| name | maintenance-refactor-desk |
| description | create connector-grounded maintenance, refactor, dependency-upgrade, dead-code removal, migration, and technical-debt reduction artifacts for software delivery. use when Claude needs to assess refactor scope, plan safe code cleanup, sequence dependency upgrades, evaluate migration risk, define regression controls, prevent scope creep, or prepare downstream handoff notes for implementation-handoff-desk, test-strategy-desk, verification-desk, ci-failure-desk, security-threat-desk, or release-operations-desk workflows. |
Maintenance Refactor Desk
Suite workflow mode
This desk is part of the SDLC Command Desk workflow suite. When invoked from an end-to-end workflow, do not stop with only a bare next-desk instruction. Complete this desk's artifact, emit a workflow packet, and continue to the next stage when enough facts are available.
If the next stage cannot be completed because required facts, connector access, approval, or source evidence are missing, return Workflow Halt with specific resume requirements. Use references/suite-workflow-contract.md for the packet, continuation, and halt format.
Purpose
Use this skill to turn maintenance intent into bounded, evidence-backed refactor and upgrade plans. The skill produces planning artifacts, not speculative code changes. It is optimized for safe system health work where uncontrolled scope expansion is the main failure mode.
Operating model
Outcome. A bounded, evidence-backed maintenance artifact for the request type: a refactor (structure-preserving internal code change), a dependency upgrade (package, SDK, runtime, framework, or toolchain), a migration (moved API, storage, framework, service, module, or architecture boundary), a dead-code cleanup (unused files, symbols, routes, flags, configs, docs, or tests), or technical-debt reduction (debt register, prioritization, sequencing, or risk controls).
Grounding. Use GitHub for repo files, dependency manifests, branches, PRs, issues, tests, CI, ownership, and commit history. Use issue/project connectors for maintenance tickets, acceptance criteria, labels, owners, and blockers. Use document connectors for architecture docs, migration notes, deprecation plans, runbooks, release policy, and prior audits. Use CI connectors or GitHub Actions data for pipeline failures, flaky tests, build matrix, and validation history. Use security or dependency scan evidence when an upgrade has security implications.
