Pipeline Phase Guide

Pipeline Phase Guide

Purpose

This Skill provides intelligent navigation through your 7-phase Spec Kit + CCGC pipeline:

Phase 0 → Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3 → Phase 4 → Phase 5 → Phase 6 → (repeat)
        PLANNING PHASES              IMPLEMENTATION PHASES
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
          Spec Kit (what/​how)        CCGC (build/​validate)

Key Problem Solved: Maintains context across multiple projects with different phases, preventing confusion about "which feature is at which phase?"

---

The 7-Phase Pipeline Explained

Phase 0: Undefined (No Feature Active)

• When: Starting new feature or completed previous feature
• Files: None yet
• Next: Create specification
• Slash Command: /​specify "feature description"
• Time: Variable

Phase 1: Specification (What to Build?)

• When: User has written feature specification
• Files: specs/###-feature-name/​spec.md exists
• Output: Feature ID, scope, requirements, success criteria
• Next: Design the implementation
• Slash Command: /​plan
• Time: 1-2 hours

Phase 2: Planning (How to Design?)

• When: Design decisions made, architecture defined
• Files: plan.md created, auto-synced to memory/​architecture.md
• Output: Technical approach, file structure, data model, API contracts
• Next: Break down into tasks
• Slash Command: /​tasks
• Time: 2-4 hours

Phase 3: Task Breakdown (What's the Work?)

• When: Tasks generated and ready for implementation
• Files: tasks.md created, auto-synced to memory/​tasks_plan.md
• Output: TDD-ordered tasks, dependencies, time estimates
• Next: Start implementation
• Slash Command: @agent-implementer or say "ready to code"
• Time: 30 minutes

Phase 4: Implementation (Build It!)

• When: Tasks being executed, code being written
• Files: Source code files modified, tests created
• Output: New feature, tests passing
• Next: Run validation suite
• Slash Command: /​test-run, /​standards-check
• Time: 4-8 hours (depends on feature)

Phase 5: Validation (Did We Get It Right?)

• When: Code complete, tests passing, standards checked
• Files: All tests passing, no PHPStan/​ESLint errors
• Output: Validated implementation, ready for deployment
• Next: Capture learnings
• Slash Command: /​memory-sync
• Time: 1-2 hours

Phase 6: Learning & Completion (What Did We Learn?)

• When: Memory synced, feature complete
• Files: lessons-learned.md updated, error-documentation.md updated
• Output: Team insights, documented patterns
• Next: Create PR or start new feature
• Action: Merge to main or create PR
• Time: 30 minutes

---

How It Works

Automatic Phase Detection

The Skill determines current phase by checking file existence:

Check sequence:
1. Does specs/###-feature-name/​spec.md exist?
   NO  → Phase 0 (Undefined)
   YES → Continue

2. Does plan.md exist in spec directory?
   NO  → Phase 1 (Specification complete, planning needed)
   YES → Continue

3. Does tasks.md exist?
   NO  → Phase 2 (Planning complete, tasks needed)
   YES → Continue

4. Are there incomplete tasks in tasks_plan.md?
   YES → Phase 4 (Implementation in progress)
   NO  → Check tests

5. Are tests passing?
   NO  → Phase 4 (Still implementing)
   YES → Phase 5 (Validation phase)

6. Is memory synced?
   NO  → Phase 5 (Validation, need sync)
   YES → Phase 6 (Complete)

Phase-Specific Guidance

For each phase, the Skill provides:

1. Current State: What's been completed
2. Next Action: Specific next step (slash command or user action)
3. Prerequisites: What must be done first
4. Estimated Time: How long this phase typically takes
5. Warnings: Any blockers or issues

Transition Validation (Enhanced v2.0.0)

Before recommending transition to next phase, Skill validates:

Phase 0 → 1 (Start Specification):

• Git repo clean
• No conflicting features in progress
• Constitution ratified (optional, NEW v2.0.0)

Phase 1 → 2 (Start Planning):

• Spec complete (no [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers)
• Stakeholder approval obtained
• Requirements clear and achievable
• Quality Gate 1 - Clarity Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Requirements unambiguous
  • Success criteria measurable
  • Scope well-defined

Phase 2 → 3 (Start Task Breakdown):

• Plan has Constitution Check completed (if constitution exists)
• Technical approach finalized
• No outstanding questions
• Quality Gate 2 - Testability Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Test strategy defined
  • Test framework selected
  • TDD approach documented
• Quality Gate 3 - Boundary Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Architectural boundaries defined
  • Component interfaces specified
  • No circular dependencies

