execution-plans

name	execution-plans
description	Use when work is complex, long-running, multi-step, cross-boundary, likely to span multiple PRs/sessions, or needs handoff-ready planning under plans/.
metadata	{"short-description":"ExecPlan: plan/WBS/progress + handoff","requires":["references/execution-plans.md"],"resources":["references/model-routing.md","references/subagent-execution.md"],"templates":["templates/subagent-report.md","templates/subagent-task-brief.md","templates/supervisor-review-request.md"]}

Purpose

Use this skill to create (or update) an ExecPlan: a living, self-contained plan that makes long work measurable, reviewable, and handoff-ready.

This addresses three recurring failure modes in agentic coding:

• work starts without a shared plan, so scope drifts
• progress is not tracked, so “where are we?” is unclear
• context handoff is weak, so long tasks regress or stall

When to use

This skill is mandatory when any ExecPlan trigger is true (see PLANS.md), including:

• multi-step / multi-session tasks
• cross-boundary refactors or new modules
• tasks with meaningful unknowns (API choices, rollout, concurrency, performance)

It is also a good default when you are unsure.

How to use

1. Open PLANS.md and references/execution-plans.md.

2. Create or update a plan file under plans/ using plans/_template_execplan.md.

   • Quick start helper: python scripts/init_artifact.py --kind execplan --slug <ticket-or-topic>

2.5) Run a Design→WBS coverage check: every module, file, or deliverable named in the Design section must map to at least one WBS item, or be listed as explicitly deferred with a reason. Re-run this check whenever the Design section changes.

2.6) If the plan will use a subagent, worker, delegated model, or generated custom agent, open references/subagent-execution.md before invoking it. If model choice matters, also open references/model-routing.md. Create the task brief first from templates/subagent-task-brief.md; require the worker report format in templates/subagent-report.md; use templates/supervisor-review-request.md when asking another agent to review delegated output.

3. Keep the plan up to date while you work:

• update Progress (WBS) as items complete
• record Surprises & discoveries as you learn new constraints
• record Decision log entries for trade-offs
• record summaries of implementation-economy budgets and design-balance responsibility maps when those branches are triggered
• Target re-forecast: at every phase/milestone boundary, re-forecast each quantitative target using current measurements. If the forecast misses a declared target by more than ~20%, append a Decision log entry choosing one of: re-scope (add work), re-baseline (change the target), or accept-miss (with rationale). Do not defer this decision to the final measurement.
• Surprise escalation: when a Surprises entry invalidates an assumption behind a quantitative target (e.g., "this file cannot be deleted"), the same commit must update the target forecast.
• update Handoff whenever you pause or finish a milestone

4. If a human is present and the change is risky/irreversible, ask for approval after drafting the plan and before large edits.

Gotchas

• Common pitfall: creating the plan first but not updating Progress (WBS).
  Instead: update status for each completed task and keep todo/in-progress/done current.
• Common pitfall: handling major direction changes verbally and not recording a Decision log.
  Instead: append reason, alternatives, and adoption decision to the plan Decision log.
• Common pitfall: leaving stale handoff notes at session end, forcing the next person to re-investigate.
  Instead: always update Handoff with current status / next step / blocker / commands run before stopping.
• Common pitfall: moving ahead ad-hoc on complex work without creating an ExecPlan.
  Instead: if any PLANS.md trigger applies, create plans/<slug>.md before starting.
• Common pitfall: the Design section names deliverables (modules, files) that never receive a WBS item, so they are silently never built. Instead: run the Design→WBS coverage check and mark uncovered deliverables as deferred-with-reason in the plan.

Output expectation

When this skill is used, produce:

• An updated ExecPlan file in plans/…
• A short status update in the standard format (see the reference)
• Clear “what’s next” items if work is not finished