'Clone' branch version vs managed branch versions

[ahargreaves_FW]

There currently is no method to:

1. Create a workflow specific branch version (eg: Valve Exercise)
2. Publish a service from this specific branch version and have field staff make field edits and send them back for QA/QC before a push to default ,like we've always done in the past with Traditional versioning.

However, as @MikeMillerGIS spitballed last week it may be possible to 'Clone' a branch version. This differs from managed versions as there is no need for it to be tracked in order to be reconciled into its parent.

Theoretically this cloned version could be used to create a service in a webmap to allow field editing. This clone is then merged back into the default after appropriate QA/QC. 

Delete the clone. Make a new one. Rinse. Repeat.

[PierreloupDucroix]

We have a similar use case where we need to update two versions in parallel over a period of time.
At the beginning of year N, work from year N-1 still needs to be integrated into a version that will be used for inventory purposes.
Meanwhile, new work from year N needs to be integrated into the default version.
I haven't found a suitable solution for this yet. Ideally, there should be an intermediate version (as in traditional versioning) that would separate years N and N-1 while still allowing editing in child versions of these two versions.