pre-implementation-checklist

name	pre-implementation-checklist
model	sonnet
description	Produces a completed pre-implementation checklist appended to a specification document, confirming vision clarity, technical readiness, implementation plan completeness, and Track 0 codebase alignment before any agent is commissioned. Use when: 'verify the spec is ready', 'run the pre-commission check', 'is this spec ready to hand off', 'gate this before we commission'.
category	specification-driven-development
triggers	["verify the spec is ready","run the pre-commission check","is this spec ready to hand off","gate this before we commission"]
tier	1
agents	["primary"]
tool_dependencies	["file_system"]
inputs	[{"name":"spec_path","type":"string","description":"Path to the specification document to gate before commissioning","required":true}]
outputs	[{"name":"checklist_result","type":"string","description":"Completed pre-implementation checklist confirming vision clarity, technical readiness, plan completeness, and codebase alignment"}]

Pre-Implementation Checklist Skill

Version: 1.1
Created: 2026-02-04
Author: Manus AI
Purpose: To provide a final quality gate before handing a specification to an autonomous development agent, ensuring all prerequisites are met for a successful implementation.

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I. The Philosophy of Preparing the Way

Handing a specification to an autonomous implementation agent is an act of trust. It is a request for a great work to be done. The Pre-Implementation Checklist is an act of care that precedes this request. It is the ritual of preparing the way, of ensuring that the path for the builder is clear, the materials are ready, and the destination is unambiguous.

By completing this checklist, we honor the builder's time and energy. We minimize the risk of confusion, rework, and failure. We transform the handoff from a hopeful toss over the wall into a deliberate and respectful commissioning.

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II. When to Use This Skill

• Always use this skill as the final step before committing a Final specification document.
• Use it as a final review gate before commissioning an implementation agent.
• Use it to sanity-check a development plan before execution begins.

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III. The Checklist Workflow

Step 0: Track 0 — Pre-Commission Alignment Check

Before appending the quality checklist, run a pre-commission alignment check. This catches spec-to-codebase drift that accumulates between when a spec was written and when implementation begins.

When to run: Always. Before every commission. Especially when there is a time gap between writing the spec and commissioning the work, or when the codebase has changed since the spec was authored.

The Track 0 process:

1. Read the actual codebase — not assumptions from the spec. Run repo-context-sync or manually inspect:

   • Types and interfaces that the spec references
   • API endpoints and their current signatures
   • File structure and import patterns
   • Existing test infrastructure

2. Read the implementation prompts — compare what the prompt assumes exists vs. what actually exists.

3. Identify every mismatch — between spec assumptions and codebase reality. Common mismatches:

   • Types referenced in the spec that don't exist yet
   • APIs the spec assumes that have different signatures