COMPEL Glossary / stage-gate
Stage Gate
A stage gate is a structured decision point between COMPEL lifecycle stages that verifies deliverables meet quality criteria before the organization advances.
What this means in practice
Every gate produces one of four outcomes: Go (all criteria met, proceed), Conditional Go (most criteria met with tracked action items), Recycle (critical criteria unmet, repeat specific activities), or Stop (fundamental issues require strategic reassessment). Stage gates serve three functions: quality assurance (preventing incomplete work from cascading), risk containment (creating pause points to reassess), and organizational alignment (forcing cross-functional coordination). COMPEL defines four named quality gates -- Design Approved (Model exit), Build Complete (Produce exit), Validated and Approved (Evaluate exit), and Production Ready (Learn exit) -- with increasing procedural rigor as stakes escalate.
Why it matters
Stage gates prevent incomplete work from cascading through the transformation pipeline, create pause points for risk reassessment, and force cross-functional coordination at critical decision points. Without gates, organizations accumulate technical and governance debt that surfaces as production failures or audit findings. Stage gates transform continuous work into structured, reviewable progress with clear quality standards at each transition.
How COMPEL uses it
COMPEL defines four named quality gates: Design Approved (Model exit), Build Complete (Produce exit), Validated and Approved (Evaluate exit), and Production Ready (Learn exit). Each gate produces one of four outcomes: Go, Conditional Go, Recycle, or Stop. Gate rigor increases with stakes. The Governance pillar enforces gate criteria, and the Evaluate stage provides the evidence base for gate decisions.
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Related Terms
Other glossary terms mentioned in this entry's definition and context.