gate-evaluation

Validate phase gate criteria with multi-agent review and generate pass/fail reports.

Triggers

Alternate expressions and non-obvious activations (primary phrases are matched automatically from the skill description):

• "LOM" / "LO check" → Inception exit gate (Lifecycle Objective Milestone)
• "LA" / "ABM" → Elaboration exit gate (Architecture Baseline Milestone)
• "IOC" → Construction exit gate (Initial Operational Capability)
• "PRM" → Transition exit gate (Product Release Milestone)
• "can we ship" → gate readiness shorthand
• "exit criteria for [phase]" → phase-specific gate check

Purpose

This skill validates that all exit criteria for a phase are met before transitioning to the next phase. It orchestrates multiple validators to ensure comprehensive assessment.

Behavior

When triggered, this skill:

1. Identifies target gate:

   • Parse phase name or milestone
   • Load gate criteria for that phase
   • Map criteria to validator agents

2. Inventories artifacts:

   • Check required artifacts exist
   • Verify artifact status (baselined vs draft)
   • Check version requirements

3. Dispatches validators:

   • Launch parallel validators via

     parallel-dispatch

   • Each validator checks their domain criteria
   • Collect pass/fail per criterion

4. Aggregates results:

   • Calculate gate score
   • Identify blocking issues
   • Generate recommendations

5. Produces gate report:

   • Structured report with all criteria
   • Clear pass/fail status
   • Remediation guidance for failures

Gate Definitions

LOM - Lifecycle Objective Milestone (Inception Exit)

gate: LOM
phase: inception
description: Validate problem, vision, and business case

criteria:
  vision:
    description: Vision document exists and is approved
    artifacts: [".aiwg/requirements/vision.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: product-strategist

  business_case:
    description: Business case with ROI justification
    artifacts: [".aiwg/management/business-case.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: executive-orchestrator

  stakeholders:
    description: Stakeholder agreement documented
    artifacts: [".aiwg/management/stakeholder-agreement.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: project-manager

  scope:
    description: Initial scope and boundaries defined
    artifacts: [".aiwg/requirements/scope.md"]
    status: draft  # can be draft at this stage
    validator: requirements-analyst

  risks:
    description: Initial risk list with top 10 risks
    artifacts: [".aiwg/risks/risk-register.md"]
    min_risks: 10
    validator: project-manager

  architecture_sketch:
    description: High-level architecture concept
    artifacts: [".aiwg/architecture/architecture-sketch.md"]
    status: draft
    validator: architecture-designer

  security_screening:
    description: Initial security classification
    artifacts: [".aiwg/security/data-classification.md"]
    validator: security-architect

ABM - Architecture Baseline Milestone (Elaboration Exit)

gate: ABM
phase: elaboration
description: Architecture stable, major risks retired

criteria:
  sad:
    description: Software Architecture Document baselined
    artifacts: [".aiwg/architecture/sad.md"]
    status: baselined
    validator: architecture-designer

  adrs:
    description: Key Architecture Decision Records
    artifacts: [".aiwg/architecture/adr-*.md"]
    min_count: 3
    validator: architecture-designer

  requirements_baseline:
    description: Requirements documented and traced
    artifacts:
      - ".aiwg/requirements/use-cases/*.md"
      - ".aiwg/requirements/supplementary-spec.md"
    validator: requirements-analyst

  risk_retirement:
    description: Top risks retired or mitigated
    artifacts: [".aiwg/risks/risk-register.md"]
    check: risks_retired_percentage >= 60
    validator: project-manager

  test_strategy:
    description: Test strategy defined
    artifacts: [".aiwg/testing/test-strategy.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: test-architect

  security_architecture:
    description: Security architecture reviewed
    artifacts: [".aiwg/security/threat-model.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: security-architect

IOC - Initial Operational Capability (Construction Exit)

gate: IOC
phase: construction
description: System functional, ready for deployment

criteria:
  features_complete:
    description: All planned features implemented
    check: features_completion >= 100
    validator: product-manager

  tests_passing:
    description: All automated tests pass
    check: test_pass_rate >= 95
    validator: test-architect

  coverage:
    description: Adequate test coverage
    check: test_coverage >= 80
    validator: test-architect

  security_scan:
    description: Security scan clean (no critical/high)
    check: security_critical == 0 AND security_high == 0
    validator: security-auditor

  performance:
    description: Performance meets NFRs
    artifacts: [".aiwg/testing/performance-results.md"]
    validator: performance-engineer

  defects_triaged:
    description: All defects triaged, no P0/P1 open
    check: critical_defects == 0
    validator: test-architect

  deployment_plan:
    description: Deployment plan approved
    artifacts: [".aiwg/deployment/deployment-plan.md"]
    status: approved
    validator: deployment-manager

