Project Management Backlog Creation

---
name: project-management-backlog-creation
description: Create the initial product backlog from the charter and roadmap — epics, user stories, MoSCoW or WSJF priority, an MVP cut and labels. Use when the user has scope or a roadmap and needs a first prioritized backlog to plan sprints from. Not for detailed acceptance criteria, or implementing one feature; see /project-management-user-stories or /development-plan.
metadata:
  argument-hint: "[project] [--skip-checks]"
  workflow: project-management
  phase: 1
  artifact: 01-plan.md
---

# Backlog Creation

Create and structure the initial product backlog for "$ARGUMENTS". Break roadmap themes into epics and user stories, prioritize using MoSCoW or WSJF, identify MVP scope, and tag stories with labels.

**Arguments.** `$ARGUMENTS` may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as `<project>` and treat `--skip-checks` as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use `<project>`. If `--skip-checks` is present, skip the prerequisite check and, **before writing any artifact**, append one line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl`: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"project-management-backlog-creation","workflow":"project-management","phase":1,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"01-plan.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}`.

## Prerequisites

**Part of a workflow.** This skill is phase 1 (Plan) of the Scrum workflow (`project-management`); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check `.singularskills/log.jsonl` for an open run for this project: a `run-started` line with `"project":"<project>"` and no later `run-finished` line for the same `workflow` and `project`. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the `workflow` skill with the workflow the user asked for, or `project-management` when they named none, followed by `<project>`; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: `sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>`, where `<project root>` is the folder that contains `.singularskills/` (use `.` when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless `--skip-checks` was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (create the folder and file if missing): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"project-management-backlog-creation","workflow":"project-management","phase":1,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"01-plan.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}`. Once the gate has passed, or under `--skip-checks` once you have appended the `skipped` line, append this line before you start work: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"project-management-backlog-creation","workflow":"project-management","phase":1,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"01-plan.md","note":""}`.

Check that `.singularskills/project-management/<project>/00-initiate.md` exists. If it does not, tell the user to run an Initiate skill first (e.g., project-charter) and stop.

## Process

1. **Read existing context:**
   - Read `.singularskills/project-management/<project>/00-initiate.md` for charter and scope context
   - Read `.singularskills/project-management/<project>/01-plan.md` if it exists (for vision, goals, and roadmap)
   - Read `references/user-story-template.md` for story format
   - Read `references/scrum-guide.md` for Scrum alignment

2. **Break roadmap themes into epics:**
   - For each theme from the roadmap, identify constituent epics
   - For each epic: name, description, acceptance criteria, estimated size (S/M/L/XL)
   - Ensure epics are large enough to be meaningful but small enough to complete in 1-3 sprints
   - If no roadmap exists yet, derive epics directly from charter scope and objectives

3. **Break epics into user stories:**
   - Write each story in "As a [persona], I want [action], so that [benefit]" format
   - Aim for 3-8 stories per epic (split epics that generate more than 10 stories)
   - Ensure each story delivers value independently where possible
   - Add brief acceptance criteria to each story (detailed criteria come in the user-stories skill)

4. **Prioritize the backlog:**
   - Select a prioritization method:
     - **MoSCoW:** Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have (this time)
     - **WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First):** (Business Value + Time Criticality + Risk Reduction) / Job Size
   - Apply the method consistently across all stories
   - Document the rationale for high-priority and deprioritized items
   - Resolve priority conflicts by referencing product goals and North Star metric

5. **Structure the backlog by priority:**
   - Order stories from highest to lowest priority
   - Group by epic for readability, but maintain priority order within each epic
   - Number stories for easy reference (e.g., EPIC-001, EPIC-002)
   - Include a priority summary showing the distribution (how many Must/Should/Could/Won't)

6. **Identify MVP scope:**
   - MVP = all Must-have stories (or highest-WSJF stories that fit within first milestone)
   - Validate that MVP delivers a coherent, usable product — not just a random subset
   - Check that MVP aligns with the first release milestone from the roadmap
   - Flag any Must-have stories that feel too large or risky for MVP

7. **Tag stories with labels:**
   - **Type:** feature, bug, tech-debt, spike (research), infrastructure
   - **Component:** frontend, backend, API, database, DevOps, design
   - **Risk level:** high, medium, low
   - Ensure labels are consistent and will be useful for filtering and reporting

8. **Write the artifact** — append to `.singularskills/project-management/<project>/01-plan.md` under a `## Product Backlog` section. Create the file with a `# Plan — <project>` heading if it does not exist; if a `## Product Backlog` section already exists, replace only that section. The section contains:
   - **Epics Summary** — list of epics with size, theme, and story count
   - **Prioritized Backlog** — ordered list of stories with priority, epic, labels
   - **MVP Scope** — stories included in MVP with rationale
   - **Priority Distribution** — counts by MoSCoW category or WSJF bands
   - **Label Summary** — counts by type and component labels

## Output

Product backlog appended to `.singularskills/project-management/<project>/01-plan.md`. Present a summary highlighting:
- Total number of epics and stories created
- MVP scope: number of stories and estimated effort
- Priority distribution across MoSCoW categories
- Any gaps or risks identified during backlog creation

**Record the run.** After you have written your section, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (the `started` line of Prerequisites, with `"event":"finished"`): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"project-management-backlog-creation","workflow":"project-management","phase":1,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"01-plan.md","note":""}`.

This artifact is shared by every skill of phase 1 (Plan). The frontmatter is written once, by whoever creates the file: if you create it, open it with the block below (`skill` is the phase title, `started` the time of that first write; `gate` is `passed` when the gate ran clean and `skipped` under `--skip-checks`); if it already exists, leave the block alone except to update `finished` and to set `gate` to the worst value among the sections (`skipped` over `passed`).

```yaml
---
skill: Plan
workflow: project-management
phase: 1
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---
```

Open your `## Product Backlog` section with one italic line, `*<skill name> · <ISO timestamp> · gate: <passed|skipped>*` (your skill name is `project-management-backlog-creation`).

End your section with `### Decisions` and `### Open questions` (one level under your `## Product Backlog` heading, so the section stays one block), in this shape:

```markdown
### Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

### Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>
```