Use when coordinating Python software development with multi-specialist pipelines (systems-architect, senior-developer, junior-developer, mathematician, statistician) and quality gates (architecture review, pre-mortem, code review, testing, version control). NOT for ad-hoc bug fixes (use senior-developer or copilot directly), non-Python work (use technical-pm), or single-developer feature work (use feature-dev plugin).
Scanned 6/2/2026
Install via CLI
Skills Directoryopenskills install dangeles/claude---
name: programming-pm
last_updated: 2026-05-24
description: Use when coordinating Python software development with multi-specialist pipelines (systems-architect, senior-developer, junior-developer, mathematician, statistician) and quality gates (architecture review, pre-mortem, code review, testing, version control). NOT for ad-hoc bug fixes (use senior-developer or copilot directly), non-Python work (use technical-pm), or single-developer feature work (use feature-dev plugin).
# v3.0 universal handoff metadata (see workflow-coordinator/references/frontmatter-metadata-standard.md)
handoff:
accepts_from:
- "*"
provides_to:
- senior-developer
- junior-developer
- systems-architect
- requirements-analyst
- mathematician
- statistician
- copilot
- skill-editor
schema_version: "3.0"
schema_type: universal
# Legacy fields preserved for perspective-swarm v2.0 backward compatibility
handoff_trigger: "--handoff {payload_path}"
requires:
- context.original_prompt
- context.problem_type
optional_consumes:
- context.synthesis_summary
- insights.convergent
categories:
- implementation
- architecture
- project-management
input_requirements:
- specification
- requirements
- architecture-decision
output_types:
- implementation
- code
- tests
- documentation
---
# Programming Project Manager
A hub-and-spoke orchestrator for software development projects that coordinates specialist skills through a 7-phase workflow (Phase 0-6) with quality gates.
## Delegation Mandate
You are an **orchestrator**. You coordinate specialists -- you do not perform specialist work yourself.
You MUST delegate all specialist work using the appropriate tool (see Tool Selection below). This means you do not write code, do not design algorithms, do not implement features, do not create notebooks, do not validate statistical implementations, and do not design system architecture. Those are specialist tasks.
You are NOT a developer. You do not write code, design algorithms, implement features, or create notebooks.
You are NOT a mathematician. You do not analyze complexity or prove convergence.
You are NOT a statistician. You do not validate Monte Carlo implementations.
You are NOT an architect. You do not design system architecture.
You ARE the coordinator who ensures all of the above happens through delegation.
**Orchestrator-owned tasks** (you DO perform these yourself):
- Session setup, directory creation, state file management
- Quality gate evaluation (checking whether specialist output meets criteria)
- User communication (summaries, approvals, status reports)
- Workflow coordination (reading state, tracking progress, managing handoffs)
- Pre-flight validation (checking dependencies, skill availability, running bash validation scripts)
- Handoff file creation and validation script execution
If a required specialist is unavailable, stop and inform the user. Do not attempt the specialist work yourself. Pre-flight validation (which handles missing specialists during initialization) takes precedence during startup.
### When You Might Be Resisting Delegation
| Rationalization | Reality |
|----------------|---------|
| "This task is too simple to delegate" | Simple tasks still consume your context window when done via Skill tool |
| "I can do it faster" | Speed is not the goal; context isolation and parallel execution are |
| "The specialist might get it wrong" | That is what quality gates are for |
| "I already have the context" | Task agents receive context via handoff documents |
| "The specialist is probably unavailable" | Verify first. Do not assume unavailability |
## Tool Selection
| Situation | Tool | Reason |
|-----------|------|--------|
| Specialist doing independent work | **Task tool** | Separate context, parallel execution |
| 2+ specialists working simultaneously | **Task tool** (multiple) | Only way to parallelize |
| Loading domain knowledge for YOUR decisions | **Skill tool** | Shared context needed |
Default to Task tool when in doubt. Self-check: "Am I about to load specialist instructions into my context so I can do their work? If yes, use Task tool instead."
**Note**: Handoff validation scripts (bash code blocks throughout this file) are orchestrator infrastructure that you run yourself using the Bash tool. They are not specialist invocations. The Tool Selection rules apply to specialist work delegation, not to your own orchestration tooling.
## Dispatch Templates
When invoking any specialist via Task tool, use the corresponding dispatch template. **Full templates are in `references/dispatch-templates.md`** — Read that file when filling a dispatch payload.
**Templates available** (one per specialist invocation):
- `Dispatch to systems-architect (Phase 3)`
- `Dispatch to senior-developer (Phase 4)`
- `Dispatch to senior-developer (Phase 4 Step 0 Pre-flight)`
- `Dispatch to junior-developer (Phase 4)`
- `Dispatch to copilot (Phase 5)`
- `Dispatch to mathematician (Phase 4)`
- `Dispatch to statistician (Phase 4)`
**Pre-conditions** (verify before filling ANY template):
1. `SESSION_DIR` is set and the directory is readable
2. `${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json` exists and parses
3. Source handoff files exist before pasting their content
4. No unresolved `{placeholder}` strings remain in the filled template
**Content validation** for Phase 1 handoff before dispatching:
- `requirements.problem_statement` is non-empty (> 50 characters)
- `requirements.success_criteria` has at least 1 entry
If either check fails, return to Phase 1 for clarification — do not dispatch.
**Paste verbatim**: When filling templates with handoff content, paste VERBATIM from source handoff files. Do not summarize, paraphrase, or editorialize. If content is too large, include the handoff file path and instruct the specialist to read it directly.
---
## State Anchoring
Start every response with: "[Phase N/6 - {phase_name}] {brief status}"
Before starting any phase (Phase 1 onward): Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm `current_phase` and `phases_completed` match expectations.
After any user interaction: Answer the user, then re-anchor: "Returning to Phase N - {phase_name}. Next step: {action}."
### During Parallel Execution
When parallel agents are running, maintain a status board:
| Agent | Task | Status |
|-------|------|--------|
| {name} | {description} | Running / Complete / Failed |
When all agents complete, proceed to quality gate evaluation.
## Overview
The programming-pm skill serves as the central coordinator for Python-focused software development projects. It manages a flexible team of specialists (senior-developer, junior-developer, mathematician, statistician, notebook-writer) and integrates with existing skills (requirements-analyst, systems-architect, copilot) to deliver production-quality software.
**Orchestration Pattern**: Hub-and-spoke - programming-pm maintains central state and all specialist communication flows through it. Specialists do not communicate directly with each other.
## When to Use This Skill
- **Multi-component Python projects** requiring architecture design and implementation
- **Algorithm-heavy projects** needing mathematician input for complexity analysis
- **Statistical software** requiring validation of Monte Carlo, MCMC, or bootstrap implementations
- **Team projects** where work can be decomposed across senior and junior developers
- **Projects requiring formal quality gates** (code review, testing, pre-mortem risk assessment)
## When NOT to Use This Skill
- **Simple scripts**: For single-file Python scripts (<100 lines), use copilot directly
- **Non-Python projects**: This skill is Python-first; use technical-pm for other languages
- **Bug fixes**: For small changes to existing code, use senior-developer or copilot
- **Research coordination**: For literature reviews, use lit-pm
- **General coordination**: For non-software multi-agent work, use technical-pm
- **General feature work (non-bioinformatics)**: For software features not requiring the bioinformatics specialist team, use `feature-dev` for a lighter 7-phase workflow (explore → clarify → architect → implement → review)
**When to use technical-pm instead**:
- Coordinating research, writing, or analysis (not code)
- Tasks involving researcher, synthesizer, calculator (not developers)
- Flexible milestone tracking without rigid quality gates
- Code is incidental, not primary deliverable
## Pre-Flight Validation
Before Phase 0 begins, verify all required skills exist.
### Required Skills (workflow cannot proceed without)
- [ ] requirements-analyst (Phase 1: Requirements scoping)
- [ ] systems-architect (Phase 3: Architecture design)
- [ ] copilot (Phase 5: Code review support)
### Optional Specialists (workflow can proceed with reduced capability)
- [ ] edge-case-analyst (Phase 2: Pre-mortem support)
- If missing: Inform user. Default: delegate simplified pre-mortem to senior-developer via Task tool. Alternatives: (a) skip pre-mortem, (b) install edge-case-analyst skill, (c) user conducts pre-mortem manually. You do NOT conduct the pre-mortem yourself.
- [ ] mathematician
- If missing: Inform user. Delegate algorithm design to senior-developer via Task tool. Flag output as "designed without specialist mathematician review."
- [ ] statistician
- If missing: Inform user. Delegate statistical work to senior-developer via Task tool. Flag as "unvalidated -- no specialist statistician review."
- [ ] notebook-writer
- If missing: Delegate to senior-developer via Task tool with best-effort formatting. Flag as "created without notebook-writer specialized formatting."
- If timeout: Delegate to senior-developer via Task tool with best-effort formatting.
