Use the same questions for every prospective partner. Record the evidence behind each answer before assigning a score.
Review seven areas
- Product understanding: can the team explain the problem and identify what to leave out?
- Delivery: can it show a plan, working demonstration and release process?
- Engineering: who reviews architecture, code and integration risks?
- AI-assisted work: how are generated changes reviewed and tested?
- Data and security: who handles access, sensitive data and incident response?
- Ownership: what code, accounts and documentation will you receive?
- Operations: who supports the release and trains the receiving team?
Use a simple evidence scale
Score each area from zero to three. Zero means no answer. One means a stated process. Two means a relevant example. Three means evidence you have reviewed with the proposed delivery team.
The score is a discussion aid, not a prediction of delivery success. Weight the areas according to your project and record why.
Review costs separately
Compare proposals against the same scope. Include external fees, hosting, support and handover. Record exclusions that would require another supplier.
Test the relationship
A bounded paid discovery or technical review can show how the team handles decisions and communicates uncertainty. Agree what you will receive and how it will be accepted.
Use the worksheet to compare the evidence supplied by each partner.