GOVERNANCE • DELIVERY • 9 min read
Milestones & acceptance criteria: the real definition of done
How to define measurable milestones and acceptance criteria that prevent scope creep and make delivery auditable.
Why 'done' becomes an argument
In most projects, teams fight because 'done' was never defined with measurable checks.
Acceptance criteria turns opinions into verifiable outcomes.
A simple milestone template that works
Define scope boundary: what is included and excluded.
Write acceptance checks: happy paths, error paths, RBAC, performance, and UX constraints.
Add a QA hardening gate before any production release.
How to do sign-offs without friction
Use milestone demos + written sign-off.
When stakeholders change, criteria remains stable—so delivery stays stable.