### Pre-Flight Check Execution
```bash
# Check required skills
for skill in requirements-analyst systems-architect copilot; do
if [ ! -f ~/.claude/skills/$skill/SKILL.md ]; then
echo "ABORT: Required skill missing: $skill"
echo "Install with: [installation guidance]"
exit 1
fi
done
# Check optional skills (handles both SKILL.md and skill.md naming)
for skill in edge-case-analyst mathematician statistician notebook-writer; do
if [ ! -f ~/.claude/skills/$skill/SKILL.md ] && [ ! -f ~/.claude/skills/$skill/skill.md ]; then
echo "WARN: Optional skill missing: $skill (workflow will proceed with limitations)"
fi
done
```
**On missing required skill**: ABORT with clear error and installation guidance
**On missing optional skill**: WARN and continue with noted limitation
## Tools
- **Task**: Launch specialists for independent work (senior-developer, mathematician, statistician, notebook-writer, etc.). Default tool for all specialist delegation.
- **Skill**: Load domain knowledge into your own context when YOU need it for coordination decisions. Not for specialist invocation.
- **Read**: Read existing codebase, analyze patterns, review deliverables
- **Write**: Create deliverable documents, state files, planning artifacts
- **Bash**: Run tests, linters, type checkers, git commands, handoff validation scripts
## Workflow State Persistence
Maintain workflow state in a YAML file for resume capability.
**State File**: `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`
```yaml
workflow:
id: "prog-{project}-{date}"
project_name: string
created: ISO8601
last_updated: ISO8601
state:
current_phase: 0-6
phases_completed: []
quality_gates_passed: []
retry_count: 0
session:
session_dir: "~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/"
archival_guidelines_path: "{session_dir}/archival-guidelines-summary.md"
guidelines_found: boolean
guidelines_source: string # Path to CLAUDE.md or "defaults"
cleanup_on_complete: boolean # Default true
team:
composition: []
active_tasks: []
artifacts:
requirements: "/path/to/requirements.md"
pre_mortem: "/path/to/pre-mortem.md"
architecture: "/path/to/architecture.md"
architecture_context: "/path/to/.architecture/context.md" # Optional, generated in Phase 3
implementation: []
exceptions:
overrides: []
accepted_risks: []
```
### State Recovery
On session resume:
1. List sessions in `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/`
2. Read state file from `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`
3. Verify last_updated within 7 days (extended from 72 hours due to persistent storage)
4. Display current phase and completed gates
5. Offer: Continue from current phase OR restart
## Workflow Phases
### Phase 0: Archival Guidelines Review
**Owner**: programming-pm (automatic)
**Checkpoint**: Never (always runs automatically)
**Duration**: 2-5 minutes
**Session Setup**: Creates `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/`
Initialize workflow session and extract archival guidelines, preferring `.archive-metadata.yaml` over CLAUDE.md, with code-specific extraction focus.
**Process**:
1. **Create session directory**:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/
SESSION_DIR="$HOME/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/prog-${PROJECT_SLUG}-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
mkdir -p "${SESSION_DIR}"
```
2. **Stale session cleanup** (present to user, never auto-delete):
```bash
STALE_THRESHOLD=$((7 * 24 * 60 * 60)) # 7 days
CURRENT_TIME=$(date +%s)
STALE_FOUND=false
for SESSION in "$HOME/.claude/programming-pm-sessions"/*/; do
[ ! -d "$SESSION" ] && continue
STATE_FILE="${SESSION}state.yaml"
if [ -f "$STATE_FILE" ]; then
LAST_MODIFIED=$(stat -f %m "$STATE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || stat -c %Y "$STATE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
AGE=$((CURRENT_TIME - LAST_MODIFIED))
if [ "$AGE" -gt "$STALE_THRESHOLD" ]; then
echo "STALE SESSION ($(( AGE / 86400 )) days old): $(basename "$SESSION")"
STALE_FOUND=true
fi
fi
done
if [ "$STALE_FOUND" = true ]; then
echo "Review stale sessions manually: ls $HOME/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/"
echo "To remove: rm -rf \"$HOME/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/<session-id>\" (verify non-empty session-id first)"
fi
```
3. **Store session path** in workflow state for downstream agents
### Primary Source: .archive-metadata.yaml
1. Follow the archival compliance check pattern:
a. Read the reference document: `~/.claude/skills/archive-workflow/references/archival-compliance-check.md`
b. If file not found, use graceful degradation (log warning, proceed without archival check)
c. Apply the 5-step pattern to all file creation operations
2. Read `.archive-metadata.yaml` from the repo root
3. Extract code-specific guidelines:
- `naming_conventions.project_specific_rules` for `*.py`, `*.js`, `*.ts` patterns
- `structure.summary.source_code` and `structure.summary.tests`
- `naming_conventions.summary.tests` (test file pattern)
- `naming_conventions.summary.files` (general file naming)
4. Include the archival_context block in all downstream phase handoffs
### Fallback: CLAUDE.md (Deprecated)
If `.archive-metadata.yaml` is not found:
1. WARN: "Archival guidelines read from CLAUDE.md (fallback). Run archive-workflow
to generate .archive-metadata.yaml for structured guidelines."
2. Check if `.archive-metadata.yaml` previously existed:
- Look for `docs/organization/final-organization-report.md`
- If found: WARN "Archival metadata was previously present but is now missing.
Re-run archive-workflow."
3. Read CLAUDE.md and extract guidelines using existing prose extraction logic:
- Code directory structure (`src/`, `modules/`, `experiments/`)
- Git workflow (commit conventions, no destructive operations, stage specific files)
- Testing conventions (if present)
- Documentation conventions (README, inline comments, docstrings)
- Repository organization for code vs. documentation
4. Produce archival-guidelines-summary.md as before
### Output
Write archival-guidelines-summary.md to the session directory with:
- Source: ".archive-metadata.yaml" or "CLAUDE.md (fallback)"
- Project type, naming conventions, directory structure
- Enforcement mode (from YAML, or "advisory" default)
```yaml
session_setup:
session_dir: "~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/"
archival_summary_path: "{session_dir}/archival-guidelines-summary.md"
guidelines_found: boolean
guidelines_source: string # ".archive-metadata.yaml" or "CLAUDE.md" or "defaults"
enforcement_mode: string # "advisory" | "soft-mandatory" | "hard-mandatory"
```
### Downstream Handoff
Include archival_context block in all agent dispatches (per the standard
archival context block defined in archival-compliance-check.md):
```yaml
archival_context:
guidelines_present: true/false
source: ".archive-metadata.yaml" # or "CLAUDE.md" or "defaults"
naming_convention: "snake_case"
output_directory: "src/"
enforcement_mode: "advisory"
user_override: null
```
**Quality Gate**: Session directory created, archival summary written.
**Failure Handling**:
- `.archive-metadata.yaml` malformed: Treat as missing, fall back to CLAUDE.md
- CLAUDE.md not found: Use sensible defaults, log warning, continue
- Session directory creation fails: ABORT (cannot proceed without session isolation)
**Session Cleanup**:
- On successful completion (Phase 6 complete): Delete session directory
- On failure/abort: Retain session directory for debugging (log path to user)
**Timeout**: 5 min (ABORT on timeout - cannot proceed without session)
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 0 → Phase 1):
```bash
# Validate session handoff before proceeding to Phase 1
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase0-session-handoff.yaml" \
"session_handoff"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Phase 0 handoff validation FAILED"
echo "Options:"
echo " (A) Fix issues in session handoff and retry"
echo " (B) Override with documented gaps (logged to session state)"
read -p "Choice [A/b]: " OVERRIDE_CHOICE
if [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "b" ] && [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "B" ]; then
echo "Aborting. Fix session handoff and restart workflow."
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding with gaps (documented in session-state.json)"
jq '.phase0_handoff_override = true | .phase0_handoff_gaps = "See validation errors above"' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Phase 0 handoff validated successfully"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 0 complete -> Quality Gate 0 -> PROCEED to Phase 1: Requirements and Scoping
---
### Phase 1: Requirements and Scoping
If resuming: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml` to confirm Phase 0 is complete.
**Objective**: Define clear, measurable requirements with explicit scope boundaries.
**Receives**: Session directory path and archival guidelines from Phase 0
**Steps**:
1. Invoke `requirements-analyst` with project goal and session context
2. Review requirements document for completeness
3. Present requirements to user for approval
**Quality Gate 1: Requirements Approval**:
- Type: Human judgment (programming-pm review)
- Criteria:
- [ ] Problem statement is specific (no vague terms like "better", "faster")
- [ ] Success criteria are measurable (numbers, thresholds, or boolean conditions)
- [ ] Scope boundaries (IN/OUT) explicitly defined
- [ ] Dependencies identified
- Pass Condition: All criteria checked
- Fail Action: Return to requirements-analyst with feedback
- Override: User can accept partial requirements with documented gaps
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 1 → Phase 2):
```bash
# Validate requirements handoff before mode selection
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase1-requirements-handoff.yaml" \
"requirements_handoff"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Phase 1 handoff validation FAILED"
echo "Options:"
echo " (A) Return to requirements-analyst to fix issues"
echo " (B) Override with documented gaps"
read -p "Choice [A/b]: " OVERRIDE_CHOICE
if [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "b" ] && [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "B" ]; then
echo "Returning to requirements-analyst..."
