Present Done with Evidence
How to present completed work with evidence so stakeholders can verify that the Definition of Done has actually been reached and the project is ready to move forward.
Done is a claim
When you say something is complete, you are making a claim about the state of the work.
Without evidence, stakeholders still have to trust your word.
Output is not always completion
A file can exist without being done.
A design may be created but not approved. A build may run but not pass QA. A report may be written but still lack sufficient data.
Framework: Claim → Output → Evidence → Acceptance → Ready State
Claim — what is being declared complete?
Output — what concrete artifact or result exists?
Evidence — what proves the required state or quality?
Acceptance — who or what criteria confirms completion?
Ready State — does this unlock the next step?
Evidence should match the work
Design may require approved mockups. Development may require a deployed build and test results. Research may require synthesis and source traceability.
Acceptance makes Done less subjective
A team saying “done” is not the same as meeting a Definition of Done or receiving stakeholder approval.
Ready State matters more than archiving
Completion creates value when it unlocks the next step.
If the deliverable exists but the next dependency cannot use it, progress is incomplete.
Present Done briefly, but make it inspectable
A strong update may only need: what changed, evidence link, acceptance status, and what this unlocks.
Done history becomes proof of reliability
Repeated evidence-backed completions show that the team does not only communicate well; it delivers consistently.
Applying this on Forwork
Forwork can include a Done Block: Claim, Output, Evidence, Acceptance Criteria, Approved By, Completion Date, Ready State, Related Milestone.
Each Done Block becomes a proof node in project history.
Conclusion
Do not only ask, “Is this task marked Done?”
Ask: “Is there enough evidence for someone else to verify that this work reached the state required to move forward?”
Claim → Output → Evidence → Acceptance → Ready State.