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Development Process References

This page provides a backbone for defining the development process in layers, role expectations, acceptance criteria, and good practices. Although only one person is accountable for each layer, other roles are responsible, consulted, or informed. The involvement for each role per layer is stated on the RACI Matrix information below.

RACI Matrix

A RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) chart is a tool that can support ensuring clarity on job roles and responsibilities.

  • R = Responsible (at least one role) - The person with responsibility for the task or deliverable is typically responsible for developing the deliverable or completing the activity.
  • A = Accountable (only one person is ever accountable for the completion of the layer) - The person or group responsible for ensuring the work is complete and suitable. An accountable person:
    • Ensures the requirements are met.
    • Ensures responsible parties recognize their roles in completing the deliverable or task.
    • Determines that the deliverable or task is done, with reference to Essential Outputs and Acceptance Criteria.
  • C = Consulted (none or many roles) - a person whose opinion may optionally be sought. Typically subject-matter experts; it’s a two-way communication and negotiation.
  • I = Informed (none or many roles) - a person, group, or role who is told when the task or deliverable is done.

Essential Outputs and Acceptance Criteria

  • Essential Outputs are the mandatory deliverables for each process layer (for example: PRD, approved design, tested release build).
  • Acceptance Criteria are the measurable conditions that must be met for an output to be considered complete and acceptable.
  • The accountable role confirms completion only when both the essential outputs and acceptance criteria are satisfied.

HH RACI Matrix

In this document, HH stands for HungryHub.

RACI Matrix Spreadsheet

Development Good Practices

  • Keep each layer outcome explicit: define the output, owner, acceptance criteria, and review checkpoint.
  • Resolve requirement and design ambiguities during shaping, not during implementation.
  • Track implementation decisions and trade-offs in a shared document for cross-team visibility.
  • Require smoke testing before QA handoff and before release approval.
  • Revisit the RACI matrix when responsibilities change to avoid ownership gaps.