# AI Project Timeline Estimate Audit Matrix

Use this matrix before accepting an AI project delivery date.

| Area | Score 0 | Score 1 | Score 2 | Score 3 | Next action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Workflow | Unknown process | Draft idea | Reviewable steps | Tested examples | Map trigger, actor, decision and output |
| Data | Unknown sources | Named sources | Access can be checked | Approved dataset | Audit permissions and cleanup |
| Evaluation | No examples | Few informal examples | Pass criteria drafted | Evaluation set ready | Collect good, bad and edge cases |
| Integrations | Unknown systems | Systems named | API fields reviewable | Credentials and owners ready | Separate read and write actions |
| Approval | No gate | Human review implied | Approval rule drafted | Owner and rollback ready | Define review, logs and escalation |
| Rollout | One big launch | Prototype idea | Pilot criteria drafted | Phased rollout ready | Split discovery, prototype, pilot and production |

## Decision rule

- Any 0 in data, write actions, evaluation or approval means the timeline should be treated as discovery only.
- Mostly 1 scores means the next milestone is audit or scope clarification.
- Mostly 2 scores means a bounded prototype or pilot estimate can be requested.
- Mostly 3 scores means implementation planning can begin with explicit assumptions.

## Report fields

- Target outcome:
- Current estimate:
- Dependency scores:
- Top 3 risks:
- Assumptions to validate:
- Recommended next milestone:
- Owner for logs and support: