> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openlayer.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Project lifecycle

> Configure workspace lifecycle stages and guide projects through requirements and review

Each workspace defines the lifecycle that its projects follow. In a
governance-mode project, select **Lifecycle** in the project sidebar or command
menu to see its current stage, requirements, approvals, intake information, and
risk scorecard.

Lifecycle stages are separate from a
[compliance checklist](/docs/governance/project-compliance). Stages control how a
project progresses through your workspace's review process. Checklists come
from [governance frameworks](/docs/governance/overview) that you activate and scope
to projects.

## Define the workspace lifecycle

Workspace admins configure stages under **Settings › Governance › Lifecycle
stages**. Other members can view the configuration, but Openlayer redirects
them away from the editor.

The default starting point is the **Openlayer template**, or you can start from
scratch. The template provides four editable stages:

| Stage | Requirements |
| - | - |
| **Intake** | Owner assigned, risk assessment completed, and required intake fields filled |
| **Development** | At least one commit and one development test |
| **Staging** | At least one pipeline and one monitoring test |
| **Production** | At least two pipelines and one production monitoring test |

Each stage selects requirements from a catalog evaluated against project data.
For example, you can require an owner, completed intake fields, passing tests,
recent data, configured alerts, or a minimum record count. Some requirements
have parameters that you set for the stage.

Stages can also name reviewers and use one of two approval orders:

* **Concurrent** — all reviewers can approve at the same time.
* **Ordered** — reviewers approve in sequence, and each reviewer is notified
  when it is their turn.

Requirements determine whether a project is ready for review. Openlayer only
accepts approvals after every requirement in the current stage is met; unmet
requirements cannot be overridden.

<Warning>
  Removing a stage sends projects currently in that stage back to the nearest
  earlier stage that remains.
</Warning>

## Progress through stages

The stage bar on a project's **Lifecycle** page shows its position in the
workspace lifecycle. If an earlier stage is reopened, the bar warns you that
the project needs attention there. Requirement cards under each stage show
which conditions are met and what remains.

After every requirement in the current stage is met, submit the stage for
approval. The project can advance after its required reviewers approve. To
return work for another review, use **Send back** and choose an earlier stage.
**Lifecycle history** records stage changes, their actors, dates, and reasons.

Submitting a stage sends a **Lifecycle review requested** notification to the
reviewers whose turn it is. A transition sends a **Lifecycle stage changed**
notification. You can send a reminder from the approval view, but reminders are
rate-limited to one per hour by default.

## Review pending approvals

Select **Review** in the workspace sidebar to manage lifecycle approvals. Its
count badge shows outstanding reviews, and the page separates **Needs your
review** from **Pending other approvers**.

## Customize stages for one project

Use the project stages view to override the requirements or approvers for any
stage in that project. You can reset a stage to inherit the workspace
configuration again.

A project-specific configuration changes what the stage requires or who reviews
it. It does not allow the project to advance with unmet requirements.

## Retire and reopen a project

Open the project's options menu (⋯) and select **Retire** to take it out of its
active lifecycle. **Retired** is not a workspace-defined stage: it appears in
the stage bar only after the project is retired. Reopen the project to return it
to the active lifecycle.

When critical risks block a lifecycle requirement, open **Risk exceptions** on
the **Lifecycle** page to review the exceptions associated with those risks.

## Intake overview

Below the lifecycle section, the page has two tabs: **Intake overview** and
**Risk**. The **Intake overview** tab renders one card for each section in the
workspace's [intake form](/docs/governance/intake-and-risk-forms). Use **Search
intake information…** to find a section or field.

If the workspace does not have an intake form, **Lifecycle** shows an empty
state. A workspace admin can define one under **Settings › Governance**.

### Draft intake with the AI Assistant

In **Register your project**, the optional context step before the questionnaire
can use the **AI Assistant** to draft the project description and owner, intake
answers, and risk scores. For a registered project, open **Lifecycle** →
**Intake overview** and select **AI Assistant**.

Before generating suggestions, enable **Intake assistant** and choose its model
under **Settings** → **AI features**. Add the model provider's API key under the
workspace or project
[**Settings** → **Environment**](/docs/security/environment-variables). Openlayer
uses your configured provider key rather than its own. If the feature, model,
or key is not configured, the warning links to the **Intake assistant**
settings. You can still select **Skip** and register the project without the
assistant.

You can provide a description of the AI system, a supporting document, or both
as context. Documents can be PDF, DOCX, MD, or TXT files up to 25 MB. Openlayer
does not store the uploaded file; your browser extracts its text, and the
assistant uses up to approximately 60,000 characters.

Review the suggestions and accept only the fields you want. A suggestion remains
a draft until you accept it and save the corresponding section; the assistant
never saves answers automatically.

<Note>
  Canceling analysis stops the wait in your browser, but generation may finish
  in the background and incur charges from your model provider.
</Note>

Members with permission can arrange intake cards into two columns. Saved
layouts remain tied to section IDs and reconcile with the sections currently
defined in the workspace form.

## Risk

Select the **Risk** tab to open the **Risk scorecard**. Its categories,
dimensions, and descriptions come from the workspace's
[risk template](/docs/governance/intake-and-risk-forms). Scoring and re-evaluation
use that template rather than a fixed set of metrics.

## Related

* [Define intake and risk forms](/docs/governance/intake-and-risk-forms) — configure
  the workspace forms that projects answer
* [Governance overview](/docs/governance/overview) — frameworks, platform rules, and
  evidence-based rules
* [Track compliance within a project](/docs/governance/project-compliance) — the
  per-project checklist for an active framework


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