Phase 3 → 4 (Start Implementation):

• Memory context loaded (/​memory-read run)
• No conflicting changes on main branch
• Development environment ready
• Tests written (TDD requirement, NEW v2.0.0)
• Plugins loaded (if project uses plugins, NEW v2.0.0)
• Validators warmed (if plugins exist, NEW v2.0.0)

Phase 4 → 5 (Start Validation):

• All tasks completed
• All tests passing
• Code standards passing (linter/​formatter)
• No uncommitted changes
• Quality Gate 4 - Coverage Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Test coverage >80%
  • Critical paths covered
  • Edge cases tested
• Quality Gate 5 - Security Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • No SQL injection risks
  • No hardcoded secrets
  • Input validation implemented

Phase 5 → 6 (Start Learning):

• Tests passing (confirmed)
• Performance targets met
• Documentation complete
• Ready for memory sync
• Quality Gate 6 - Maintainability Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Code reviewed (self or peer)
  • Complex logic documented
  • Technical debt minimized

Phase 6 → 0 (Complete Feature):

• PR merged or changes committed
• Memory synced
• Lessons documented
• Quality Gate 7 - Documentation Gate (NEW v2.0.0):
  • Lessons learned captured
  • Patterns documented
  • Known issues recorded

---

Examples

Example 1: Initial Feature Discovery

User Input: "What phases do I need to go through?"

Skill Output:

🧭 SPEC KIT + CCGC PIPELINE (7 Phases)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

┌─ PLANNING (Spec Kit - Upstream) ─┐
│                                   │
│  Phase 1: SPECIFICATION           │
│  └─ Create spec.md with feature   │
│     requirements, scope, success  │
│     criteria                       │
│                                   │
│  Phase 2: PLANNING                │
│  └─ Design implementation         │
│     approach, file structure,     │
│     data model, API contracts     │
│                                   │
│  Phase 3: TASK BREAKDOWN          │
│  └─ Break design into tasks       │
│     (TDD-ordered, estimated)      │
│                                   │
└─ IMPLEMENTATION CHECKPOINT ────────┘
              ↓
┌─ IMPLEMENTATION (CCGC - Downstream) ┐
│                                      │
│  Phase 4: IMPLEMENTATION             │
│  └─ Execute tasks, write code,       │
│     tests before implementation      │
│                                      │
│  Phase 5: VALIDATION                 │
│  └─ Run tests, standards checks,     │
│     verify performance               │
│                                      │
│  Phase 6: LEARNING                   │
│  └─ Capture insights,                │
│     documented patterns,             │
│     sync memory                      │
│                                      │
└─ COMPLETION CHECKPOINT ──────────────┘
              ↓
      Start next feature (Phase 0)

🎯 EACH PHASE INCLUDES:
   - Specific slash commands to execute
   - Files created as outputs
   - Quality gates to pass
   - Estimated time

💡 QUICK START:
   New feature? → /​specify "description"
   Have spec? → /​plan
   Have plan? → /​tasks
   Ready to code? → "ready to code" (quick-start Skill)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

---

Example 2: Multi-Project Phase Tracking

User Input: "What phases are my projects in?"

Skill Output:

🧭 MULTI-PROJECT PHASE STATUS
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Project 1: /​Users/​dev/​dev_IECPN
├─ Current Phase: 4 - IMPLEMENTATION (Active)
├─ Feature: #006 - PHI Logging Cleanup
├─ Progress: 0/​26 tasks complete
├─ Next: @agent-implementer
└─ Status: Ready to start

Project 2: /​Users/​dev/​api-refactor
├─ Current Phase: 2 - PLANNING (Active)
├─ Feature: #012 - API Gateway
├─ Progress: plan.md created, no tasks
├─ Next: /​tasks to generate breakdown
└─ Status: Planning phase complete

Project 3: /​Users/​dev/​ml-pipeline
├─ Current Phase: 1 - SPECIFICATION (Paused)
├─ Feature: #008 - ML Model Pipeline
├─ Progress: spec.md created
├─ Next: /​plan to design approach
└─ Status: Waiting for planning

💡 NEXT ACTIONS BY PROJECT:
   dev_IECPN → Start: @agent-implementer (immediate)
   api-refactor → Run: /​tasks (before next work)
   ml-pipeline → Continue: /​plan (when ready)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

---

Example 3: Guided Phase Transition with Quality Gates (NEW v2.0.0)

User Input: "I'm ready to move from planning to implementation"

Skill Output:

