Gap Report Template
Use this structure for the gap analysis output. Adapt section depth to the scope — a focused analysis (e.g., CI/CD only) can skip irrelevant sections.
Executive Summary
3–5 sentences covering:
- What was assessed and against what target
- Overall posture (strong / adequate / significant gaps)
- Where the gaps are concentrated (deployment, security, observability, etc.)
- Key takeaway for decision-makers
1. Technology Stack Comparison
Table format:
| Dimension |
Target Standard |
Current State |
Assessment |
| Python version |
3.11 |
3.14 |
⚠️ Different — not a blocker, separate service |
| API framework |
Flask / Gunicorn |
FastAPI / Uvicorn |
⚠️ Different — valid modern choice |
| ... |
... |
... |
... |
2. Architecture & Design Quality
Split into two tables:
Where the codebase is ahead
| Area |
Detail |
| ... |
Concrete evidence of superiority |
Where the target is ahead
| Area |
Detail |
| ... |
Concrete evidence of what's missing |
3–N. Dimension Gap Tables
One section per analysis dimension. Table format:
| Aspect |
Target Standard |
Current State |
Gap |
Recommendation |
| ... |
What the target requires |
What exists (with evidence) |
Gap / Aligned / Ahead |
Action to take |
Overall Assessment
Scorecard table:
| Dimension |
Rating |
Rationale |
| Architecture & design |
★★★★★ |
Brief justification |
| Deployment readiness |
★☆☆☆☆ |
Brief justification |
| ... |
... |
... |
Use 1–5 stars. Anchor ratings:
- ★☆☆☆☆ — Nothing in place
- ★★☆☆☆ — Minimal / placeholder only
- ★★★☆☆ — Functional but incomplete
- ★★★★☆ — Good with minor gaps
- ★★★★★ — Meets or exceeds target
Priority Actions
P0 — Required for Initial Deployment
| # |
Gap |
Effort |
Notes |
| 1 |
... |
Small |
... |
P2 — Recommended for Operational Maturity
P3 — Nice to Have / Cross-Pollination
| # |
Opportunity |
Direction |
Notes |
| 1 |
Practice name |
Source → Target |
Why it's valuable |
Key Decisions Required
| # |
Decision |
Options |
Recommendation |
| 1 |
Short description |
(A) Option. (B) Option. |
Recommended option with rationale. |
Bottom Line
1–2 sentences: overall quality, where effort should focus, and whether remediation is straightforward or requires significant rearchitecting.