DORA metrics from GitHub pull requests
DORA metrics traditionally measure deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and mean time to recovery. From GitHub pull requests alone, engineering managers can track a PR-native subset — merge throughput, PR lead time, and revert-rate proxies — without CI/CD integrations. DeliveryCompass is engineering intelligence for GitHub PR delivery; it does not claim full four-metric DORA without pipeline data.
What is the difference between DORA metrics and GitHub PR metrics?
| DORA metric | Full DORA needs | GitHub PR proxy | DeliveryCompass pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment frequency | CI/CD releases | Merge throughput (merged PRs) | Yes |
| Lead time for changes | Commit → production | PR open → merge | Yes |
| Change failure rate | Incidents / deploys | Revert rate (title-based) | Yes (proxy) |
| Mean time to recovery | Incident timestamps | Not available from PRs | No |
Canonical definitions for shipped KPIs are in the metrics glossary.
What can we measure from GitHub PRs today?
- Deployment frequency (proxy) — merge throughput: merged PRs per period
- Lead time for changes — median hours from PR open to merge
- Change failure rate (proxy) — revert rate among merges (title-based)
How to use PR-native DORA in reviews
Track the same three signals org-wide and per team on the Overview dashboard. Compare period-over-period before blaming individuals. Pair with staff meeting metrics for leadership rituals.
When do you need full DORA?
If leadership requires production incident rates and recovery time, you need CI/CD and incident tooling — not PR metadata alone. See enterprise engineering intelligence for portfolio approaches.
FAQ
Is DeliveryCompass a DORA platform?
No. We ship a PR-native subset honest about GitHub limits. Expanded DORA views are exploring on the roadmap.
How accurate is revert rate as change failure proxy?
Title-based revert detection catches many rollback PRs but misses silent rollbacks. Use as a stability signal alongside throughput and lead time.
Can I export DORA for executives?
Copy chart images from Overview for slides today. Shareable staff-meeting packets are planned on the roadmap.
How does this compare to BI-built DORA?
BI offers custom schemas and cross-system data. DeliveryCompass trades breadth for faster time-to-value on GitHub PR rituals. See choosing delivery metrics.
Pilot scope
Full deployment and incident DORA requires pipeline and production data — not in the pilot. See pilot scope and limitations.