Escalation & Stop-Work Policy

1️⃣ Purpose

This policy defines when technical risk requires escalation or controlled pause before work proceeds.

Escalation does not mean refusal. It means:

• Risk documented
• Leadership informed
• Stabilization path proposed
• Timeline adjusted appropriately

2️⃣ Red Risk Triggers

Immediate escalation is required if any of the following are present:

• Master Risk Score = Red (13+)
• No staging environment for structural changes
• Unsupported or abandoned critical plugin
• Headless architecture without repository access
• Rewrite rule uncertainty affecting indexed URLs
• No confirmed backup prior to deployment
• Multiple caching layers with no visibility
• Design Lock not confirmed before development begins
• Permalink changes affecting high-traffic ranking URLs

3️⃣ Headless Escalation Protocol

If the site uses headless architecture:

• Repository access confirmed
• Deployment workflow documented
• Build pipeline understood
• Hosting environment identified
• Rollback plan confirmed

If repository access or deployment clarity is missing:

• Dev does not modify live structure
• Escalate to leadership
• Recommend stabilization phase
• Require documentation before proceeding

4️⃣ Unsupported Plugin Escalation

If a plugin is classified as 🔴 Red, escalation is required.

Typical Triggers

• No updates in 12+ months
• Marked incompatible with current WordPress
• Custom undocumented code
• Security vulnerabilities
• Critical WooCommerce override conflicts

Required Action

• Document plugin risk
• Notify AM
• Present options to the client

5️⃣ No Staging Policy

Structural changes include:

• Permalink changes
• CPT creation
• Template overrides
• WooCommerce checkout modifications
• Major CRO experiments

If no staging environment exists, the following options should be considered:

6️⃣ Limited Infrastructure Scope Rules

Limited Infrastructure Scope applies when:

• Hosting access denied
• CDN visibility denied
• Server configuration unknown
• No staging available
• Backup system not confirmed

Under Limited Scope:

• Dev operates only at application layer
• No server-level guarantees
• Redirect behavior depends on unknown configuration
• Cache performance cannot be guaranteed
• Rollback depends on client infrastructure

7️⃣ Stop-Work Authority

Stop-Work may be recommended if:

• Structural risk is extreme
• Deployment safety cannot be confirmed
• Rewrite logic is unclear
• Backup is not verified
• Client declines all stabilization options
• Red Risk Score with no mitigation

Stop-Work means:

• Pause structural changes
• Document risk
• Align leadership
• Propose stabilization phase

8️⃣ Escalation Communication Template (Internal)

9️⃣ Escalation Communication Template (Client)

🔟 Governance Philosophy

Escalation exists to:

• Protect rankings
• Protect revenue
• Protect conversions
• Protect timelines
• Protect team morale

1️⃣1️⃣ Final Rule

Responsibility is shared, but clearly defined: