validate-plan

name	validate-plan
description	Validate implementation against plan, verify success criteria, and identify issues. Use after implementing a plan to ensure all requirements were met correctly.
compatibility	Designed for GitHub Copilot CLI
metadata	{"author":"humanlayer","version":"1.0","original-source":"https://github.com/humanlayer/humanlayer"}

Validate Plan

You are tasked with validating that an implementation plan was correctly executed, verifying all success criteria and identifying any deviations or issues.

Initial Setup

When invoked:

1. Determine context - Are you in an existing conversation or starting fresh?

   • If existing: Review what was implemented in this session
   • If fresh: Need to discover what was done through git and codebase analysis

2. Locate the plan:

   • If plan path provided, use it
   • Otherwise, search recent commits for plan references or ask user

3. Gather implementation evidence:

   # Check recent commits
   git --no-pager log --oneline -n 20
   git --no-pager diff HEAD~N..HEAD  # Where N covers implementation commits
   
   # Run comprehensive checks
   npm test  # or make test, etc.
   

Validation Process

Step 1: Context Discovery

If starting fresh or need more context:

1. Read the implementation plan completely

2. Identify what should have changed:

   • List all files that should be modified
   • Note all success criteria (automated and manual)
   • Identify key functionality to verify

3. Spawn parallel research tasks using task tool with explore agent:

   • Verify database/schema changes match plan
   • Compare actual code changes to plan specifications
   • Check if tests were added/modified as specified

Step 2: Systematic Validation

For each phase in the plan:

1. Check completion status:

   • Look for checkmarks in the plan (- [x])
   • Verify the actual code matches claimed completion

2. Run automated verification:

   • Execute each command from "Automated Verification"
   • Document pass/fail status
   • If failures, investigate root cause

3. Assess manual criteria:

   • List what needs manual testing
   • Provide clear steps for user verification

4. Think deeply about edge cases:

   • Were error conditions handled?
   • Are there missing validations?
   • Could the implementation break existing functionality?

Step 3: Generate Validation Report

Create comprehensive validation summary:

## Validation Report: [Plan Name]

### Implementation Status
✓ Phase 1: [Name] - Fully implemented
✓ Phase 2: [Name] - Fully implemented
⚠️ Phase 3: [Name] - Partially implemented (see issues)

### Automated Verification Results
✓ Build passes
✓ Tests pass
✗ Linting issues (3 warnings)

### Code Review Findings

#### Matches Plan:
- [Implementation detail that matches]
- [Another correct implementation]

#### Deviations from Plan:
- Used different approach in [file:line]
- Added extra validation in [file:line] (improvement)

#### Potential Issues:
- [Issue found]
- [Another concern]

### Manual Testing Required:
1. UI functionality:
   - [ ] Verify [feature] appears correctly
   - [ ] Test error states with invalid input

2. Integration:
   - [ ] Confirm works with existing [component]

### Recommendations:
- Address linting warnings before merge
- Consider adding test for [scenario]

Working with Existing Context

If you were part of the implementation:

• Review the conversation history
• Check your todo list for what was completed
• Focus validation on work done in this session
• Be honest about any shortcuts or incomplete items

Important Guidelines

1. Be thorough but practical - Focus on what matters
2. Run all automated checks - Don't skip verification commands
3. Document everything - Both successes and issues
4. Think critically - Question if the implementation truly solves the problem
5. Consider maintenance - Will this be maintainable long-term?

Validation Checklist

Always verify:

• All phases marked complete are actually done
• Automated tests pass
• Code follows existing patterns
• No regressions introduced
• Error handling is robust
• Documentation updated if needed
• Manual test steps are clear