---
title: "Release Readiness Checklist"
subtitle: "Sanitized PM Artifact Sample"
date: "07 April 2026"
fontsize: 10.5pt
geometry: margin=0.8in
mainfont: "Noto Sans"
colorlinks: true
...

**Version:** 1.0  
**Document Owner:** Project Manager  
**Status:** In Review

---

## 1. Release Overview

**Release Name**  
Settlement Workflow Release 1

**Release Type**  
Operational workflow improvement

**Planned Release Date**  
21 April 2026

**Release Owner**  
Project Manager

**Business Owner**  
Head of Operations

**Technical Owner**  
Technical Lead

**Quality / Validation Owner**  
QA Lead

## 2. Purpose

This checklist is used to confirm that release conditions are evidenced, reviewed, and owned before deployment or go-live. It helps distinguish assumed readiness from verified readiness and supports a controlled go / no-go decision.

## 3. Readiness Summary

**Overall Readiness Status**  
Amber

**Current Recommendation**  
Proceed only if remaining open items are resolved or explicitly accepted before final release review.

**Current Open Items**

- one dependency confirmation pending
- final stakeholder communication draft under review
- one medium-priority defect awaiting retest confirmation

## 4. Release Checklist

### A. Scope and Delivery Completion

| Item | Status | Owner | Evidence / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release scope confirmed | Complete | Project Manager | Scope for release agreed and tracked |
| Planned items complete | Complete | Delivery Owners | Delivery items marked complete |
| Deferred items reviewed | Complete | Project Manager | Deferred items documented separately |
| Outstanding blockers reviewed | In Review | Project Manager | One external dependency still pending |

### B. Testing and Quality

| Item | Status | Owner | Evidence / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional testing complete | Complete | QA Lead | Test cycle completed |
| Critical defects resolved | Complete | QA / Technical Lead | No critical defects open |
| Medium defects reviewed | In Review | QA Lead | One item pending retest |
| Acceptance criteria verified | Complete | Delivery Owners | Acceptance evidence captured |

### C. Operational Readiness

| Item | Status | Owner | Evidence / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access and configuration ready | Complete | Technical Lead | Required access validated |
| Monitoring / logging prepared | Complete | Technical Lead | Monitoring points confirmed |
| Rollback path defined | Complete | Technical Lead | Rollback steps documented |
| Support handover prepared | In Review | Operations Lead | Final support note under review |

### D. Documentation and Communication

| Item | Status | Owner | Evidence / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release notes prepared | Complete | Project Manager | Draft finalized |
| Stakeholder communication prepared | In Review | Project Manager | Final approval pending |
| Internal documentation updated | Complete | Operations Lead | Workflow guide updated |
| Key users informed | Pending | Business Owner | To be sent after final review |

### E. Approval and Go / No-Go

| Item | Status | Owner | Evidence / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business sign-off ready | In Review | Business Owner | Awaiting final readiness call |
| Technical sign-off ready | Complete | Technical Lead | Technical readiness confirmed |
| QA recommendation recorded | Complete | QA Lead | QA recommendation captured |
| PM release recommendation recorded | Complete | Project Manager | Proceed with conditions |
| Final go / no-go decision logged | Pending | Sponsor / Business Owner | Final review scheduled |

## 5. Open Issues and Accepted Risks

### Open Issues

- dependency confirmation from supporting team not yet formally closed
- one medium-priority validation item still awaiting final retest result

### Accepted Risks

- minor documentation refinement may continue after release
- one non-blocking communication improvement will be completed in follow-up

## 6. Go / No-Go Decision Notes

**Recommended Decision**  
Conditional Go

**Conditions**

- dependency confirmation must be received
- validation result for the remaining medium-priority item must be confirmed
- stakeholder communication must be approved and scheduled

**Escalation Rule**  
If any condition remains unresolved at the final review point, release recommendation moves from Conditional Go to No-Go Pending Resolution.

## 7. Post-Release Follow-Up

| Follow-Up Item | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm production stability | Technical Lead | Day 1 |
| Validate workflow handoff | Operations Lead | Day 1 |
| Review open follow-up items | Project Manager | Day 2 |
| Capture early lessons learned | Project Manager | Week 1 |

## 8. Notes

This sample is intentionally simplified for website download use. In practice, a release readiness artifact may also include linked defect reports, dependency references, approval records, rollback contacts, and post-release monitoring checks.