: Re: How can we make compiling release notes less chaotic? Each of our software releases is accompanied by a set of release notes, which include short descriptions of the following: new features,

@Frith254

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The idea of letting the developers write the notes will shatter on the cliff of reality. Most developers don't want to write them, so even if you force them somehow, you will only get a mess and not a note. Just for the record: I am a developer.

What you can do is just improve your existing workflow a little bit. A little bit often does wonders and you will never get a perfect workflow anyway.

Which means, there will always be some back and forth, you already know that. So best workflows are automated, because they skip that damn human factor. Try to automate as much as possible. (Never send a human to do a machine's job.)

"annotate with 'affects docs'" - skip that. That's relying on humans and therefore error-prone. I bet you have a priority level on bugs. Define that bugs of the most upper two levels get annotated automatically with "affect docs". Do you really care about the other ones? Developers don't.
"Toward the end of the cycle ..." - Ouch! You know what happens if you shift a task at the end of a cycle, so why do you do it? You get the list of relevant bugs now automatically. Have a meeting (a real one, not a lame one) every week, every two weeks, whatever, with the project lead. Go through the list, ask your questions, get answers.
"... not sufficiently illuminating" - If things are still unclear (within that one week or two week rhythm) ask the developers. You can never avoid speaking to that lousy pack from time to time. It's a shame.
"Iterations happen" - Development is iteration. By its very definition. You'll never get rid of that. Embrace it. It's a cure, not a disease.

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