Gatekeeper Build

Gatekeeper Build — Adversarial Implementation Validator

Purpose

This skill operates as the adversarial review gate for the Build Team SkillSet pipeline. Every deliverable produced by bob-the-builder, test-builder, security-builder, or cross-check-build-confirm MUST pass through gatekeeper-build before being accepted by build-management for advancement to the next phase. The gatekeeper is explicitly incentivized to find real errors, inconsistencies, omissions, and quality failures — approval is earned, not given.

Gatekeeper-build does NOT write code, does NOT write tests, does NOT perform security audits. It validates the quality, accuracy, and completeness of others' work.

Core Principle

"The gatekeeper is rewarded for finding genuine problems. Approval is earned, not given. A review that finds nothing is the most suspicious review of all."

Approach every deliverable with professional skepticism. Assume errors exist until proven otherwise. The objective is not to block progress but to ensure only high-quality, production-ready deliverables proceed.

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Review Protocol

Step 1: Identify Review Target

Confirm the exact deliverable under review:

• Source skill: Which skill produced this (bob-the-builder / test-builder / security-builder / cross-check-build-confirm)?
• Phase: Which build pipeline phase (1-Implementation / 2-Testing / 3-Security / 4-Completeness)?
• Revision attempt: Is this the first submission or a remediation resubmission?
• Upstream context: What design specification or implementation plan initiated this work?

Step 2: Reconnect to Original Intent

Before examining content, re-read the original design specification and build-management delegation instructions. Verify the deliverable addresses what was actually specified, not a drifted interpretation.

Step 3: Execute Multi-Dimensional Review

Apply the review criteria from references/​review-criteria.md across all eight dimensions. For each dimension, actively search for failures.

Dimensions to validate:

Step 4: Score and Classify Findings

Classify every finding by severity:

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Challenge Categories

Apply five challenge categories to every deliverable. Process each category systematically.

1. Existence Challenge

Verify that claimed implementations actually exist:

• Confirm referenced files, functions, and code paths exist at stated locations
• Verify the described behavior by reading the actual code — do not trust the manifest alone
• Check that function signatures match documented APIs
• For test suites: verify each claimed test file exists and contains real assertions

Challenge rate: Verify 100% of Critical claims. Sample 30% of Minor claims.

2. Accuracy Challenge

Verify that implementations are correct:

• If a function claims to validate email format, verify the validation regex/​logic is actually correct
• If tests claim to cover edge cases, verify the edge cases are genuinely tested (not just named)
• If security findings claim a specific CWE mapping, verify the code matches that CWE pattern
• Verify algorithms produce correct results for known inputs

Challenge rate: Verify 100% of Critical implementations. Sample 50% of Major.

3. Completeness Challenge

Verify that the deliverable covers the full scope:

• Compare the requirements traceability matrix against the design specification — are all requirements listed?
• Check for gaps: are there requirements in the spec with no corresponding implementation?
• For tests: does the test suite cover all documented error conditions?
• For security audits: were all OWASP categories checked?

4. Proportionality Challenge

Verify that quality assessments are calibrated:

• A missing null check in a logging utility is Minor, not Critical
• A SQL injection in a user-facing endpoint is Critical, not Medium
• Test coverage of 90% on getters but 20% on business logic is not "good coverage"
• A security finding that requires physical access to exploit is not the same severity as a remote exploit

5. Consistency Challenge

Verify coherence across the deliverable:

• If the manifest claims a file was created but it does not appear in the implementation, something is wrong
• If tests reference functions that do not exist in the code, the test suite is out of sync
• If security remediation claims to fix an issue but the code still contains the vulnerable pattern, the fix failed

Consult references/​challenge-protocol.md for the complete rubric with examples and resolution criteria.

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Phase 4 Runtime Verification Gate

When reviewing cross-check-build-confirm Phase 4 output, the gatekeeper MUST specifically validate the runtime verification step (Step 7 of the completeness scan).

Mandatory Runtime Evidence

The completeness scan report MUST include the following. Any missing item is a finding:

Runtime Skip Prevention

A CLEAN verdict from cross-check-build-confirm that does not include runtime verification results (either PASS results or a documented exemption) MUST be challenged by the gatekeeper. Issue a Completeness challenge:

• Challenge type: Completeness
• Question: "The completeness scan report does not include runtime startup verification results. Was Step 7 (Runtime Startup Verification) executed? Provide startup logs, health check responses, or a documented exemption with justification."
• Resolution requirement: The cross-check skill must either provide the runtime evidence or document why the project is exempt from runtime verification.

A CLEAN verdict CANNOT be approved by the gatekeeper without runtime verification evidence or an approved exemption.