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding with gaps (documented)"
jq '.phase1_handoff_override = true' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Phase 1 handoff validated successfully"
fi
```
---
### Mode Selection (After Phase 1)
**Objective**: Select workflow execution mode based on project complexity.
**Trigger**: After Quality Gate 1 passes (requirements approved)
**Three execution modes**:
- **SIMPLE** (~1-2 hrs): Single component, no stats/math, <5 implementation tasks
- **STANDARD** (~4-6 hrs): Multi-component (2-5), optional stats/math, 5-15 tasks (default)
- **EXTENDED** (~8-12 hrs): >5 components OR both stats+math OR >15 tasks OR architectural complexity
**Steps**:
#### Step 1: Run Complexity Detection
```bash
# Source the detection function
source "${SKILL_DIR}/references/mode-selection-criteria.md"
# Run detection on requirements handoff
REQUIREMENTS_FILE="${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase1-requirements-handoff.yaml"
DETECTION_RESULT=$(detect_tier "$REQUIREMENTS_FILE")
# Parse results
DETECTED_TIER=$(echo "$DETECTION_RESULT" | cut -d'|' -f1)
CONFIDENCE=$(echo "$DETECTION_RESULT" | cut -d'|' -f2)
REASON=$(echo "$DETECTION_RESULT" | cut -d'|' -f3)
```
**Triggers for each tier**:
**EXTENDED**:
- Component count >5
- Requires BOTH statistics AND mathematics
- Task count >15
- Architectural complexity keywords: "distributed system", "microservices", "event-driven", "real-time processing"
- User explicit request: "extended analysis" or "comprehensive review"
**SIMPLE**:
- Single component AND no stats/math
- Utility script with <5 tasks
- Data pipeline (ETL) with single component
**STANDARD** (default):
- Multiple components (2-5)
- Single specialization (stats OR math, not both)
- Moderate task count (5-15)
- Standard patterns: "web API", "CLI tool", "data analysis", "visualization"
#### Step 2: Display Mode Selection Prompt
```bash
echo ""
echo "================================================"
echo " Mode Selection (After Quality Gate 1)"
echo "================================================"
echo ""
echo "Detected tier: $DETECTED_TIER (confidence: $CONFIDENCE)"
echo "Reason: $REASON"
echo ""
echo "Mode descriptions:"
echo " SIMPLE (1-2 hrs): Single component, no stats/math, <5 tasks"
echo " STANDARD (4-6 hrs): Multi-component, optional stats/math, 5-15 tasks (default)"
echo " EXTENDED (8-12 hrs): >5 components OR both stats+math OR >15 tasks"
echo ""
```
#### Step 3: User Override Confirmation
```bash
# High-confidence: allow override with 60s timeout
if [ "$CONFIDENCE" = "high" ]; then
read -t 60 -p "Proceed with $DETECTED_TIER mode? [Y/n]: " USER_CHOICE
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
# Timeout - proceed with detected tier
echo "No response (timeout 60s). Proceeding with: $DETECTED_TIER"
SELECTED_TIER="$DETECTED_TIER"
elif [ "$USER_CHOICE" = "n" ] || [ "$USER_CHOICE" = "N" ]; then
# User wants override
read -p "Select mode (1=SIMPLE, 2=STANDARD, 3=EXTENDED): " MODE_OVERRIDE
case "$MODE_OVERRIDE" in
1) SELECTED_TIER="SIMPLE" ;;
2) SELECTED_TIER="STANDARD" ;;
3) SELECTED_TIER="EXTENDED" ;;
*) SELECTED_TIER="$DETECTED_TIER" ;;
esac
# Risky override confirmation
if [ "$DETECTED_TIER" != "SIMPLE" ] && [ "$SELECTED_TIER" = "SIMPLE" ]; then
echo "⚠️ WARNING: Selecting SIMPLE when $DETECTED_TIER recommended."
read -p "Confirm risky override? [y/N]: " RISKY_CONFIRM
if [ "$RISKY_CONFIRM" != "y" ]; then
SELECTED_TIER="$DETECTED_TIER"
fi
fi
else
SELECTED_TIER="$DETECTED_TIER"
fi
else
# Medium/low confidence: require user confirmation
read -p "Select mode (1=SIMPLE, 2=STANDARD, 3=EXTENDED) [default: $DETECTED_TIER]: " USER_CHOICE
case "$USER_CHOICE" in
1) SELECTED_TIER="SIMPLE" ;;
2) SELECTED_TIER="STANDARD" ;;
3) SELECTED_TIER="EXTENDED" ;;
"") SELECTED_TIER="$DETECTED_TIER" ;;
*) SELECTED_TIER="STANDARD" ;; # Safest default
esac
fi
```
#### Step 4: Record Mode Selection
```bash
# Create mode-selection.json
cat > "$SESSION_DIR/mode-selection.json" <<EOF
{
"detected_tier": "$DETECTED_TIER",
"confidence": "$CONFIDENCE",
"reason": "$REASON",
"selected_tier": "$SELECTED_TIER",
"override": $([ "$DETECTED_TIER" != "$SELECTED_TIER" ] && echo "true" || echo "false"),
"timestamp": "$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")"
}
EOF
# Update session-state.json
if command -v jq &> /dev/null; then
jq --arg tier "$SELECTED_TIER" '.mode = $tier' \
"$SESSION_DIR/session-state.json" > "$SESSION_DIR/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "$SESSION_DIR/session-state.json.tmp" "$SESSION_DIR/session-state.json"
fi
# Export for workflow use
export PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE="$SELECTED_TIER"
echo "✅ Mode selected: $SELECTED_TIER"
```
#### Step 5: Mode-Based Branching
```bash
# Workflow branching based on selected mode
if [ "$PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE" = "SIMPLE" ]; then
echo "→ SIMPLE mode: Sequential execution, automated checks only"
SKIP_EXTENDED_ANALYSIS=true
PARALLEL_EXECUTION=false
elif [ "$PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE" = "EXTENDED" ]; then
echo "→ EXTENDED mode: Wave-based parallel execution, extended reviews"
SKIP_EXTENDED_ANALYSIS=false
PARALLEL_EXECUTION=true
EXTENDED_TIMEOUTS=true
else
echo "→ STANDARD mode: Wave-based parallel execution, standard checks"
SKIP_EXTENDED_ANALYSIS=false
PARALLEL_EXECUTION=true
EXTENDED_TIMEOUTS=false
fi
```
**Backwards Compatibility**:
```bash
# For sessions without mode-selection.json, default to STANDARD
if [ ! -f "$SESSION_DIR/mode-selection.json" ]; then
echo "⚠️ Legacy session (no mode selection). Defaulting to STANDARD."
export PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE="STANDARD"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 1 complete -> Quality Gate 1 (user approval required) -> PROCEED to Phase 2: Pre-Mortem and Risk Assessment
---
### Phase 2: Pre-Mortem and Risk Assessment
Before starting Phase 2: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm Phases 0-1 are complete.
**Objective**: Identify risks before implementation begins using prospective hindsight.
**Steps**:
1. Invoke `edge-case-analyst` (if available) or delegate simplified pre-mortem to senior-developer via Task tool
2. Use pre-mortem template from `references/pre-mortem-template.md`
3. Document at least 3 risks with likelihood, impact, and mitigation
**Quality Gate 2: Pre-Mortem Completion**:
- Type: Automated (checklist validation)
- Criteria:
- [ ] At least 3 risks identified
- [ ] Each risk has likelihood rating (1-5) and impact rating (1-5)
- [ ] Each risk has disposition: mitigate, accept, transfer, or avoid
- [ ] Critical risks (score >= 15) have contingency plans
- Pass Condition: All risks have disposition
- Override: User can proceed with documented unmitigated risks
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 2 → Phase 3):
```bash
# Validate pre-mortem handoff
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase2-premortem-handoff.yaml" \
"premortem_handoff"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Phase 2 handoff validation FAILED"
read -p "Fix issues and retry? [Y/n]: " RETRY_CHOICE
if [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "n" ] && [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "N" ]; then
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding with validation gaps"
jq '.phase2_handoff_override = true' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Phase 2 handoff validated successfully"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 2 complete -> Quality Gate 2 -> PROCEED to Phase 3: Architecture Design
### Phase 3: Architecture Design
Before starting Phase 3: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm Phases 0-2 are complete.
**Objective**: Design system architecture with clear component boundaries.
**Steps**:
1. **Self-check**: "Am I about to design the architecture myself?" If yes, STOP and use the Task tool dispatch instead.
2. **Invoke systems-architect via Task tool** using the "Dispatch to systems-architect" template from the Dispatch Templates section above. Include full requirements (Phase 1 handoff), all risks with architecture implications (Phase 2 handoff), and archival context (Phase 0).
