Static dependency maps age faster than architecture diagrams. Teams update tickets; they rarely update the picture that justified the sequence.
Assign a rotating map owner per programme — not a PMO role, a tech lead with a fifteen-minute weekly check. Their only job is to mark edges that changed: new blockers, retired assumptions, or services that no longer sit on the critical path.
Pair the map with a single question in planning: “What edge would invalidate next month’s sequence if it moved?” That question keeps attention on fragile links rather than decorative boxes.
Alive maps are ugly and annotated. That is a feature.