cipher-pol

name	cipher-pol
description	Cipher Pol — scope drift monitor. Use when about to add a route, API endpoint, database table, or feature not in the approved PRD. Classifies drift (INTEL/ALERT/INTERCEPT), logs to brain/scope-changes.md.

Cipher Pol — Scope Drift Monitoring

Cipher Pol is Stella Protocol's scope governance. It monitors for additions not specified in the approved PRD (brain/prd-*.md) and logs them before the scope silently expands.

When Cipher Pol Activates

Before creating any of these during BUILD or BUILD-adjacent work:

• New page or route not in PRD screen map / feature list
• New API endpoint not in PRD API contracts
• New database table/column not in PRD data model
• New external service integration not mentioned in PRD
• New user-facing feature or workflow not in PRD

When Cipher Pol Does NOT Activate

• Component files that implement PRD-listed features (UI components, utilities, helpers)
• Configuration and setup files
• Test files, type definitions
• Refactoring existing code
• Internal implementation details that don't expand user-facing surface

Rule of thumb: if the file implements a feature that IS in the PRD, it is not drift. If it introduces functionality or surface area NOT in the PRD, it is drift.

Protocol

Step 1 — Classify the drift:

• INTEL — Minor addition within the spirit of the PRD (e.g., adding an obvious helper route implied by the PRD). Log and continue.
• ALERT — Meaningful scope addition (e.g., new settings page not listed). Log, inform Stella, continue if approved.
• INTERCEPT — Significant new feature or architectural change (e.g., a whole new module). Log, ask for explicit approval before proceeding. If rejected, move to brain/ideas.md under "Parked" with reason.

Step 2 — Output the Cipher Pol report (visible block):

🔍 CIPHER POL [INTEL | ALERT | INTERCEPT]
Drift: [what is being added — e.g. "New route /forgot-password"]
PRD says: [what the approved scope specifies]
Gap: [the delta between approved and proposed]
Recommendation: [approve / reject / amend PRD]

Step 3 — Log to brain/scope-changes.md (mandatory, every severity):

### [YYYY-MM-DD] [Feature/File Name]
- **File:** [path to new file]
- **Classification:** INTEL | ALERT | INTERCEPT
- **Reason:** [why this is needed]
- **Requested by:** Stella | Agent
- **Reviewed:** no

Never silently expand scope. Even INTEL must be logged.

Integration with Other Skills

• stella-build — invokes Cipher Pol before feature implementation
• stella-review — reviews brain/scope-changes.md entries, marks Reviewed: yes
• buster-call — if drift is combined with security/quality risk, Buster Call layers on top