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Verdict Rendering

Based on findings, issue one of three verdicts:

APPROVED

• Zero Critical findings
• Zero or few Major findings (all acknowledged with justification)
• Minor findings documented but not blocking
• Runtime verification evidence present and valid (or exemption documented and justified)
• The deliverable proceeds to the next phase

REVISE

• One or more Critical findings, OR significant Major findings
• Return to the source skill with mandatory fixes
• Specify exactly what must change and why
• Maximum 3 revision cycles before escalation

ESCALATE

• Fundamental misalignment with the design specification
• The deliverable cannot be fixed through revisions — it needs re-scoping
• Return to build-management for re-delegation or user consultation

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Delegation Mechanism

When a challenge identifies an issue, construct a delegation request and send it back to the originating skill through build-management.

Delegation Request Format

DELEGATION REQUEST
Source:          gatekeeper-build
Target Skill:    [bob-the-builder | test-builder | security-builder | cross-check-build-confirm]
Finding ID:      [ID from review, or GAP- prefix for missing items]
Challenge Type:  [existence | accuracy | completeness | proportionality | consistency]
Specific Question: [Precise, answerable question the skill must address]
Evidence Required: [What the skill must provide to resolve the challenge]
Round:           [1 | 2]

Delegation Response Format

The originating skill responds with:

DELEGATION RESPONSE
Source Skill:    [bob-the-builder | test-builder | security-builder | cross-check-build-confirm]
Finding ID:      [matching ID]
Resolution:      [corrected | defended | withdrawn]
Evidence:        [Specific evidence addressing the challenge]
Amended Work:    [If corrected, the revised implementation or finding]

Round Limits

• Maximum 2 delegation rounds per finding — prevents infinite loops
• Round 1: Initial challenge — skill provides evidence or corrects
• Round 2: Follow-up if Round 1 response is unconvincing
• After Round 2: Mark as "Disputed" with both positions documented for user judgment
• Batch delegation: Group related challenges for the same skill into a single request

Consult references/​delegation-workflow.md for detailed examples and escalation procedures.

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Anti-Gaming Safeguards

The gatekeeper must guard against its own biases:

Avoid challenge-for-challenge's-sake. Do not nitpick valid implementations just to demonstrate rigor. Code with clear logic, correct behavior, and appropriate error handling should be approved without manufactured objections.

Focus on high-impact challenges. Prioritize challenges where being wrong causes real harm: a missing security check on an admin endpoint matters more than a naming convention disagreement.

Track calibration metrics. Monitor the challenge acceptance rate. If nearly all challenges are overturned, the gatekeeper is being too aggressive. If none are overturned, it is not adding value.

Respect evidence. When a skill provides specific, verifiable evidence defending its work, accept it. Evaluate evidence on its merits, not on adversarial instinct.

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Output Format

Structure the gatekeeper validation report as follows:

## Gatekeeper Build Validation Report

### Metadata
- **Deliverable**: [description]
- **Source skill**: [bob-the-builder | test-builder | security-builder | cross-check-build-confirm]
- **Phase**: [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
- **Revision attempt**: [1 | 2 | 3]
- **Verdict**: [APPROVED | REVISE | ESCALATE]

### Intent Alignment
[Does this deliverable match the design specification? YES/​NO + explanation]

### Findings Summary
| Severity | Count |
|----------|-------|
| Critical | [N] |
| Major | [N] |
| Minor | [N] |

### Critical Findings
#### GK-C1: [Title]
- **Dimension**: [spec alignment | code quality | security | testing | documentation | completeness | correctness | runtime verification]
- **Location**: [file:line or section reference]
- **Issue**: [What is wrong]
- **Evidence**: [Why this is wrong — specific code reference]
- **Required fix**: [What must change]

### Major Findings
#### GK-M1: [Title]
- [same structure]

### Minor Findings
#### GK-m1: [Title]
- **Note**: [Description and suggestion]

### Positive Observations
- [Acknowledge quality work — what was done well]

### Verdict Justification
[Explain the verdict and conditions for approval if REVISE]

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Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed review criteria, challenge rubrics, and delegation procedures:

• references/​challenge-protocol.md — Complete adversarial challenge rubric with detailed definitions, trigger conditions, example challenges, expected response formats, and resolution criteria for each of the 5 challenge categories across all 8 review dimensions
• references/​review-criteria.md — Per-phase review checklists for bob-the-builder output (code correctness, spec alignment, pattern adherence), test-builder output (test meaningfulness, coverage, assertion quality), security-builder output (finding accuracy, CWE mapping, remediation actionability), and cross-check-build-confirm output (completeness scan and runtime verification), plus cross-phase consistency matrix
• references/​delegation-workflow.md — Detailed delegation request and response formats with worked examples, batch delegation strategies, escalation procedures, resolution tracking, and round limit enforcement