spec-compliance

name	spec-compliance
description	Use this skill to verify work matches requirements. Activates when checking against specifications, validating acceptance criteria, or ensuring implementation matches design.

Spec Compliance Skill

Verify that implementation matches specifications and requirements.

Core Principle

Build what was asked, not what you think should be built.

The spec is the contract. Deviation without approval is a bug, not a feature.

Compliance Check Protocol

Step 1: Load the Spec

## Original Specification

Source: [PRD / Issue / Design Doc / User Story]

### Requirements

1. [Requirement 1]
2. [Requirement 2]
3. [Requirement 3]

### Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
- [ ] Criterion 3

### Out of Scope

- Item 1
- Item 2

Step 2: Map Implementation to Spec

## Implementation Mapping

| Requirement | Implementation      | Status |
| ----------- | ------------------- | ------ |
| Req 1       | `src/feature.ts:23` | ✅ Met |
| Req 2       | `src/feature.ts:45` | ✅ Met |
| Req 3       | Not implemented     | ❌ Gap |

Step 3: Verify Acceptance Criteria

## Acceptance Criteria Verification

### Criterion 1: "User can log in with email"

- **Verification method**: Manual test
- **Steps taken**:
  1. Navigated to /login
  2. Entered email and password
  3. Clicked submit
- **Result**: ✅ Successfully logged in
- **Evidence**: [screenshot/log]

### Criterion 2: "Error shown for invalid credentials"

- **Verification method**: Manual test
- **Steps taken**:
  1. Entered wrong password
  2. Clicked submit
- **Result**: ✅ Error message displayed
- **Evidence**: Shows "Invalid credentials"

Step 4: Report Compliance

## Compliance Report

**Overall Status**: ✅ Compliant / ⚠️ Partial / ❌ Non-compliant

### Summary

- Requirements met: 8/10
- Acceptance criteria passed: 5/5
- Gaps identified: 2

### Gaps

1. **Requirement 9**: Password reset flow
   - Status: Not implemented
   - Reason: Deferred to phase 2
   - Tracking: ISSUE-456

2. **Requirement 10**: Remember me checkbox
   - Status: Partial
   - Gap: Cookie not persisting
   - Action needed: Fix cookie setting

### Additions (not in spec)

1. Added loading spinner
   - Rationale: UX improvement
   - Risk: None, additive only

Spec Sources

User Stories

As a [user type]
I want to [action]
So that [benefit]

Acceptance Criteria:

- Given [context]
- When [action]
- Then [result]

PRD (Product Requirements Doc)

## Feature: [Name]

### Overview

### Requirements

### Success Metrics

### Out of Scope

Technical Design Doc

## Design: [Component]

### API Contract

### Data Model

### Behavior Specification

Issue/Ticket

## Issue #123

### Description

### Acceptance Criteria

### Technical Notes

Compliance Categories

Functional Compliance

• Does it do what was specified?
• Does behavior match requirements?
• Are all use cases handled?

API Compliance

• Do endpoints match spec?
• Are request/response formats correct?
• Are error codes as specified?

UI Compliance

• Does UI match designs?
• Are interactions as specified?
• Is copy/text correct?

Performance Compliance

• Does it meet performance requirements?
• Are SLAs met?
• Is resource usage within limits?

Handling Deviations

Intentional Deviation

## Deviation Record

**Requirement**: [Original requirement]
**Deviation**: [What was done differently]
**Rationale**: [Why the change]
**Approval**: [Who approved, when]
**Impact**: [Effect on other requirements]

Discovered Gap

## Gap Identified

**Requirement**: [Missed requirement]
**Discovery**: [How/when found]
**Severity**: Critical / High / Medium / Low
**Action**:

- [ ] Implement now
- [x] Defer to next phase
- [ ] Descope (with approval)
      **Tracking**: [Issue number]

Compliance Checklist

## Pre-Completion Compliance Check

### Requirements

- [ ] All requirements traced to implementation
- [ ] Each requirement verified working
- [ ] Gaps documented and tracked

### Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] All criteria testable
- [ ] All criteria tested
- [ ] All criteria passing

### Scope

- [ ] No unplanned additions (or documented)
- [ ] Nothing removed without approval
- [ ] Deferred items tracked

### Documentation

- [ ] Spec updated if changes approved
- [ ] Deviations documented
- [ ] Compliance report generated

Integration

Works with:

• /riper - Research phase loads spec, Review phase checks compliance
• /execute-plan - Each task maps to spec requirement
• /review - Final compliance verification
• verification-first skill - Verify against spec, not assumptions