| name | gov-init |
| description | ALWAYS invoke when the user wants to install or update the governance policy in CLAUDE.md. Triggers:"gov init","install governance policy","set up governance". NOT for running a decision (use govern) or auditing artifacts (use gov-review). |
| argument-hint | [project|global] [--force] [--uninstall] |
| model | sonnet |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion |
Gov Init
Overview
Install the mz-gov governance policy into CLAUDE.md so Claude proactively reaches for the govern pipeline on substantial, ambiguous decisions. The policy is injected as a single sentinel-wrapped block — idempotent on re-run, cleanly removable on --uninstall. This is the only delivery mode: the block goes into CLAUDE.md, nothing else.
When to Use
Triggers: "gov init", "install governance policy", "set up governance", "add govern policy to CLAUDE.md".
When NOT to use
- The user wants to run a governance decision on a change — use
govern.
- The user wants to audit existing artifacts — use
gov-review.
- The user wants to edit the policy text itself — open the injected block in
CLAUDE.md directly, or re-run with --force after editing the source.
CLAUDE.md is managed by another tool and must not be touched.
Arguments
project (default) → inject into ./CLAUDE.mdglobal → inject into ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md--force → replace the existing policy block in place (only between the sentinels)--uninstall → remove the policy block previously installed by this skill
Parse from $ARGUMENTS. Unknown or conflicting tokens → AskUserQuestion; never guess.
Core Process
| Phase | Goal | Details |
|---|
| 0 | Setup | Inline below |
| 1 | Install / update / uninstall | phases/run.md |
Phase 0: Setup
- Parse
$ARGUMENTS: scope (project/global, default project), --force, --uninstall. Unknown or conflicting token → AskUserQuestion.
task_name = <YYYY_MM_DD>_gov-init_<slug> where <YYYY_MM_DD> is today's date (underscores) and <slug> is a snake_case summary of the args (e.g. project, global_uninstall, max 20 chars). On same-day collision append _v2, _v3.- Create
.mz/task/<task_name>/.
- Write
state.md with schema_version: 2 as its first line, then Status: running, Phase: 0, Started: <ISO>, phase_complete: false, what_remains: [], Scope: <project|global>, Force: <bool>, Uninstall: <bool>, Action: <pending>, Target: <resolved path>.
- Emit setup block: task_name, scope, resolved target path, mode flags.
The approval gate in phases/run.md must run before any write to CLAUDE.md. A single run-level confirmation covers the write.
Read phases/run.md and proceed to Phase 1.
Techniques
Techniques: delegated to phase file — see the Phase Overview table above.
Common Rationalizations
N/A — this is a setup/reference skill, not a discipline gate.
Red Flags
Red Flags: delegated to phase file — see the Phase Overview table above.
Verification
Verification: delegated to phase file — after install, grep CLAUDE.md for exactly one mz-gov:governance-policy start sentinel (zero after uninstall). See phases/run.md.
Error Handling
- Empty / ambiguous / conflicting argument → AskUserQuestion; never guess.
- Missing tooling — if
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} is unset or skills/gov-init/policy/governance-policy.md is not readable, AskUserQuestion with the failing path.
CLAUDE.md unreadable or unwritable → AskUserQuestion with the exact path and error; never fall back silently.- Duplicate
mz-gov:governance-policy sentinels found (manual edit or prior bug) → stop, report the conflicting lines, ask the user to resolve before re-running.
- Plugin version unreadable → use the literal
unknown for the version tag and note it in the report.
State Management
State persists to .mz/task/<task_name>/state.md. Schema is v2: the file's first line is schema_version: 2, and alongside the skill's existing Status / Phase / Started keys it carries phase_complete (boolean) and what_remains (YAML list of strings). Set phase_complete: false on phase entry and true once the phase's artifacts are written and its gates pass; refresh what_remains on every phase transition; what_remains MUST be [] when Status: complete. On reading a schema_version: 1 or unversioned file, add the missing keys, set schema_version: 2, and log the upgrade.
Record Action: (installed | replaced | skipped | removed) and the resolved Target: after Phase 1. Never rely on conversation memory for cross-phase state — context compaction destroys specific paths and decisions.
