openup-create-iteration-plan

name	openup-create-iteration-plan
description	Plan iteration based on current state and roadmap
model	sonnet
arguments	[{"name":"iteration_number","description":"Iteration number to plan","required":false}]

Create Iteration Plan

This skill generates an iteration plan from the OpenUP template.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Starting a new iteration and need to plan work
• In Construction phase planning iterations
• Need to select tasks from roadmap for iteration
• Assigning tasks to team members
• Defining iteration success criteria

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use this skill when:

• Looking to start iteration (use /openup-start-iteration)
• Need to create roadmap (use project management)
• Iteration plan exists and only minor updates needed (edit directly)
• In Inception phase (use phase activities instead)

Success Criteria

After using this skill, verify:

• Iteration plan file exists
• Iteration goal is clearly defined
• Tasks are selected from roadmap
• Task assignments are made
• Success criteria are specified
• Iteration timeline is stated

Process

Load Project Config (context + rules — do this first)

If docs/project-config.yaml exists, apply it before drafting (skip if absent): inject its context: as <project-context> and its rules.iteration-plan as <project-rules>, then confirm every injected rule holds before marking the artifact complete. Rules are additive — they may add but never waive a framework criterion. Full mechanism + precedence (the single source): docs-eng-process/project-config.md.

1. Read Project Status

Read docs/project-status.md to get:

• Current phase
• Current iteration
• Iteration goals

2. Read Roadmap

Read docs/roadmap.md to identify:

• Pending tasks appropriate for this iteration
• Task priorities and dependencies

3. Determine Iteration Number

Use $ARGUMENTS[iteration_number] or auto-increment from current iteration.

4. Copy Template

Copy docs-eng-process/templates/iteration-plan.md to docs/phases/<phase>/iteration-<n>-plan.md

5. Fill in Iteration Plan

Update with:

• Iteration number and dates
• Iteration goal: Derived from roadmap and phase objectives
• Selected tasks: From roadmap, prioritized for this iteration
• Task assignments: Which roles will handle each task
• Success criteria: How to know the iteration succeeded
• Risk assessment: Any iteration-specific risks

5a. Write Instance Frontmatter (T-038 — doc traceability)

Replace the template's provenance frontmatter (type: Template, source_url) with an instance block declaring this file as a typed iteration-plan work-product. Per the v1 spine, an iteration-plan traces-from one or more work-item ids — the work items the iteration will deliver. Grade against the cross-cutting Doc Traceability Rubric.

Example block:

---
type: iteration-plan        # required — v1 spine
id: IP-12                   # stable, project-unique
title: Iteration 12 — <Theme>
status: approved
traces-from: [WI-001, WI-002]   # the work items this iteration delivers
owner-role: project-manager
iteration: construction-2
---

If the project does not yet maintain explicit work-item instances under docs/work-items/, leave traces-from empty for this iteration and flag the gap in ## Open Questions — backfilling work-items is a one-time cost, and the validator will surface it as a coverage-gap for any work-item → traces-from → requirement rule.

Field reference: docs-eng-process/doc-frontmatter.md. Validator: python3 scripts/check-docs.py.

6. Self-Critique

Apply the Self-Critique SOP (docs-eng-process/sops/self-critique.md) before validating: take a hostile-reviewer stance, surface every load-bearing assumption into the plan, and confirm the iteration goal and each task's success criteria could actually fail — and that the selected work realistically fits the phase's time box. List every weakness you find — including ones you are uncertain about — then fix or explicitly flag each one. Rank them and record the top one or two with their resolutions.

7. Validate Completeness

Re-check every item in Success Criteria (top of this skill) against the document you produced; fix any gap before returning.

Output

Returns:

• Path to iteration plan
• List of tasks planned
• Recommended team composition

Common Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Template not found	Template path incorrect	Verify docs-eng-process/templates/iteration-plan.md exists
No tasks available	Roadmap is empty or all tasks complete	Review roadmap and add pending tasks
Invalid iteration number	Iteration number conflicts or gaps	Verify current iteration from project-status

References

• Iteration Plan Template: docs-eng-process/templates/iteration-plan.md
• Project Manager Role: docs-eng-process/openup-knowledge-base/core/role/roles/project-manager-4.md

See Also

• openup-start-iteration - Begin new iteration
• openup-complete-task - Mark iteration tasks complete
• openup-construction - Construction iteration planning