Definition
Release readiness evidence is the set of qualified records used to decide whether a software change satisfies the release policy for its risk context. It includes scanner results, test outputs, reviewer attestations, change records, and any other proof required by the active policy version.
The key distinction is qualification: raw tool output is not readiness evidence until its source, freshness, and corroboration have been evaluated.
Why it matters
It gives reviewers a concrete basis for release approval instead of relying on summarized status alone. Without qualified readiness evidence, teams conflate activity with assurance.
Example
Before approving a payment-service release, the team collects retest results for changed vulnerabilities, reviewer attestations for AI-generated commits, and runtime observations showing no vulnerable call patterns. Together these form the release readiness evidence.
Related terms
- Evidence-backed release — A software release whose approval is supported by qualified evidence evaluated against versioned policy.
- Policy-version binding — Associating a release decision with the exact version of policy that was active when the decision was made.
- Decision record — The preserved explanation of a release or security decision, including evidence inputs, policy version, outcome, and reasoning.