kiss-project-planning

name	kiss-project-planning
description	Drafts and maintains a project plan: scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), milestones, dependencies, critical path, resource allocation, and Definition of Done. Supports Agile/Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, and Hybrid methodologies. Also drafts the companion communication plan. Does not schedule meetings or commit a team. Use when starting a project, creating a project plan, defining milestones, or managing WBS and delivery schedule.
compatibility	Requires kiss project structure with .kiss/ directory
metadata	{"author":"github-kiss","source":"agent-skills/kiss-project-planning/kiss-project-planning.md"}

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

Consider the user input before proceeding (if not empty).

Audience and tone (interactive mode)

When KISS_AGENT_MODE=interactive (the default), assume the user has no technical or project-management background. Run this skill as a guided questionnaire:

• One question at a time. No walls of questions.
• Yes / no first. Phrase so yes, no, not sure, or skip is a valid answer.
• No jargon. Translate to everyday words: "Who decides?" not "Who's the Accountable in the RACI?"; "list of tasks" not "WBS"; "what 'finished' means" not "Definition of Done"; "in batches / in flow / in phases" instead of "Agile / Kanban / Waterfall" (then translate the chosen plain answer back to the methodology internally).
• Choices, not blank fields. When yes/no isn't enough, offer 2-4 lettered options (A/B/C/D) with one-line everyday descriptions. Always include "Not sure — pick a sensible default".
• Always recommend. State the option you would pick and why in one sentence so the user can reply "yes" / "ok" to accept.
• not sure / skip triggers a sensible default entry, marked "(default applied — confirm later)" in project-plan.md, and a PMDEBT- entry in pm-debts.md.

When KISS_AGENT_MODE=auto (or --auto), skip the questionnaire entirely: apply sensible defaults from upstream artefacts and log decisions to the project-manager agent's decision log.

Inputs

• .kiss/context.yml → paths.docs, current.feature, current.branch
• Upstream artefacts the skill reads when present:
  • {context.paths.specs}/**/spec.md — feature specs from the business-analyst
  • {context.paths.docs}/architecture/*.md — architect outputs for technology stack, constraints, NFRs
  • {context.paths.docs}/product/backlog.md and roadmap.md — product-owner outputs (feature list + delivery windows)

Outputs

• {context.paths.docs}/project/project-plan.md — primary planning artefact. Contains scope, WBS, milestones, schedule, dependencies, resource table, and Definition of Done.
• {context.paths.docs}/project/project-plan.extract — companion KEY=VALUE ledger (project_name, methodology, start_date, target_go_live, …) consumed by downstream skills.
• {context.paths.docs}/project/communication-plan.md — optional companion artefact. Lists stakeholder groups, channels, cadence, RACI matrix, and escalation path. Written only when the user confirms the project needs a formal comms plan.

Context Update

This skill does not mutate .kiss/context.yml. It reads current.feature but never writes to it.

Handoffs

• kiss-risk-register reads the methodology, milestones, and critical-path entries from project-plan.extract to suggest relevant risk categories.
• kiss-status-report reads the milestones + DoD to compute RAG status against plan.
• kiss-change-control reads the scope statement to judge whether an incoming change-request exceeds it.

AI authoring scope

This skill is an AI authoring aid. It:

• Drafts the project plan and communication plan from facts the user supplies (scope, milestones, team structure, methodology).
• Asks the human user at the keyboard for missing information, one question at a time.
• Reads existing specs/architecture/product outputs when present and incorporates them without re-asking.
• Honours {context.preferences.confirm_before_write}.
• Logs a PMDEBT-NN entry to {context.paths.docs}/project/pm-debts.md whenever a required input is missing, the --auto default kicked in, or a decision cannot be made without a human.

It does not:

• Schedule meetings, invite attendees, or send notifications.
• Negotiate with vendors, contract resources, or secure budget.
• Commit any team member to a task or deadline.
• Approve a milestone, release, or go-live.
• Communicate with stakeholders on the user's behalf.

Usage

<SKILL_DIR> = the integration's skills root (e.g. .claude/skills/ for Claude Code, .agents/skills/ for Antigravity / Codex, .cursor/skills/ for Cursor, .windsurf/workflows/ for Windsurf). Scripts live at <SKILL_DIR>/<skill-name>/scripts/….

# Interactive — the AI asks you questions and writes the plan.
bash <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-project-planning/scripts/bash/draft-plan.sh

# Non-interactive — provide an answers file or env vars.
bash <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-project-planning/scripts/bash/draft-plan.sh --auto --answers ./pm-answers.env

# Dry-run — compute the output path + preview, do not write.
bash <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-project-planning/scripts/bash/draft-plan.sh --dry-run

PowerShell parity: pwsh <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-project-planning/scripts/powershell/draft-plan.ps1 [-Auto] [-Answers FILE] [-DryRun].

Answer keys (env or answers file)

Key	Meaning	Default
PM_PROJECT_NAME	Human-readable project name	derived from current.feature
PM_METHODOLOGY	agile, scrum, kanban, waterfall, hybrid	scrum
PM_START_DATE	ISO date YYYY-MM-DD	today
PM_TARGET_GO_LIVE	ISO date YYYY-MM-DD	empty (→ debt)
PM_TEAM_SIZE	Integer	empty (→ debt)
PM_SPONSOR	Project sponsor name	empty (→ debt)
PM_INCLUDE_COMMS_PLAN	true/false	false

Interactive flow (when scripts can't run)

If the shell scripts are unavailable, ask the user the following in order, writing answers into docs/project/project-plan.md by hand using templates/project-plan-template.md:

1. Confirm the project name (derived from current.feature or ask).
2. Pick the methodology (1. agile/scrum, 2. kanban, 3. waterfall, 4. hybrid).
3. Top-level WBS items — list 3–7 phases (e.g. planning, design, dev, test, deploy).
4. Key milestones with target dates + acceptance criteria.
5. Critical path and dependencies between phases.
6. Resource allocation (dedicated team / shared / mixed / TBD).
7. Definition of Done at the project level.
8. Does the project need a formal communication plan? If yes, ask the user to list stakeholder groups, preferred channels, meeting cadence, and escalation tiers — write the answers into docs/project/communication-plan.md using templates/communication-plan-template.md.

Methodology-specific emphasis (see references/methodology-adaptations.md):

• Agile/Scrum — frame milestones as sprint goals; highlight velocity and burndown; communicate via standup + sprint review.
• Kanban — drop fixed milestones in favour of WIP limits + flow.
• Waterfall — milestones are phase gates with formal sign-off.
• Hybrid — mark which parts are fixed vs. flexible.

Debt register

Every unresolved input or --auto default is logged as:

PMDEBT-NN: <short description>

…into {context.paths.docs}/project/pm-debts.md. Include:

• Area (Scope / Schedule / Resource / Budget / Quality / Comms)
• Impact (what cannot be decided without this)
• Owner (who should answer — usually the user)
• Priority (🔴 Blocking / 🟡 Important / 🟢 Can wait)

References

• references/pmbok-areas.md — PMBOK knowledge areas + key deliverables.
• references/methodology-adaptations.md — how planning language shifts by methodology.
• references/raci-guide.md — Responsible / Accountable / Consulted / Informed definitions and a worked example.
• references/waterfall-phase-gates.md — formal gate definitions.
• references/pm-glossary.md — common PM vocabulary.