Azure DevOps: Allow/Restrict state transitions when using inheritance process

One of the planned work-items in Azure DevOps Services features timeline is “Add state transition restriction rules to the inherited process model”

in order to achieve the same functionality, I have implemented the following “workaround” for denying any users who are not a member of a specific group by example “HighLevelManagement” group to change state from Approved to Committed for Product Backlog Item:

1. Create a new field called “Unlocked”
2. Create a new rule to “Hide the Field” when the current user is not part of “HighLevelManagement” as below

this will simply work as a switch to unlock the work-item for state transition whenever a “HighLevelManagement” member access the work-item. and unlock the work-item will be available for the “HighLevelManagement” group member to do the needed state transition.

Next:

1. Create a new rule with action “Make Read Only” set to “State” when Unlocked is False and workitem change from Approved to Committed as below:

Now anyone from outside HighLevelManagement will be restricted to change state from Approved to Committed.

on the other hand, anyone from “HighLevelManagement” Group will see the Switch to Unlock the work-item and then do the change:

Now Ctrl+S then locking down the work-item again and “Save & Close”.