TL;DR
A plan is not readiness; the next commitment needs an owner, evidence, a boundary, and a decision.
What the paper develops
A plan can be complete while the work is still missing sponsorship, capacity, decision rights, evidence, or a credible path through its first dependency. This paper defines readiness as an earned condition for the next commitment, not a checklist attached to a date. It gives sponsors and delivery leaders a proportionate way to narrow, stage, delay, or approve work based on what is actually known.
The operating move
Before kickoff, require an owner, evidence for the key premise, a clear boundary, and an explicit decision about the next commitment. A populated plan is not proof that the work is ready.
OWNEREVIDENCENEXT COMMITMENT
Inside the white paper
- Readiness dimensions across ownership, evidence, capacity, boundaries, and dependencies
- A concise decision record for the next commitment
- Options to narrow, stage discovery, approve, or hold work without false certainty