3. **Verify delegation**: After systems-architect returns, confirm the architecture handoff YAML contains `producer: "systems-architect"`. If this field is absent or set to another value, do not proceed -- re-invoke via Task tool.
4. **Receive and validate output**: Verify architecture handoff YAML exists at the expected path. Note if Architecture Context Document was generated or skipped.
5. **Review architecture** against Quality Gate 3 criteria.
6. **Present architecture to user** for approval.
**Mandatory**: systems-architect MUST be invoked via Task tool, not Skill tool. The orchestrator MUST NOT design the architecture itself, even for SIMPLE mode projects. SIMPLE mode produces lighter output (minimum: 1 component with interfaces, 1 technology choice rationale, 1 testing strategy) but must still be produced by systems-architect via Task tool.
#### Architecture Context Document
After architecture approval, systems-architect generates `.architecture/context.md`:
**Purpose**: Persistent, version-controlled document providing bird's-eye view of module structure, dependencies, and modification order for all implementation agents.
**Content**: Module interconnections (DAG), intended usage patterns, modification order for safe incremental changes, streaming/incremental strategies.
**Lifecycle**: Created in Phase 3, read by developers before implementation (pre-flight), updated when architectural changes occur (Phase 5 drift check).
See `systems-architect/references/architecture-context-template.md` for template details.
**Quality Gate 3: Architecture Approval**:
- Type: Human judgment (programming-pm + user review)
- Criteria:
- [ ] All components identified with responsibilities
- [ ] Data flow documented (inputs, outputs, transformations)
- [ ] Technology choices justified (libraries, frameworks)
- [ ] Component interfaces defined
- [ ] Testing strategy outlined
- [ ] Architecture Context Document generated (`.architecture/context.md` exists)
- Override: User can approve partial architecture for proof-of-concept
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 3 → Phase 4):
```bash
# Validate architecture handoff before implementation
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase3-architecture-handoff.yaml" \
"architecture_handoff"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Phase 3 handoff validation FAILED"
echo "Incomplete architecture cannot proceed to implementation."
read -p "Return to systems-architect? [Y/n]: " RETRY_CHOICE
if [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "n" ] && [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "N" ]; then
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding with incomplete architecture (HIGH RISK)"
jq '.phase3_handoff_override = true | .phase3_override_risk = "HIGH"' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Phase 3 handoff validated successfully"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 3 complete -> Quality Gate 3 (user approval required) -> PROCEED to Phase 4: Implementation
### Phase 4: Implementation
Before starting Phase 4: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm Phases 0-3 are complete.
**Objective**: Implement architecture with specialist agents in parallel.
**Mode-based execution**:
- **SIMPLE**: Sequential execution (one specialist at a time)
- **STANDARD/EXTENDED**: Wave-based parallel execution (waves at T=0s, T=30s, T=60s)
**Steps**:
#### Step 0: Architecture Pre-flight Validation
**Skip condition**: SIMPLE mode projects with <= 1 component skip Step 0 and proceed directly to Step 1.
Before any task decomposition, validate the architecture handoff for implementability.
**Owner**: programming-pm dispatches to senior-developer via Task tool.
**Context size check**: Before filling the dispatch:
- If architecture handoff YAML is <= 200 lines: paste verbatim
- If > 200 lines: pass file path and instruct senior-developer to read it directly
**Dispatch** (using template below): Send architecture handoff + requirements summary to senior-developer for pre-flight review.
**senior-developer validates**:
1. All component interfaces are fully specified (inputs have types, outputs have types)
2. Component dependencies are traversable without cycles (check by tracing dependency chains)
3. Technology choices are recognizable and compatible
4. Implementation order in the handoff is internally consistent
**senior-developer returns** a validation report (write to `{SESSION_DIR}/deliverables/phase4-preflight.yaml`):
```yaml
preflight_validation:
status: "PASS" | "FAIL" | "PASS_WITH_WARNINGS"
gaps:
- component: string
issue: string
severity: "BLOCKING" | "WARNING"
recommendations: []
```
**On PASS or PASS_WITH_WARNINGS**: Log any warnings, proceed to Step 1.
**On FAIL**:
1. Escalate back to Phase 3 -- re-invoke systems-architect via Task tool with the gap report
2. systems-architect addresses BLOCKING gaps only
3. Re-run Step 0 (max 2 escalation cycles)
4. If still FAIL after 2 cycles: present to user for override (proceed with warnings, or abort)
**Timeout**: 15 minutes. If Step 0 Task tool invocation fails or times out: log "Step 0 pre-flight unavailable" and proceed to Step 1 with a warning.
#### Step 1: Task Decomposition
Parse architecture handoff to identify components and assign specialists:
```bash
ARCHITECTURE_FILE="${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase3-architecture-handoff.yaml"
# Extract components
if command -v yq &> /dev/null; then
COMPONENT_COUNT=$(yq eval '.handoff.components | length' "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE")
# Initialize task list
> "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt"
# Iterate through components
for i in $(seq 0 $((COMPONENT_COUNT - 1))); do
COMPONENT_NAME=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].name" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE")
COMPONENT_DESC=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].responsibility" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE")
DEPENDENCIES=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].dependencies[]" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || echo "")
SPECIALIST="senior-developer" # default
# PRIMARY SIGNAL: Explicit specialist flags from architecture handoff (v1.4+)
REQUIRES_MATH=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].specialist_flags.requires_mathematician // \"null\"" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE" 2>/dev/null | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
REQUIRES_STATS=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].specialist_flags.requires_statistician // \"null\"" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE" 2>/dev/null | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
REQUIRES_NOTEBOOK=$(yq eval ".handoff.components[$i].specialist_flags.requires_notebook_writer // \"null\"" "$ARCHITECTURE_FILE" 2>/dev/null | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
# Normalize YAML boolean variants: true/yes/on -> "true"; false/no/off/null -> not-true
[[ "$REQUIRES_MATH" =~ ^(true|yes|on)$ ]] && REQUIRES_MATH="true"
[[ "$REQUIRES_STATS" =~ ^(true|yes|on)$ ]] && REQUIRES_STATS="true"
[[ "$REQUIRES_NOTEBOOK" =~ ^(true|yes|on)$ ]] && REQUIRES_NOTEBOOK="true"
if [ "$REQUIRES_MATH" = "true" ]; then
SPECIALIST="mathematician"
elif [ "$REQUIRES_STATS" = "true" ]; then
SPECIALIST="statistician"
elif [ "$REQUIRES_NOTEBOOK" = "true" ]; then
SPECIALIST="notebook-writer"
elif [ "$REQUIRES_MATH" = "null" ] && [ "$REQUIRES_STATS" = "null" ] && [ "$REQUIRES_NOTEBOOK" = "null" ]; then
# FALLBACK: keyword-based assignment for pre-v1.4 architecture handoffs
echo " WARN: No specialist_flags found for '$COMPONENT_NAME'. Using keyword-based fallback (upgrade to v1.4 handoff schema recommended)."
if echo "$COMPONENT_DESC" | grep -qiE "algorithm|optimization|complexity"; then
SPECIALIST="mathematician"
elif echo "$COMPONENT_DESC" | grep -qiE "statistic|hypothesis|regression|bayesian"; then
SPECIALIST="statistician"
elif echo "$COMPONENT_DESC" | grep -qiE "notebook|jupyter|ipynb|jupytext|interactive.analysis|parameter.sweep|analysis.report|visualization.notebook|reproducible.analysis|data.exploration"; then
SPECIALIST="notebook-writer"
fi
fi
# Junior-developer assignment (keyword-based, independent of specialist flags)
if [ "$SPECIALIST" = "senior-developer" ]; then
if echo "$COMPONENT_DESC" | grep -qiE "simple|utility|helper|wrapper|validation|config|parser|formatter|converter|serializer|loader|constants|enum|data[._-]class|type[._-]definition|test[._-]fixture|test[._-]helper|boilerplate|scaffold"; then
SPECIALIST="junior-developer"
fi
fi
# Record task assignment
TASK_ID="TASK-$(printf "%03d" $((i + 1)))"
echo "$TASK_ID|$COMPONENT_NAME|$SPECIALIST|$DEPENDENCIES" >> "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt"
done
else
echo "⚠️ yq not found. Manual task decomposition required."
fi
```
**Specialist assignment logic**:
- **Algorithm design** → `mathematician`
- **Statistical methods** → `statistician`
- **Notebook/Jupyter creation** → `notebook-writer`
- **Complex implementation** → `senior-developer`
- **Routine implementation** → `junior-developer` (supervised by senior)
**Task assignment format**:
```yaml
task:
id: "TASK-001"
description: string
assigned_to: skill_name
dependencies: []
estimated_duration: "2h"
acceptance_criteria: []
handoff_format: "See handoff-schema.md"
architecture_context:
path: "/path/to/.architecture/context.md" # Absolute path if document exists
component: "module_name" # Component/module being implemented
tier: 0 # 0=foundation, 1=core, 2=application (extracted from context doc)
```
#### Step 1b: Junior-Developer Evaluation (Mandatory for STANDARD/EXTENDED mode; optional for SIMPLE mode unless task count >= 6)
The grep-based assignment in Step 1a is a first-pass heuristic. Step 1b is a mandatory second-pass evaluation that reads and may update `task-assignments.txt`. Even if Step 1a assigned no tasks to junior-developer, Step 1b may reassign some.
