, escalate to engineering management for final decision +4. Document decision and rationale for future reference + +## Summary of Escalation and Decision-Making Authority -- Product Decisions: Product Owners have final authority on feature requirements and business priorities -- Technical Decisions: Engineers have authority on technical implementation and architecture choices -- Operational Decisions: IT/Operations has authority on infrastructure, deployment methods, and operational procedures -- Cross-functional Conflicts: Escalate to management when decisions impact multiple domains +### Decision Authority by Domain + +- **Product Domain**: Product Owners have final authority on feature requirements + and business priorities +- **Technical Domain**: Engineers have authority on technical implementation, + architecture choices (with architectural team approval), and deployment + configuration design +- **Operational Domain**: Platform Engineering has authority on infrastructure provisioning, + deployment approvals, and operational standards/compliance +- **Cross-functional Conflicts**: Escalate to management when decisions impact multiple domains + +### Ticketing System Guidance + +#### Ticket Creation Requirements + +All work items must be tracked through Jira tickets to ensure proper coordination, +visibility, and accountability across teams. Tickets should be created in the +appropriate product Jira board for: + +- **Feature Development**: New functionality or capabilities +- **Enhancements**: Improvements to existing features +- **Bug Fixes**: Defect resolution and corrections +- **CI/CD Changes**: Pipeline modifications, build process updates, or testing framework changes +- **Deployment Updates**: Configuration changes, scaling adjustments, or deployment strategy modifications + +#### Platform Engineering Support Requests + +When Engineers require Platform Engineering team support for infrastructure, deployment, +or operational needs: + +1. **Create Ticket in Product Board**: Create the support request ticket within the + same product Jira board (not a separate Platform Engineering board) +2. **Assign to Platform Engineering Team Member**: Assign the ticket to one of the + designated Platform Engineering team members: + - Alan Sherman + - Antonia Gaete + - Trevor Bramwell +3. **Slack Communication**: After creating and assigning the ticket, post a message + in the `#lfx-devops` Slack channel that includes: + - A link to the Jira ticket + - An `@mention` tag referencing the assigned team member + - Brief context about the request if not immediately clear from the ticket title + +**Example Slack Message**: +> @alan I've created ticket LFXV2-302 for the Nats: Automated Backup Solution +> implementation: [Jira link](https://linuxfoundation.atlassian.net/browse/LFXV2-302) + +#### Benefits of This Workflow + +- **Centralized Tracking**: All product-related work remains in the product board +- **Clear Ownership**: Explicit assignment ensures accountability +- **Transparent Communication**: Slack notification provides immediate visibility +- **Audit Trail**: Complete history of requests and resolutions in one location