The Playbook - The How-To Template (The Muscles)
When we kick off a project, the governance playbook looks like this. The baseline. Every project, every time.
The 5-Step Kickoff - Governance playbook for every project
These five steps make sure governance is built in from day one – not added as an afterthought, and not reinvented in a panic.
1. Charter
Why are we doing this, and what does "done" look like? Write the one-pager that kills scope confusion before it starts. Problem, objectives, scope, ownership. Without it, everyone builds a different version of the truth.
2. Envelope
Define the AuditEnvelope: Counts, Rules, Diagnostics, CorrelationId. This is your governance anchor - the contract around the work, not just the code. Without this, you're blind. With it, you're bulletproof.
3. Bus
Create the topic/subscription at project start. Source publishes to the Bus - never directly to another service. Consumers subscribe and decide what to do. No shortcuts, no "just call the API directly." Skip the Bus and you hard-wire panic into your architecture.
4. Rules
Define DoR/DoD before code is written. Governance lives in the definitions, not the slide deck. No shared DoR/DoD = rework and surprise parties. Clear rules = predictable delivery.
5. Telemetry
Always log RU, elapsed time, and CorrelationId. If you can’t observe it, you can’t govern it. Without telemetry your post-mortems are storytelling. With it, you can prove what happened and fix it once.
This is the baseline. Every project, every time.
When you follow this template, governance isn't something you do later - it's already in the bones of the project. Positive disruption happens up front. Teams move faster because the guardrails are clear and agreed. If a project skips one of these steps, we treat it as a risk, not a preference.
Optional Downloadables - Project templates you can copy
Two templates to standardize kickoff - choose the lane that fits the bet size.
Scope Card – Minimal but Safe (Express)
Use for short-lived or low-blast-radius work when you still want to block scope creep and decision amnesia.
- Exec summary <= 3 sentences - problem, who, why now
- 2-3 measurable objectives with KPIs (baseline -> target)
- In-scope vs. out-of-scope (clear "Not now" language)
- Definition of Done, dependencies, constraints
- Delivery model, risks, assumptions, approvals
Rule of thumb: if an objective can't be measured, it's a risk - move it to "Assumptions."
Scope Charter – Full Project Charter (Standard)
Use for work that crosses multiple teams or systems, with real compliance, architecture, or change-management implications.
- Executive summary & objectives tied to business outcomes
- Detailed scope, dependencies, assumptions
- Architecture overview, principles, security & governance
- Operating model, testing strategy, delivery phases
- Roles, responsibilities, estimates, buffers, exit criteria
- Compliance alignment
This is the document that stops "big bets" from becoming "big accidents."
Express lane -> Start with the Scope Card + 5-Step Kickoff. Ship, learn, iterate.
Standard lane -> Start with the Scope Charter, then apply the 5-Step Kickoff across architecture and delivery.
Pick a lane, run the template, and let governance be the muscles behind your projects - not a sticker you slap on at the end.