# 05 governance and scope

*Document code: LES-PLAN-v2.3 | Phase 0 | May 2026*

***

## Governance Structure

LES applies the following governance disciplines throughout the programme. These are not bureaucratic formalities — they are the practices that distinguish a professional build from a personal project.

| Discipline         | Practice                                               | Frequency                  |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| Decision recording | Architecture Decision Records — one dated file per day | Every significant decision |
| Progress tracking  | Master context document updated                        | Every session              |
| Phase reviews      | Formal retrospective and phase gate assessment         | End of every phase         |
| Documentation      | GitBook updated and committed to GitHub                | At defined trigger points  |
| Version control    | All changes committed with structured messages         | Every session              |
| Risk review        | Risk register reviewed and updated                     | Monthly                    |

## Decision Authority

All architectural, technical, and strategic decisions are made by the project owner. Decisions of significant consequence are recorded as ADRs before implementation begins — not after.

## Change Management

Changes to project scope, architecture, or phase plan follow this process:

1. Change is identified and described in writing
2. Impact on scope, timeline, and architecture is assessed
3. Decision is recorded as an ADR with full rationale
4. Master context document and roadmap are updated
5. Change is committed to GitHub with appropriate commit message

No significant change is implemented without a corresponding ADR.

## Phase Gate Process

Each phase concludes with a formal gate review before the next phase begins. The gate review assesses:

* Have all phase deliverables been completed to the defined quality standard?
* Is the documentation for this phase complete and published?
* Have the phase certifications been achieved or is a clear plan in place?
* Has the phase retrospective been written and committed?
* Is the next phase plan sufficiently detailed to begin?

## Scope — In

* Design, build, and operation of all ten LES modules
* Azure-native cloud infrastructure
* Documentation across all four portfolio layers
* Microsoft technology certification pathway
* Finance domain knowledge through parallel formal education
* Academic research and publication
* NikiDigitals professional portfolio presence

## Scope — Out

* Multi-user or multi-tenant architecture
* Mobile application development
* Third-party integrations beyond the Microsoft ecosystem
* Commercial product features or monetisation
* Social or collaborative features

*Developed by* [*NikiDigitals*](https://nikidigitals.com/)


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