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Edit (11/10/2025)

Change Management

Current Status

Note: Kinana is currently in pre-production development (targeting Q4 2025 for production launch). Formal change management processes are not yet active as the platform has no production users or SLA commitments.

This document establishes the framework for change management that will be implemented upon production release.

Change Request Process

Change Categories

Category Definition Approval Required
Standard Change Low-risk, pre-approved changes (e.g., minor bug fixes, content updates) Automated via sprint process
Normal Change Typical feature additions or non-emergency fixes management review required
Emergency Change Critical fixes for production incidents Expedited approval

Change Request Workflow (Production)

Identify → Document → Assess → Approve → Implement → Review

1. Change Identification

Changes originate from:

  • Sprint planning (planned features)
  • Production incidents (emergency fixes)
  • User feedback (enhancements)
  • Technical debt backlog

2. Change Documentation

All production changes require a Change Request (CR) in GitHub Issues with label: change-request

Required Information:

## Change Summary

Brief description of proposed change

## Business Justification

Why this change is needed

## Risk Assessment

See Impact Assessment section below

## Implementation Plan

- Steps to implement
- Rollback plan
- Testing approach

## Affected Components

- List of microservices, sub-apps, or infrastructure affected

## Estimated Downtime

Expected service interruption (if any)

## Target Deployment Window

Preferred date/time for implementation

3. Impact Assessment

See dedicated section below.

4. Approval Workflow

See dedicated section below.

5. Implementation

  • Follow standard deployment procedures
  • Execute according to implementation plan
  • Monitor key metrics during/after deployment
  • Communicate status to stakeholders

6. Post-Implementation Review

  • Validate change objectives met
  • Document lessons learned (if emergency or high-risk)
  • Close Change Request in GitHub

Impact Assessment

Assessment Criteria

For each proposed change, evaluate:

Technical Impact

  • [ ] Database schema changes required?
  • [ ] API contract modifications?
  • [ ] Infrastructure changes (Kubernetes, Azure resources)?
  • [ ] Third-party integration impacts?
  • [ ] Cross-microservice dependencies?

User Impact

  • [ ] User-facing functionality changes?
  • [ ] UI/UX modifications?
  • [ ] Performance implications?
  • [ ] Expected downtime or degradation?
  • [ ] User communication required?

Risk Level Assessment

Risk Level Criteria Example
Low Single component, fully tested, easy rollback UI text update, minor bug fix
Med Multiple components, moderate testing, rollback available New feature in single sub-app
High Cross-service changes, complex testing, difficult rollback Shell architecture change
Crit Infrastructure changes, potential data loss, complex rollback Database migration, Azure configuration

Risk Mitigation Requirements

Risk Level Required Mitigations
Low Standard testing in staging
Med Extended staging validation, rollback plan documented
High CAB approval, phased rollout plan, monitoring dashboard
Crit Executive approval, maintenance window, dedicated monitoring, tested rollback procedure

Approval Workflow

Change Advisory Board (CAB)

Composition (to be established at production launch):

  • Product Manager (Chair)
  • Solution Architect
  • QA / Project Manager
  • Senior Developer representative

Meeting Cadence:

  • Weekly during sprint planning (for planned changes)
  • Ad-hoc for emergency changes

Approval Matrix

Change Type Risk Level Approver(s)
Standard Low Automated (part of sprint)
Normal Low Solution Architect
Normal Medium CAB consensus
Normal High CAB + Product Manager
Normal Critical Full team + executive sponsor
Emergency Any Solution Architect + PM, retrospective CAB review

Emergency Change Procedure

For production-impacting incidents:

  1. Immediate Response

    • Solution Architect and PM notified immediately
    • Quick assessment of fix approach
    • Verbal approval for critical fixes

  2. Expedited Implementation

    • Hotfix branch from production
    • Minimal review (Solution Architect only)
    • Deploy to production ASAP

  3. Post-Implementation Documentation

    • Full Change Request created retroactively
    • CAB review at next meeting
    • Incident post-mortem if warranted

Change Communication

Internal Communication

  • Daily standups: Upcoming deployments
  • Sprint planning: Major changes planned
  • Email/Slack: Emergency change notifications

External Communication (Production)

  • Planned Downtime: 48-hour advance notice to users
  • Emergency Changes: Status page updates during incident
  • New Features: Release notes and in-app notifications
  • Breaking Changes: Extended notice and migration guides

Rollback Procedures

Standard Rollback

For most changes:

  1. Revert deployment to previous container image (Kubernetes rollback)
  2. Restore database from backup if schema changed
  3. Notify team and users of rollback
  4. Investigate root cause and plan corrective action

Database Rollback

For schema changes:

  1. Execute tested down-migration scripts
  2. Verify data integrity
  3. Redeploy previous application version
  4. Document issues for future prevention

Infrastructure Rollback

For Kubernetes/Azure changes:

  1. Apply previous infrastructure-as-code configuration
  2. Verify service health
  3. Test critical user workflows
  4. Document changes needed for next attempt

Continuous Improvement

Change management processes will be reviewed during retrospectives and refined based on:

  • Incident frequency and root causes
  • Deployment success rates
  • User impact from changes
  • Team feedback on process efficiency

Last Updated: November 2025
Version: 1.0
Status: Framework defined, implementation pending production launch

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