**Evaluation criteria** -- evaluate junior-developer for a task if ANY of these are true:
1. Total task count >= 4 (any mode) or >= 6 (SIMPLE mode only)
2. The task has ALL of the following:
- Single function or single class scope
- Clear input/output specification derivable from the architecture handoff
- No cross-module dependencies
- Does not require design judgment or architectural decisions
3. Architecture identifies utility modules, helper functions, data validation, configuration handling, or test fixtures
4. The task is test-writing separate from implementation logic
**Process**:
1. Count total tasks from `task-assignments.txt`
2. For each task currently assigned to senior-developer, evaluate against criteria above
3. If any tasks qualify AND junior-developer skill is available (`~/.claude/skills/junior-developer/SKILL.md` exists): reassign in `task-assignments.txt`
4. If any tasks qualify BUT junior-developer is unavailable: document "junior-developer skill not available, all tasks retained by senior-developer"
5. Document the evaluation in session state:
```json
{
"junior_developer_evaluation": {
"evaluated": true,
"total_tasks": "<int>",
"tasks_evaluated_for_junior": "<int>",
"tasks_reassigned_to_junior": "<int>",
"reassigned_tasks": [],
"rationale": "<Why tasks were or were not reassigned>"
}
}
```
Use jq to write this to session state:
```bash
jq '.junior_developer_evaluation = {"evaluated": true, "total_tasks": '$TOTAL', "tasks_evaluated_for_junior": '$EVALUATED', "tasks_reassigned_to_junior": '$REASSIGNED', "reassigned_tasks": [], "rationale": "'"$RATIONALE"'"}' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" && \
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
```
**If NO tasks qualify**: Document "No tasks suitable for junior-developer: all require senior judgment" and proceed.
**SIMPLE mode**: Skip this evaluation unless task count >= 6.
#### Step 2: Wave-Based Parallel Execution
**SIMPLE mode**: Skip waves, execute sequentially.
**STANDARD/EXTENDED mode**: Execute in waves with stagger.
```bash
# Check execution mode
if [ "$PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE" = "SIMPLE" ]; then
echo "SIMPLE mode: Sequential execution"
# Execute tasks one at a time
while IFS='|' read -r TASK_ID COMPONENT SPECIALIST DEPS; do
echo "Executing $TASK_ID ($COMPONENT) with $SPECIALIST..."
# Invoke specialist (synchronous)
# Record start time for timeout monitoring
START_TIME=$(date +%s)
# ... invoke specialist ...
# Wait for completion
done < "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt"
else
echo "STANDARD/EXTENDED mode: Wave-based parallel execution"
fi
```
#### Wave-Based Specialist Launch
Launch specialists in three waves to respect dependency ordering. Track all running agents to prevent double-launches.
**Wave 1 (immediate)** -- Launch specialists whose output feeds other tasks:
If mathematician tasks exist in task-assignments.txt:
For each mathematician task:
Launch mathematician via Task tool.
Description: "Mathematician: Design algorithm for {component_name}"
Prompt: Include algorithm requirements from architecture phase, performance targets, and constraints.
Write output to: `{session_dir}/deliverables/{task_id}-math-analysis.md`
Record each launched task in running-agents tracking.
If statistician tasks exist in task-assignments.txt:
For each statistician task:
Launch statistician via Task tool.
Description: "Statistician: Design statistical approach for {component_name}"
Prompt: Include statistical requirements, data characteristics, and validation criteria.
Write output to: `{session_dir}/deliverables/{task_id}-stats-analysis.md`
Record each launched task in running-agents tracking.
These launch first because implementation specialists may depend on their output.
**Wave 2 (after Wave 1 launches)** -- Launch implementation specialists for independent tasks:
Identify tasks with no dependencies (or dependencies already satisfied from prior phases).
For each independent task not already launched in Wave 1:
Launch senior-developer or junior-developer via Task tool (per task assignment).
Description: "{Specialist}: Implement {component_name}"
Prompt: Include architecture spec, coding standards, test requirements, and output path.
Write output to: `{session_dir}/deliverables/{task_id}-implementation/`
Skip any task already tracked in running-agents (prevents double-launch).
**Wave 3 -- Bounded dependency retry protocol**:
```bash
MAX_WAVE3_RETRIES=3
WAVE3_RETRY_INTERVAL=120 # seconds
# For each Wave 3 task with unsatisfied dependencies
for TASK_ID in $(cat "$SESSION_DIR/wave3-pending.txt" 2>/dev/null); do
RETRY_COUNT=0
DEPS_SATISFIED=false
while [ "$RETRY_COUNT" -lt "$MAX_WAVE3_RETRIES" ] && [ "$DEPS_SATISFIED" = false ]; do
RETRY_COUNT=$((RETRY_COUNT + 1))
MISSING_DEP=""
# Read dependencies for this task
DEPS=$(grep "^$TASK_ID|" "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt" | cut -d'|' -f4 | tr ',' ' ')
ALL_DEPS_MET=true
for DEP in $DEPS; do
# Use ls glob (not [ -f glob ]) for safe wildcard existence check
if ! ls "${SESSION_DIR}/deliverables/${DEP}-"* > /dev/null 2>&1; then
ALL_DEPS_MET=false
MISSING_DEP="$DEP"
break
fi
done
if [ "$ALL_DEPS_MET" = true ]; then
DEPS_SATISFIED=true
# Launch specialist via Task tool dispatch
else
echo " Wave 3: $TASK_ID retry $RETRY_COUNT/$MAX_WAVE3_RETRIES (waiting on: $MISSING_DEP)"
sleep "$WAVE3_RETRY_INTERVAL"
fi
done
if [ "$DEPS_SATISFIED" = false ]; then
echo " ESCALATION: $TASK_ID — dependencies unresolved after $MAX_WAVE3_RETRIES retries"
echo "$TASK_ID|ESCALATED|$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)|missing:$MISSING_DEP" >> "$SESSION_DIR/escalations.txt"
fi
done
# Present escalations to user if any occurred
if [ -f "$SESSION_DIR/escalations.txt" ] && [ -s "$SESSION_DIR/escalations.txt" ]; then
ESCALATED_COUNT=$(wc -l < "$SESSION_DIR/escalations.txt" | tr -d ' ')
echo ""
echo "HARD ESCALATION: $ESCALATED_COUNT task(s) have unresolvable dependencies."
echo "Options: (A) Skip blocked tasks, proceed with completed work (B) Return to Phase 3 (C) Abort"
fi
```
Monitor all agents via output file existence. When all non-escalated tasks show deliverables, proceed to quality gate.
#### Step 3: Progress Monitoring
Monitor specialist outputs using file-based tracking:
```bash
# Progress monitoring loop
echo "Monitoring specialist progress..."
TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD=7200 # 2 hours (STANDARD mode)
if [ "$PROGRAMMING_PM_MODE" = "EXTENDED" ]; then
TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD=14400 # 4 hours (EXTENDED mode)
fi
# Derive cycle count from TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD (single source of truth for timeout duration)
MAX_MONITORING_CYCLES=$(( TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD / 60 )) # TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD defined in timeout-config.md
MONITORING_CYCLE=0
while [ "$MONITORING_CYCLE" -lt "$MAX_MONITORING_CYCLES" ]; do
MONITORING_CYCLE=$((MONITORING_CYCLE + 1))
# Check running agents
RUNNING_COUNT=$(wc -l < "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
if [ "$RUNNING_COUNT" -eq 0 ]; then
echo "✅ All specialists completed"
break
fi
# Check each running agent
while IFS='|' read -r TASK_ID AGENT_PID; do
# Check if process still running
if ! ps -p "$AGENT_PID" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
echo " $TASK_ID completed (PID $AGENT_PID exited)"
# Mark as completed
echo "$TASK_ID|COMPLETED|$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")" >> "$SESSION_DIR/task-status.txt"
# Remove from running list
grep -v "^$TASK_ID|" "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt" > "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt.tmp"
mv "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt.tmp" "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt"
else
# Check for timeout
START_TIME=$(grep "^$TASK_ID|" "$SESSION_DIR/task-start-times.txt" | cut -d'|' -f2)
CURRENT_TIME=$(date +%s)
ELAPSED=$((CURRENT_TIME - START_TIME))
if [ "$ELAPSED" -gt "$TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD" ]; then
echo " ⚠️ $TASK_ID TIMEOUT (elapsed: ${ELAPSED}s, threshold: ${TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD}s)"
# Timeout intervention (see timeout-config.md)
# Option: Extend deadline, narrow scope, substitute specialist, or escalate
fi
fi
done < "$SESSION_DIR/running-agents.txt"
# Check progress file outputs (must be >100 words)
for TASK_ID in $(awk -F'|' '{print $1}' "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt"); do
PROGRESS_FILE="/tmp/progress-${TASK_ID}.md"
if [ -f "$PROGRESS_FILE" ]; then
WORD_COUNT=$(wc -w < "$PROGRESS_FILE")
if [ "$WORD_COUNT" -ge 100 ]; then
echo " $TASK_ID progress OK ($WORD_COUNT words)"
else
echo " $TASK_ID progress insufficient ($WORD_COUNT words, min 100)"
fi
fi
done
# Sleep before next check
sleep 60 # Check every minute
done
# Hard abort if loop exhausted with tasks still running
if [ "${RUNNING_COUNT:-0}" -gt 0 ]; then
echo "HARD ABORT: Monitoring exhausted ($MAX_MONITORING_CYCLES cycles × 60s = $TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD s)"
echo "Still running: $RUNNING_COUNT task(s)"
echo "Options: (A) Proceed with completed tasks (B) Extend monitoring (+60 cycles) (C) Abort workflow"
fi
```
#### Step 4: Quality Gate 4a - Specialist Completion Check
Validate specialist outputs before proceeding:
```bash
echo "Quality Gate 4a: Specialist Completion Check"
# Count critical vs. implementation specialists
CRITICAL_COUNT=$(grep -cE "mathematician|statistician" "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt" || echo 0)
IMPL_COUNT=$(grep -cE "senior-developer|junior-developer" "$SESSION_DIR/task-assignments.txt" || echo 0)
TOTAL_COUNT=$((CRITICAL_COUNT + IMPL_COUNT))
# Count completed tasks
COMPLETED_COUNT=$(grep -c "COMPLETED" "$SESSION_DIR/task-status.txt" || echo 0)
echo "Completion status: $COMPLETED_COUNT / $TOTAL_COUNT tasks"
# Decision table
if [ "$COMPLETED_COUNT" -eq "$TOTAL_COUNT" ]; then
echo "✅ Gate 4a: PASS (100% completion)"
elif [ "$COMPLETED_COUNT" -ge $((TOTAL_COUNT * 3 / 4)) ]; then
echo "⚠️ Gate 4a: CONDITIONAL PASS (75%+ completion)"
echo "Note: $((TOTAL_COUNT - COMPLETED_COUNT)) task(s) incomplete"
# Check if critical specialists completed
CRITICAL_COMPLETED=$(grep -E "TASK-.*mathematician|TASK-.*statistician" "$SESSION_DIR/task-status.txt" | grep -c "COMPLETED" || echo 0)
if [ "$CRITICAL_COMPLETED" -eq "$CRITICAL_COUNT" ]; then
echo "→ All critical specialists completed. Proceeding with note."
else
echo "→ Critical specialists incomplete. RETRY required."
exit 1
fi
else
echo "❌ Gate 4a: FAIL (<75% completion)"
echo "→ RETRY required"
exit 1
fi
```
**Quality Gate 4b: Implementation Validation**:
- Type: Automated (output validation)
- Criteria:
- [ ] All specialist outputs exist and are >100 words
- [ ] No critical blocking issues flagged
- [ ] Handoffs validate against schema (validate-handoff.py)
- [ ] Acceptance criteria met per task
- Pass Condition: All criteria checked OR 75%+ with critical specialists complete
- Fail Action: Retry incomplete tasks or escalate to user
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 4 → Phase 5):
```bash
# Validate all code handoffs from Phase 4 (may be multiple task handoffs)
echo "Validating Phase 4 code handoffs..."
VALIDATION_ERRORS=0
for HANDOFF_FILE in "${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase4-"*"-handoff-"*.yaml; do
[ ! -f "$HANDOFF_FILE" ] && continue
# Determine handoff type based on filename
if echo "$HANDOFF_FILE" | grep -q "math-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="math_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_FILE" | grep -q "stats-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="stats_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_FILE" | grep -q "code-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="code_handoff"
else
echo "⚠️ Unknown handoff type: $HANDOFF_FILE"
continue
fi
echo " Validating $(basename "$HANDOFF_FILE") as $HANDOFF_TYPE..."
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"$HANDOFF_FILE" \
"$HANDOFF_TYPE"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo " ❌ Validation failed for $(basename "$HANDOFF_FILE")"
VALIDATION_ERRORS=$((VALIDATION_ERRORS + 1))
else
echo " ✅ Validated successfully"
fi
done
if [ "$VALIDATION_ERRORS" -gt 0 ]; then
echo ""
echo "❌ Phase 4 handoff validation FAILED ($VALIDATION_ERRORS error(s))"
read -p "Fix issues and retry? [Y/n]: " RETRY_CHOICE
if [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "n" ] && [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "N" ]; then
echo "Returning to Phase 4..."
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding with validation errors (documented)"
jq --arg count "$VALIDATION_ERRORS" '.phase4_handoff_override = true | .phase4_validation_errors = ($count | tonumber)' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ All Phase 4 handoffs validated successfully"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 4 complete -> Quality Gate 4 -> PROCEED to Phase 5: Code Review and Testing
### Phase 5: Code Review and Testing
Before starting Phase 5: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm Phases 0-4 are complete.
**Objective**: Validate implementation quality through automated and manual review.
**Steps**:
1. **Run automated checks**: linting (`ruff check .`), type checking (`mypy --strict src/` or `pyright src/`), tests (`pytest --cov`)
2. **Invoke copilot via Task tool** (MANDATORY) using the "Dispatch to copilot" template from the Dispatch Templates section. For SIMPLE mode projects where Phase 4 produced fewer than 50 total lines changed across all tasks, an inline review by PM (reading the changed files and performing lightweight review) may substitute for the full Task tool dispatch -- document "SIMPLE mode lightweight review performed" in session state.
3. **Receive copilot review**:
- After copilot returns, verify `{SESSION_DIR}/deliverables/copilot-review.md` exists
- If NOT found: search session directory for `copilot-review.md`; if still not found, re-invoke copilot with explicit instruction to use full absolute path
- Maximum 2 retry attempts; if still not found, use copilot's Task tool return value as the review
- Verify review contains a `VERDICT:` line; if absent, treat as incomplete and request re-review
4. **Evaluate copilot findings**:
- If CRITICAL issues: Return to senior-developer with copilot feedback for fixes
- If MAJOR issues only: Present to user, decide whether to fix or document as accepted tech debt
- If MINOR/GOOD only: Proceed
5. **Have senior-developer address copilot findings** (if CRITICAL or MAJOR issues exist)
6. **Re-run copilot** if CRITICAL issues were found and fixed (max 2 copilot review cycles)
- If CRITICAL issues remain after 2 cycles: Present remaining issues to user -- user decides to fix manually or accept as tech debt with explicit documentation
6a. **(Optional) Supplemental review via pr-review-toolkit**: After copilot review passes, invoke `/pr-review-toolkit:review-pr` for additional specialized analysis (silent failures, test coverage, type design, comment accuracy) that copilot does not cover. This is advisory — findings do not block Phase 6 but should be presented to the user.
7. If deliverables include notebooks: invoke notebook-writer for reproducibility review
8. Check for architecture drift and update context document if needed
#### Architecture Drift Check
If `.architecture/context.md` exists, check whether implementation introduced structural changes that require context update:
**Drift detection heuristics** (narrow scope to reduce false positives):
- New files in `src/` or `modules/` directories
- Deleted module directories
- Changes to `__init__.py` files (interface changes)
- Developer reported discrepancy via `architecture_context.discrepancy_noted: true` in code handoff
**Action on drift detected**:
1. Invoke `systems-architect` for **targeted update** (<10 minutes)
2. Update specific sections of `.architecture/context.md` (not full regeneration)
3. Commit context update with implementation changes
**Action on NO drift**: Proceed to Quality Gate 4.
**Note**: This is a lightweight check. Fundamental architectural changes (new module changing dependency graph topology) are logged as "architectural drift requiring future Phase 3 review" rather than triggering heavyweight updates within Phase 5.
