Blockchain protocols and automated governance are vital but sometimes need human intervention.
Author: Abbie Yeates

Delivery assurance is the process that assists the accountable committees and helps provide transparency to the community, ensuring that core infrastructure work contracted via Intersect is being carried out as planned and promised. Intersect handles milestone delivery, providing reports and other artefacts that help the steering committees and membership make effective delivery decisions and promote transparency on progress.

Last year and moving into 2025

In 2024, delivery assurance was pivotal in the core continuity remit, managing 14 contracts. Nine have been completed, while five remain active, with significant progress underway. The complete list of projects is publicly available on the Intersect knowledge base. 

As we begin 2025, the role of delivery assurance in Intersect has evolved significantly. Initially established to manage contracts with the remit of 'core continuity' technical work, this function has grown alongside the organization, adapting to serve our membership needs better.

Initially, delivery assurance focused on overseeing technical contracts, ensuring projects were managed efficiently and effectively on behalf of the ecosystem. Over time, however, the team's responsibilities have expanded to provide broader support across various contract types. 

This year, delivery assurance is a small, dedicated team at Intersect here to support all committees, whether their focus is technical or otherwise. 

As we step into the future, delivery assurance will remain focused on ensuring that every project is delivered successfully, supporting Intersect's and its communities' continued growth and success. 

How delivery assurance serves the community

• Acts as the primary liaison between Intersect’s internal operations, committees, and their secretaries to maintain alignment and transparent communication
• Reviews and validates project deliverables, ensuring they meet rigorous quality standards
• Gathers feedback from committees to ensure that outcomes reflect the community's expectations and addresses any concerns promptly
• Identifies potential risks that could delay projects or impact community goals
• Works closely with committees to provide updates on risks and ensure timely resolutions
• Refines delivery methods based on past projects and community feedback to ensure more effective and responsive processes
• Documents best practices and lessons learned to optimize future deliveries
• Prepares and shares detailed progress reports, delivery metrics, and financial updates with committees and the broader community
• Keeps accurate records of project milestones, risk logs, and feedback for accountability and compliance
• Aligns project delivery strategies with Technical Steering Committee directives to support Cardano’s growth and sustainability
• And in the near future, works with committee secretaries to ensure budgets and resources are effectively utilized to meet community objectives.

Supporting Cardano's on-chain governance

Cardano is a decentralized, open-source blockchain. Like all software, it needs ongoing maintenance and enhancements to stay relevant and drive mass adoption.

Intersect currently stewards more than 100 repositories, including the core Cardano node. In 2024, development contributions to the core Cardano codebase by organizations other than Input|Output increased by 179%—from 16.45% in 2023 to 45.97% in 2024—signaling strong progress ahead of on-chain governance coming into effect. You can read more about Cardano’s distributed development here.

Connecting this trajectory with the Budget Committee’s efforts to facilitate a budget proposal for Cardano in 2025, the coordination of counter-party and contract management through a not-for-profit, member-based organization aligns with Cardano’s continued evolution.

The goals of delivery assurance

The delivery assurance function strengthens reliability, fosters transparency, and builds trust in the Cardano ecosystem. This role supports Cardano's continuity and growth by ensuring that projects are delivered efficiently and align with community goals. Through robust governance, transparent communication, and quality execution, delivery assurance contributes to a thriving and engaged Cardano community.

In summary, delivery assurance monitors the delivery of contracted updates to Cardano on behalf of the community. Its processes and procedures are building a body of knowledge to ensure continuing improvement by and on behalf of the ecosystem. By identifying risks early, confirming the quality of deliverables, and helping contributors meet their milestones in an open organization, delivery assurance plays an essential role in Cardano's ongoing success.