closing-the-loop

name	closing-the-loop
description	Closed-loop planning discipline for non-trivial changes. Use when creating implementation plans, reviewing plan completeness, or preparing PRs that require structured planning evidence.

Closed-Loop Planning

Formalize implementation plans so every non-trivial change has a clear contract between planning and verification. The 9 required sections close the loop between "what we plan" and "what we enforce."

When to Use

• Before implementing any non-trivial change (3+ files, new features, policy work)
• When creating or reviewing implementation plans in plan mode
• When preparing PR bodies that need structured planning evidence
• Skip for trivial changes (< 3 files, docs-only, single-line fixes)

Required Plan Sections

Every non-trivial plan must include all 9 sections. Order is flexible; names accept alternatives.

1. Goal / Signal

What does success look like? What observable signal confirms this work landed correctly?

## Goal / Signal

After this lands:
- Observable signal: <what changes in the system>
- User-facing impact: <what users see differently>

Alternatives: Objective

2. Scope

What is in scope and what is explicitly out of scope for this change?

## Scope

**In scope:**
- Item A
- Item B

**Out of scope:**
- Item C (future PR)

3. TDD Matrix

Map each requirement to its test. This is the contract between what we build and how we verify it.

## TDD Matrix

| Requirement | Test | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feature X works | `test_feature_x` | unit |
| API returns 200 | `test_api_returns_200` | integration |

Alternatives: Test Matrix

4. Implementation Steps

Ordered steps with enough detail that another agent could execute them. Group by TDD phase (Red/Green/Refactor) when applicable.

## Implementation Steps

### Phase 1: Red
1. Write failing test for X

### Phase 2: Green
2. Implement X to pass test

### Phase 3: Refactor
3. Clean up implementation

Alternatives: Approach

5. Verification Matrix

Concrete commands and expected results. Every claim in the plan maps to a verification step.

## Verification Matrix

| Check | Command | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|
| Tests pass | `pytest tests/ -v` | All green |
| Lint clean | `shellcheck scripts/*.sh` | No errors |

Alternatives: Verification Checklist

Manual workaround rule: If any verification step requires an ad-hoc manual workaround (chmod/chown, container edits, one-off env vars, etc.) outside documented code, automation, or runbooks, treat it as a blocker. See Guardrails in AGENTS.md for required response and merge recommendation semantics.

6. CI / Drift Gates

What CI checks enforce this change? What drift could occur and how is it caught?

## CI / Drift Gates

- **New gate:** `check_foo.py` runs on PRs
- **Existing gates preserved:** bats, compose, shellcheck
- **Drift risk:** If X changes, Y catches it

Alternatives: CI Gates, Drift Gates

7. Risks & Mitigations

What could go wrong and how do we prevent or handle it?

## Risks & Mitigations

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| X breaks Y | Low | High | Guard with Z |

8. Definition of Done

Checkbox list of all conditions that must be true before this work is complete.

## Definition of Done

- [ ] All tests pass
- [ ] CI green
- [ ] Docs updated
- [ ] Line count constraints met

Alternatives: Done Criteria

9. Stop Conditions / Out-of-Scope

When should work stop? What explicit boundaries prevent scope creep?

## Stop Conditions

**Stop if:**
- X exceeds threshold Y
- Approach Z proves unviable

**Out of scope:**
- Future enhancement A
- Unrelated refactor B

Alternatives: Out of Scope, Out-of-Scope

Plan Checklist

Copy into your plan and check off as you complete each section:

- [ ] Goal / Signal
- [ ] Scope
- [ ] TDD Matrix
- [ ] Implementation Steps
- [ ] Verification Matrix
- [ ] CI / Drift Gates
- [ ] Risks & Mitigations
- [ ] Definition of Done
- [ ] Stop Conditions

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Fix
Vague goal ("improve things")	No observable signal to verify	State concrete before/after
TDD matrix without test names	Can't verify tests were written	Name every test function
Steps without phase grouping	Unclear when to test vs. implement	Group by Red/Green/Refactor
Missing stop conditions	Scope creep goes unchecked	Define explicit boundaries
Verification without commands	"It works" isn't evidence	Include exact commands + expected output
Risks without mitigations	Identified but unaddressed	Every risk needs a mitigation
DoD without checkboxes	Can't track completion	Use - [ ] for each condition
Scope without "out of scope"	Boundaries are implicit	Explicitly list what you won't do
CI section says "existing" only	Doesn't explain new enforcement	Document new gates + drift risks
Verification via ad-hoc manual workaround	Root cause unknown, fix isn't durable, breaks on redeploy	Identify root cause, determine least-privilege fix, state merge recommendation: patch first (default), split follow-up (only if safe to ship independently, no security regression, no redeploy breakage), or merge now (only if no real workaround needed or durable fix already in PR)

CI Enforcement

The check_plan_closed_loop.py script validates plan sections:

• Advisory mode (default): Warns on missing sections, exits 0
• Strict mode (PLAN_CLOSED_LOOP_STRICT=1): Fails on missing sections, exits 1
• Skips: docs-only PRs, trivial PRs (< 3 files)
• Sources: checks PR body + changed .claude/plans/*.md files

Integration with PR Workflow

This skill maps to step 2 of the Required PR Workflow in AGENTS.md:

1. Orient — /primer
2. Plan — /closing-the-loop (this skill)
3. Implement — Red/Green/Refactor
4. Verify — run commands from Verification Matrix

References

• Policy: AGENTS.md (non-negotiable 6, PR workflow step 2)
• CI check: scripts/checks/check_plan_closed_loop.py
• Tests: tests/checks/test_check_plan_closed_loop.py
• Best practices: .github/docs/best-practices.md (section 2)
• Contribution workflow: .github/docs/contribution-workflow.md
• Planner agent: .github/agents/planner.md