Guideline: Review Levels
This guideline formalizes the stringency of a review.
Relationships
Main Description

Review Levels

Explanation

Comments

Formal-External

This work product is part of the delivery at a specific milestone and requires some form of approval by the customer, the sponsor or some other external stakeholder. The review record is configuration managed along with the work product. 

For example, the Vision and the Business Case are work products that normally have to be reviewed by stakeholders. 

Formal-Internal

This work product is formally reviewed internally by the project. The review record is configuration managed along with the work product.

For example, the interfaces of design subsystems usually have to be reviewed and approved by several members of the project. 

Informal

This work product is reviewed, but not formally approved. The work product is developed and maintained. It is normally not discarded after the project is complete and there isn't any review record. For example, individual design classes and low-level source code may not be formally reviewed. This can still mean that someone, perhaps a peer, will review it. 

None

This work product does not need to be reviewed or approved. The work product is created as work information. It is often a temporary work product that is discarded after the project is complete.