🧭 PHASE TRANSITION: Planning → Implementation (v2.0.0)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Current: Phase 2 - PLANNING
Target: Phase 3-4 - TASK BREAKDOWN → IMPLEMENTATION

✅ Prerequisites Validation:
   [✓] Plan created (plan.md exists)
   [✓] Technical approach finalized
   [✓] No outstanding questions
   [✓] Git working tree clean

⚖️  QUALITY GATES VALIDATION (NEW v2.0.0):
   Constitution: Found (7 principles, 7 gates)

   Gate 2 - Testability Gate:
   [✓] Test strategy defined (TDD with pytest)
   [✓] Test framework documented in plan.md
   [✓] Test-first approach specified in tasks
   Status: ✅ PASSED

   Gate 3 - Boundary Gate:
   [✓] Architectural boundaries defined
   [✓] Component interfaces specified in architecture.md
   [✓] No circular dependencies detected
   Status: ✅ PASSED

   Overall: 2/​2 gates passed for this transition
   Status: ✅ CLEAR TO PROCEED

🎯 REQUIRED NEXT STEP:
   Generate task breakdown: /​tasks

   This will:
   1. Parse plan.md for implementation approach
   2. Generate TDD-ordered task list
   3. Estimate effort per task
   4. Validate against quality gates
   5. Create tasks.md in specs/###-feature/
   6. Auto-sync to memory/​tasks_plan.md

⏱️  Estimated: 5-10 minutes

🎯 AFTER /​tasks COMPLETES:
   Say: "ready to code"
   This will activate quick-start Skill to:
   1. Load full development context
   2. Validate phase and prerequisites
   3. Run constitutional pre-flight checks
   4. Load project plugins (if any)
   5. Warm validator cache
   6. Present next task
   7. Confirm readiness
   8. Guide to @agent-implementer

📊 TYPICAL FLOW (v2.0.0):
   /​plan → (create plan.md)
   /​constitution-check → (validate against gates) [if constitution exists]
   /​tasks → (create tasks.md with quality gate validation)
   "ready to code" → (quick-start with plugin loading)
   @agent-implementer → (execute tasks)

Ready to proceed?

With Quality Gate Failure:

🧭 PHASE TRANSITION: Planning → Implementation
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

❌ TRANSITION BLOCKED

⚖️  QUALITY GATES VALIDATION:
   Gate 2 - Testability Gate:
   [✓] Test strategy defined
   [❌] Test framework NOT documented
   [❌] TDD approach missing from plan
   Status: ❌ FAILED

   Gate 3 - Boundary Gate:
   [✓] Architectural boundaries defined
   [⚠️] Component interfaces partially specified
   [✓] No circular dependencies
   Status: ⚠️ WARNING

   Overall: 0/​2 gates passed, 1 warning
   Status: ❌ CANNOT PROCEED

🎯 REQUIRED ACTIONS:
   1. Update plan.md with:
      - Test framework selection (pytest/​jest/​etc)
      - TDD approach documentation
      - Test-first task ordering

   2. Fix warnings:
      - Complete component interface specifications
      - Document API contracts in architecture.md

   3. Re-run: "ready to move from planning to implementation"
      to re-validate quality gates

⏱️  Estimated fix time: 15-20 minutes

📚 REFERENCE:
   Constitution: .specify/​memory/​constitution.md
   Principles: II (Testability), III (Boundary Respect)
   Quality Gate Docs: Check principle requirements

Cannot proceed until gates pass.

---

Example 4: Phase Mismatch Detection

User Input: "Start coding" (but actually in planning phase)

Skill Output:

⚠️  PHASE MISMATCH

Current State:
├─ Phase: 2 - PLANNING
├─ Feature: #012 - API Gateway
└─ Issue: Can't implement without task breakdown

What's Been Done:
✓ Specification (spec.md)
✓ Planning (plan.md)

What's Missing:
❌ Task Breakdown (tasks.md)

🎯 REQUIRED STEP:
   Run: /​tasks

   This generates:
   - TDD-ordered task list
   - Effort estimates
   - Dependency information
   - Parallel opportunities

⏱️  Time: ~5 minutes

After /​tasks:
   Then: "ready to code" → Implementation

Can't skip this step because:
   - @agent-implementer requires tasks.md
   - No tasks = no execution plan
   - Task breakdown is critical quality gate

Proceed?