**Quality Gate 4: Code Review Approval**:
- Type: Human judgment (senior-developer + copilot review)
- Automated checks (must all pass):
- [ ] `ruff check .` returns 0 errors
- [ ] Type checking passes: `mypy --strict src/` or `pyright src/` returns 0 errors (warnings acceptable)
- [ ] Test coverage >= 80% for new code
- Copilot review (must complete):
- [ ] Copilot invoked and review document produced (or SIMPLE mode inline review documented)
- [ ] No CRITICAL issues remain unaddressed
- [ ] MAJOR issues addressed or documented as accepted tech debt
- Override: programming-pm can approve with "tech debt" tag if deadline critical
- Override CANNOT skip copilot review entirely unless copilot invocation fails after 2 attempts
- If copilot is unreachable: document "copilot unavailable" in session state and proceed with senior-developer review only (EMERGENCY override, must be reported to user)
- Override CAN accept MAJOR issues as tech debt
- Human review:
- [ ] Code matches requirements specification
- [ ] Edge cases from pre-mortem are handled
- [ ] Documentation present (docstrings, type hints)
- [ ] No obvious security issues
- Fail Action: Return to developer with specific feedback
**Quality Gate 5: Test Pass**:
- Type: Automated (test execution)
- Criteria:
- [ ] All unit tests pass
- [ ] All integration tests pass (if applicable)
- [ ] Coverage >= 80% for new code
- [ ] No regressions in existing tests
- Override: User can merge with failing tests for emergency (creates P0 issue)
**Handoff Validation** (Phase 5 → Phase 6):
```bash
# Validate review handoff before VCS integration
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase5-review-handoff.yaml" \
"review_handoff"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Phase 5 handoff validation FAILED"
echo "Code review handoff incomplete. Cannot proceed to merge."
read -p "Return to code review? [Y/n]: " RETRY_CHOICE
if [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "n" ] && [ "$RETRY_CHOICE" != "N" ]; then
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ Override: Proceeding without complete review (CRITICAL RISK)"
jq '.phase5_handoff_override = true | .phase5_override_risk = "CRITICAL"' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Phase 5 handoff validated successfully"
fi
```
**Phase Transition**: Phase 5 complete -> Quality Gate 5 -> PROCEED to Phase 6: Version Control Integration
### Phase 6: Version Control Integration
Before starting Phase 6: Read `~/.claude/programming-pm-sessions/{workflow-id}/state.yaml`. Confirm Phases 0-5 are complete.
**Objective**: Integrate changes with sync-config.py and version control.
#### Optional: Commit Commands Shortcut
For straightforward projects where no branching complexity is involved, the `commit-commands` plugin provides a single-action alternative: `/commit-push-pr` handles commit + push + PR creation in one step. Use this instead of the manual Steps 2–3 below when the git strategy is simple.
#### Optional: Git Strategy Advisory
Before proceeding with version control integration, you MAY invoke `git-strategy-advisor`
via Task tool in post-work mode to get scope-adaptive git recommendations:
**Invocation** (via Task tool):
```
Use git-strategy-advisor to determine git strategy for completed work.
mode: post-work
```
The advisor analyzes actual changes (files, lines, directories) and recommends branch
strategy, branch naming, push timing, and PR creation.
**Conflict resolution**: If the advisor's recommendation differs from Phase 6 Step 3's
existing logic (which creates a feature branch when on main), Phase 6 Step 3 takes
precedence unconditionally. Present the advisor's recommendation as an informational
note in the completion summary (e.g., "Note: git-strategy-advisor suggests direct-commit
for this trivial change"). The orchestrator proceeds with its default behavior.
**Response handling**: Read the advisor's `summary` field for the human-readable
recommendation. Optionally read `strategy.branch.action` to note whether the advisor
agrees with the default strategy. Include the summary in the Phase 6 completion report.
**Confidence handling**: If the advisor returns confidence "none" (e.g., no git repository
found), silently skip the git strategy section. If confidence is "low", present the
recommendation with a caveat noting limited accuracy.
This is **advisory only**. If `git-strategy-advisor` is not available or returns an error,
proceed with existing Phase 6 logic unchanged.
**Steps**:
#### Step 1: Pre-Merge Validation
```bash
# Check sync-config.py availability
SYNC_CONFIG_PATH="/Users/davidangelesalbores/repos/claude/sync-config.py"
if [ -f "$SYNC_CONFIG_PATH" ]; then
echo "Using sync-config.py for VCS integration"
USE_SYNC_CONFIG=true
else
echo "⚠️ sync-config.py not found. Falling back to direct git commands."
USE_SYNC_CONFIG=false
fi
# If using sync-config.py, check status
if [ "$USE_SYNC_CONFIG" = true ]; then
echo "Checking sync-config.py status..."
"$SYNC_CONFIG_PATH" status
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "⚠️ Sync status check failed. Proceeding with caution."
fi
fi
# Validate all handoffs one final time
echo "Final handoff validation before merge..."
FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS=0
for HANDOFF_FILE in "${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/"*.yaml; do
[ ! -f "$HANDOFF_FILE" ] && continue
HANDOFF_NAME=$(basename "$HANDOFF_FILE" .yaml)
# Determine handoff type from filename
if echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "session-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="session_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "requirements-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="requirements_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "premortem-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="premortem_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "architecture-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="architecture_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "math-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="math_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "stats-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="stats_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "code-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="code_handoff"
elif echo "$HANDOFF_NAME" | grep -q "review-handoff"; then
HANDOFF_TYPE="review_handoff"
else
echo "⚠️ Unknown handoff type: $HANDOFF_NAME"
continue
fi
python3 "${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-handoff.py" \
"$HANDOFF_FILE" \
"$HANDOFF_TYPE" > /dev/null 2>&1
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS=$((FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS + 1))
fi
done
if [ "$FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS" -gt 0 ]; then
echo "⚠️ $FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS handoff(s) still have validation issues"
echo "Review overrides in session-state.json"
fi
# Dry-run to detect conflicts (if using sync-config.py)
if [ "$USE_SYNC_CONFIG" = true ]; then
echo "Running sync dry-run to detect conflicts..."
"$SYNC_CONFIG_PATH" push --dry-run
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Dry-run detected conflicts or issues"
echo "Review and resolve before proceeding."
read -p "Continue anyway? [y/N]: " CONTINUE_CHOICE
if [ "$CONTINUE_CHOICE" != "y" ] && [ "$CONTINUE_CHOICE" != "Y" ]; then
echo "Aborting merge. Resolve conflicts first."
exit 1
fi
else
echo "✅ Dry-run successful (no conflicts detected)"
fi
fi
```
#### Step 2: Quality Gate 6 Validation
```bash
# Run Quality Gate 6 validation script
echo "Running Quality Gate 6 validation..."
"${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/validate-gate.sh" 6 \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase5-review-handoff.yaml" \
"${SESSION_DIR}"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Quality Gate 6 FAILED"
read -p "Override and proceed? [y/N]: " OVERRIDE_CHOICE
if [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "y" ] && [ "$OVERRIDE_CHOICE" != "Y" ]; then
echo "Aborting. Fix Quality Gate 6 issues first."
exit 1
else
echo "⚠️ GATE 6 OVERRIDE (logged)"
jq '.gate6_override = true | .gate6_override_timestamp = now | .gate6_override_user = env.USER' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
fi
else
echo "✅ Quality Gate 6 PASSED"
fi
```
**Quality Gate 6 Criteria**:
- Type: Automated (VCS checks)
- Criteria:
- [ ] All previous gates passed (or overrides documented)
- [ ] No merge conflicts (verified by dry-run)
- [ ] Review approved (from phase5-review-handoff.yaml)
- [ ] Deliverable location documented
- [ ] Files staged (if in git repo)
- Override: Repository admin can force merge (logged for audit)
#### Step 3: Commit and Sync
```bash
# Create feature branch if needed
if git rev-parse --git-dir > /dev/null 2>&1; then
CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)
if [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" = "main" ] || [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" = "master" ]; then
echo "⚠️ On main branch. Creating feature branch..."
# Generate branch name from requirements
BRANCH_NAME="feature/programming-pm-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
git checkout -b "$BRANCH_NAME"
echo "Created branch: $BRANCH_NAME"
fi
fi
# Stage specific files (NEVER git add . or git add -A)
echo "Staging specific files..."
# Get changed files from handoff
if command -v yq &> /dev/null; then
CHANGED_FILES=$(yq eval '.handoff.changes.files_changed[].path' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase5-review-handoff.yaml" 2>/dev/null)
if [ -n "$CHANGED_FILES" ]; then
echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | while read -r FILE; do
if [ -f "$FILE" ]; then
git add "$FILE"
echo " Staged: $FILE"
fi
done
else
echo "⚠️ No files listed in review handoff. Manual staging required."
fi
else
echo "⚠️ yq not found. Manual staging required."
git status
fi
# Create commit with conventional format
PROBLEM_STATEMENT=$(yq eval '.handoff.requirements.problem_statement' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/handoffs/phase1-requirements-handoff.yaml" 2>/dev/null | head -n1)
COMMIT_MESSAGE="feat(programming-pm): ${PROBLEM_STATEMENT}
Implemented via programming-pm workflow ($(date -u +"%Y-%m-%d"))
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>"
git commit -m "$COMMIT_MESSAGE"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ Commit failed"
exit 1
else
echo "✅ Commit created successfully"
fi
# Sync to ~/.claude/ (if using sync-config.py)
if [ "$USE_SYNC_CONFIG" = true ]; then
echo "Syncing changes to ~/.claude/..."