PRM - Product Release Milestone (Transition Exit)

gate: PRM
phase: transition
description: Product ready for production

criteria:
  deployment_proven:
    description: Deployment validated in staging
    artifacts: [".aiwg/deployment/staging-validation.md"]
    validator: devops-engineer

  user_acceptance:
    description: UAT passed
    artifacts: [".aiwg/testing/uat-results.md"]
    check: uat_pass_rate >= 100
    validator: test-architect

  support_ready:
    description: Support team trained, runbooks ready
    artifacts:
      - ".aiwg/deployment/support-runbook.md"
      - ".aiwg/deployment/training-completion.md"
    validator: support-lead

  rollback_plan:
    description: Rollback procedure documented and tested
    artifacts: [".aiwg/deployment/rollback-plan.md"]
    validator: devops-engineer

  monitoring:
    description: Monitoring and alerting configured
    artifacts: [".aiwg/deployment/monitoring-config.md"]
    validator: reliability-engineer

  compliance:
    description: All compliance requirements met
    validator: legal-liaison

Validation Process

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. LOAD GATE CRITERIA                                   │
│    • Identify target gate (LOM, ABM, IOC, PRM)          │
│    • Load criteria definitions                          │
│    • Map validators                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. ARTIFACT INVENTORY                                   │
│    • Check each required artifact exists                │
│    • Verify artifact status (draft/approved/baselined)  │
│    • Record missing or invalid artifacts                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. PARALLEL VALIDATION                                  │
│    ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐     │
│    │ architecture│ │ security    │ │ test        │     │
│    │ designer    │ │ gatekeeper  │ │ architect   │     │
│    └──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘     │
│           │               │               │            │
│           ▼               ▼               ▼            │
│    [arch criteria] [sec criteria] [test criteria]      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. AGGREGATE RESULTS                                    │
│    • Count pass/fail per criterion                      │
│    • Calculate gate score (passed/total)                │
│    • Identify blocking issues                           │
│    • Generate recommendations                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. GENERATE REPORT                                      │
│    • Gate status: PASS / CONDITIONAL / FAIL             │
│    • Detailed criteria results                          │
│    • Blocking issues list                               │
│    • Remediation guidance                               │
│    • Output: .aiwg/gates/{phase}-gate-report.md         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Gate Report Format

# Gate Evaluation Report: ABM (Architecture Baseline)

**Date**: 2025-12-08
**Evaluator**: gate-evaluation skill
**Status**: CONDITIONAL

## Summary

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Criteria Evaluated | 6 |
| Passed | 5 |
| Conditional | 1 |
| Failed | 0 |
| Gate Score | 83% |

## Criteria Results

### ✅ PASS: SAD Baselined
- Artifact: .aiwg/architecture/sad.md
- Status: baselined (v1.0.0)
- Validator: architecture-designer
- Notes: Comprehensive, all sections complete

### ✅ PASS: ADRs Complete
- Artifacts: 5 ADRs found
- Required: 3 minimum
- Validator: architecture-designer

### ⚠️ CONDITIONAL: Risk Retirement
- Current: 55% risks retired
- Required: 60%
- Validator: project-manager
- **Action Required**: Retire 2 more risks or document mitigation

### ✅ PASS: Test Strategy
- Artifact: .aiwg/testing/test-strategy.md
- Status: approved
- Validator: test-architect

### ✅ PASS: Security Architecture
- Artifact: .aiwg/security/threat-model.md
- Status: approved
- Validator: security-architect

### ✅ PASS: Requirements Baseline
- Artifacts: 12 use cases, supplementary spec
- Validator: requirements-analyst

## Blocking Issues

1. **Risk Retirement Short** (CONDITIONAL)
   - Gap: 5% below threshold
   - Remediation: Complete spike for RISK-007, document mitigation for RISK-012

## Recommendations

1. Address the conditional risk retirement before proceeding
2. Consider re-validating in 3-5 days after risk work
3. Gate can proceed with documented exception if stakeholder approves

## Next Steps

- [ ] Complete risk mitigation actions
- [ ] Re-run gate check: `/flow-gate-check elaboration`
- [ ] On PASS, proceed to: `/flow-elaboration-to-construction`

Usage Examples

Check Elaboration Gate

User: "Can we transition to Construction?"

Skill evaluates ABM criteria:
- Checks SAD, ADRs, requirements
- Validates security architecture
- Verifies risk retirement
- Generates report

Output:
"ABM Gate Evaluation: CONDITIONAL

5/6 criteria passed
1 conditional: Risk retirement at 55% (need 60%)

Blocking:
- Retire 2 more risks or get exception approval

Recommendation: Address risks, re-check in 3-5 days"

Quick Gate Status

User: "Gate check"

Skill detects current phase from project-awareness:
- Phase: Elaboration
- Runs ABM check
- Returns summary

Integration

This skill uses:

• parallel-dispatch

  : For launching validator agents

• project-awareness

  : For detecting current phase

• artifact-metadata

  : For checking artifact status

Gate Status Definitions

Status	Meaning	Action
PASS	All criteria met	Proceed to next phase
CONDITIONAL	Minor gaps, workarounds exist	Proceed with documented exceptions
FAIL	Blocking issues present	Must remediate before proceeding

Output Location

Gate reports:

.aiwg/gates/{phase}-gate-report.md

Examples:

• .aiwg/gates/inception-gate-report.md

• .aiwg/gates/elaboration-gate-report.md

• .aiwg/gates/construction-gate-report.md

• .aiwg/gates/transition-gate-report.md

References

• Gate criteria: docs/gate-criteria.md
• Phase transitions: flows/
• Validator agents: agents/