---

Cross-Project State Management

State Tracking File

Location: ~/​.claude/​skills/​phase-guide/​state.json

Purpose: Remember phase for each project

Format:

{
  "projects": {
    "/​Users/​dev/​dev_IECPN": {
      "currentPhase": 4,
      "featureId": "006",
      "featureName": "PHI Logging Cleanup",
      "branch": "006-feature-006-logging",
      "lastUpdate": "2025-10-17T10:30:00Z",
      "contextFreshness": "current",
      "lastAction": "@agent-implementer started"
    },
    "/​Users/​dev/​api-refactor": {
      "currentPhase": 2,
      "featureId": "012",
      "featureName": "API Gateway",
      "branch": "012-api-gateway",
      "lastUpdate": "2025-10-16T14:15:00Z",
      "contextFreshness": "stale",
      "lastAction": "/​plan completed"
    }
  },
  "lastActiveProject": "/​Users/​dev/​dev_IECPN",
  "lastSync": "2025-10-17T10:30:00Z"
}

Auto-Update Mechanism

State file updates when:

1. Phase transition detected
2. New feature started
3. User switches projects
4. Memory sync occurs
5. Major milestone reached

Multi-Project Context Switching

Scenario: User switches from Project A to Project B

Skill Behavior:

1. Detects new project (different directory)
2. Looks up Project B state in state.json
3. Reports previous phase for Project B
4. Shows tasks left off at
5. Guides resumption

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Integration with Other Skills

Relationship to context-navigator:

• context-navigator: "Where am I?" (current snapshot)
• phase-guide: "What's next?" (workflow guidance)
• Flow: See state → Understand phase → Navigate transitions

Relationship to quick-start:

• phase-guide: Detects if you're in right phase for coding
• quick-start: Validates and loads context
• Flow: phase-guide says "ready", quick-start confirms "READY"

Relationship to memory-keeper:

• phase-guide: Tracks phase transitions
• memory-keeper: Keeps memory fresh during phase
• Flow: Transition occurs → memory-keeper keeps data current

---

Troubleshooting

Issue: Skill says you're in Phase 1 but you know tasks exist

Cause: tasks.md might be in wrong location

Check:

find . -name "tasks.md" -type f
# Should find: specs/###-feature-name/​tasks.md

Fix: Verify tasks.md is in correct location

---

Issue: State.json shows wrong phase for a project

Cause: Phase detection failed or state not synced

Fix: Say "sync state" to force re-detect and update

---

Performance

This Skill performs:

• Phase detection (file checks)
• State file reads/​writes
• Cross-project tracking
• Quality gate validation (NEW v2.0.0)
• Constitution parsing (NEW v2.0.0)

Expected execution time: <300ms (with constitution and quality gates) Expected execution time: <200ms (v1.0.0 mode, no constitution) Side effects: Updates state.json (intentional)

---

Graceful Degradation (NEW v2.0.0)

This skill is backward compatible and works without v2.0.0 features:

Without Constitution (v1.0.0 mode):

⚖️  QUALITY GATES VALIDATION
   Constitution: Not ratified
   Quality Gates: Skipped (v1.0.0 compatibility)
   Status: ✅ Proceeding without constitutional governance

• All phase transitions work normally
• Prerequisites checked as in v1.0.0
• No quality gate validation

Without Quality Gate Cache:

• Reads constitution directly (slower by ~50ms)
• Parses principles on-demand
• No functional differences

Partial Quality Gate Failures:

• Shows which gates passed/​failed
• Provides specific remediation steps
• Blocks transition only if CRITICAL gates fail
• WARN/​MEDIUM gates show warnings but allow proceed

Missing v2.0.0 Directories:

No .claude/​cache/​principle-registry.json → Parse constitution directly
No .specify/​memory/​constitution.md → Skip quality gates, v1.0.0 mode

Multi-Project State Handling:

• Works with or without state.json
• Falls back to file-based detection if state missing
• Creates state.json on first use

This ensures:

1. Smooth v1.0.0 → v2.0.0 migration
2. Works without constitution
3. Quality gates optional, not required
4. No breaking changes

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What This Skill Does NOT Do

• ❌ Does NOT execute tasks (use @agent-implementer)
• ❌ Does NOT run /​memory-sync (use memory-keeper Skill or /​memory-sync)
• ❌ Does NOT modify code (read-only diagnostic)
• ❌ Does NOT make decisions for you (guidance only)
• ❌ Does NOT enforce quality gates (only validates and warns) (NEW v2.0.0)
• ❌ Does NOT fix constitutional violations (provides remediation guidance)

This Skill navigates workflow. Slash commands and agents execute the work.