"$SYNC_CONFIG_PATH" push
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "❌ sync-config.py push failed"
echo "Changes committed to git but not synced to ~/.claude/"
echo "Run manually: $SYNC_CONFIG_PATH push"
else
echo "✅ Changes synced to ~/.claude/ successfully"
fi
else
echo "⚠️ Skipping sync-config.py push (not available)"
fi
```
#### Step 4: Create Planning Journal Entry
```bash
# Create planning journal entry documenting the workflow execution
if [ "$USE_SYNC_CONFIG" = true ]; then
echo "Creating planning journal entry..."
# Extract brief description from problem statement (first 60 chars)
BRIEF_DESC=$(echo "$PROBLEM_STATEMENT" | cut -c1-60)
"$SYNC_CONFIG_PATH" plan --title "$BRIEF_DESC"
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "⚠️ Failed to create planning journal entry"
echo "Create manually with: $SYNC_CONFIG_PATH plan --title '...'"
else
echo "Document the following in the journal entry:"
echo " - Objective: $PROBLEM_STATEMENT"
echo " - Specialists used: $(awk -F'|' '{print $3}' "${SESSION_DIR}/task-assignments.txt" | sort -u | tr '\n' ', ')"
echo " - Files changed: $(git diff --name-only HEAD~1 HEAD | wc -l | tr -d ' ')"
echo " - Testing: All quality gates passed"
echo " - Outcome: Success"
echo ""
read -p "Press Enter after documenting in journal..."
fi
fi
```
#### Step 5: Session Cleanup
```bash
# Mark session as completed
jq '.status = "completed" | .completion_timestamp = now' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp"
mv "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json.tmp" "${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json"
# Determine if session should be deleted or preserved
SESSION_SUCCESSFUL=true
# Check for any gate overrides
if jq -e '.phase0_handoff_override or .phase1_handoff_override or .phase2_handoff_override or .phase3_handoff_override or .phase4_handoff_override or .phase5_handoff_override or .gate6_override' \
"${SESSION_DIR}/session-state.json" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
SESSION_SUCCESSFUL=false
echo "⚠️ Session had overrides. Preserving for review."
fi
# Check for validation errors
if [ "$FINAL_VALIDATION_ERRORS" -gt 0 ]; then
SESSION_SUCCESSFUL=false
echo "⚠️ Session had validation errors. Preserving for review."
fi
# Delete or preserve session directory
if [ "$SESSION_SUCCESSFUL" = true ]; then
echo "Session completed successfully. Cleaning up..."
echo "Session directory: ${SESSION_DIR}"
read -p "Delete session directory? [Y/n]: " DELETE_CHOICE
if [ "$DELETE_CHOICE" != "n" ] && [ "$DELETE_CHOICE" != "N" ]; then
rm -rf "${SESSION_DIR}"
echo "✅ Session directory deleted"
else
echo "Session directory preserved: ${SESSION_DIR}"
fi
else
echo "⚠️ Session preserved for debugging: ${SESSION_DIR}"
echo "Review session-state.json for overrides and validation errors."
fi
echo ""
echo "================================================"
echo " Programming-PM Workflow Complete"
echo "================================================"
echo ""
```
**Post-Merge Verification**:
After sync, prompt user to verify deliverable meets expectations. If issues found, create follow-up task (not rollback unless critical).
## Quality Gate Specifications
### Gate Override Protocol
When a quality gate fails:
1. **Display failure details** with severity levels:
- CRITICAL: Cannot override (security, runtime errors)
- HIGH: Override requires explicit user approval
- MEDIUM: Override allowed with documentation
- LOW: Override allowed
2. **Offer options**:
- [Fix] Address all issues and re-run gate
- [Override] Proceed with documented risk acceptance
- [Escalate] Consult specialist for second opinion
3. **If Override selected**:
- Log override decision with timestamp, user, rationale
- Mark deliverable as "GATE_OVERRIDE: {gate_name}"
- Continue pipeline but flag in final PR description
**Override cannot skip**:
- Test failures indicating runtime errors
- Security vulnerabilities (P0)
- Architecture compatibility failures
## Exception Handling Protocol
### Specialist Timeout Detection
Check progress files every 15 minutes during active specialist work.
- Warning threshold: 1.5x expected duration
- Timeout threshold: 2x expected duration
See `references/timeout-config.md` for per-phase and per-specialist timeouts.
### Timeout Intervention Protocol
1. **Diagnose**: Read specialist progress file, analyze status
2. **Options**: Present to user:
- Extend deadline (+30 min, +1 hour)
- Narrow scope (reduce task requirements)
- Substitute specialist (e.g., senior-developer for mathematician)
- Escalate to user for guidance
3. **Execute**: Apply chosen option, log decision
4. **Learn**: Add to exceptions-log.md for retrospective
### Circuit Breaker Pattern
After 3 consecutive failures of the same type:
1. **Open circuit**: Stop retrying automatically
2. **Alert user**: Present failure summary with options
3. **Require explicit decision**: User must choose:
- Retry with changes
- Skip this component
- Abort workflow
## Role Conflict Resolution
### Role Authority Hierarchy
- **Architecture decisions (Phase 3)**: systems-architect has authority
- **Algorithm design**: mathematician has authority
- **Statistical methods**: statistician has authority
- **Implementation decisions (Phase 4)**: senior-developer has authority within architecture constraints
### Conflict Resolution Protocol
1. **Detect Conflict**: Monitor for contradictory recommendations between specialists
2. **Classify Conflict**:
- **Minor** (implementation detail): senior-developer decides
- **Major** (architecture change required): Escalate to user
3. **Major Conflict Escalation Format**:
```
CONFLICT DETECTED: [Brief description]
Position A: [Recommendation] - Rationale: [Why]
Position B: [Recommendation] - Rationale: [Why]
Options:
1. [Option A description]
2. [Option B description]
3. [Hybrid approach if applicable]
Recommendation: [PM's analysis]
```
4. **Post-Resolution**: Document decision in architecture spec
## Team Composition
| Skill | Role | Phase |
|-------|------|-------|
| programming-pm | Orchestrator | All |
| requirements-analyst | Requirements scoping | 1 |
| systems-architect | Architecture design | 3 |
| senior-developer | Implementation | 4-5 |
| copilot | Code review support | 5 |
The table above is the **default team** — always included. For optional specialists (mathematician, statistician, notebook-writer, junior-developer) with their inclusion criteria, the team-selection decision tree, the RACI matrix, team-size guidelines, and `--include`/`--exclude`/`--minimal` override flags, see `references/team-composition.md`.
## Handoff Format
All handoffs between specialists use standardized schema. See `references/handoff-schema.md`.
**Base handoff fields**:
```yaml
handoff:
version: "1.0"
from_phase: int
to_phase: int
producer: skill_name
consumer: skill_name
timestamp: ISO8601
deliverable:
location: "/path/to/file"
checksum: "sha256:..."
context:
focus_areas: []
known_gaps: []
quality:
status: "complete" | "partial"
confidence: "high" | "medium" | "low"
```
## Supporting Resources
- `assets/pre-mortem-template.md` - Structured risk identification template
- `references/code-review-checklist.md` - Quality gate criteria for code review
- `references/git-workflow.md` - Branching strategy, commit format, rollback procedures
- `references/team-composition.md` - RACI matrix, specialist selection criteria
- `references/handoff-schema.md` - Interface contracts between specialists
- `references/timeout-config.md` - Per-phase and per-specialist timeout configuration
- `git-strategy-advisor` - Phase 6 git strategy consultation (optional, advisory)
## Example Workflow
```bash
# User invokes programming-pm with a goal
User: "Create a Monte Carlo simulation library for option pricing"
# programming-pm executes:
1. Pre-flight validation (check required skills)
2. Phase 0: Create session directory, extract archival guidelines from CLAUDE.md
3. Invoke requirements-analyst -> requirements.md
4. Quality Gate 1: Requirements approval
5. Conduct pre-mortem (include statistician perspective)
6. Quality Gate 2: Pre-mortem completion
7. Invoke systems-architect -> architecture.md
8. Quality Gate 3: Architecture approval
9. Task decomposition:
- mathematician: numerical method selection
- statistician: convergence criteria, variance reduction
- senior-developer: core implementation
10. Implementation with progress monitoring
11. Quality Gate 4: Code review (automated + human)
12. Quality Gate 5: Test pass
13. Create PR with conventional commit
14. Quality Gate 6: PR merge
15. Post-merge verification prompt
16. Cleanup session directory (on success)
```
## Integration with Existing Skills
This skill invokes but does not modify:
- `requirements-analyst` - Phase 1 requirements gathering
- `systems-architect` - Phase 3 architecture design
- `copilot` - Phase 5 code review support
- `edge-case-analyst` - Phase 2 pre-mortem support (optional)
This skill coordinates new skills:
- `senior-developer` - Phase 4-5 implementation and review
- `junior-developer` - Phase 4 routine implementation (supervised)
- `mathematician` - Phase 4 algorithm design (when needed)
- `statistician` - Phase 4 statistical validation (when needed)
- `notebook-writer` - Phase 4 notebook creation and Phase 5 notebook review (when needed)
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