[seanhunter]

Hard counterdisagree here. To just have a blanket rule preventing "non-software engineers" from making production changes is completely arbitrary and suggests you may be lacking a rigorous process for determining which changes are actually important and ensuring they get proper review (no matter who made them). If you had a good process there's no reason anyone at all shouldn't be able to propose changes to production code.

What makes someone a software engineer in your scenario? I myself have worked as a software engineer for about 30 years at this point and have a degree and postgrad in Jazz, contemporary and popular music[1]. My work in software has encompassed writing software where making a mistake would have very significant real-world impacts[2].

I have worked with designers who are much more capable at making certain changes to production code than some titular software engineers.

Lots of changes to production code are not hard at all. I would go so far as to say the vast majority in fact.

[1] I can't play any more due to RSI which means I am now professionally qualified to explain to you why Steely Dan is the best pop band ever and harmonize things in 5 parts in the style of Duke Ellington and not much else.

[2] eg pricing, risk and decision-making with very large amounts of money on the line and even doing data analysis in regulatory and criminal investigations.