Codifies the delivery-prep playbook proven on hikma-mirsad#576 (verify-after-rewrite) and the model-manifest task: the planning session (main loop, typically Fable) does analysis and planning; implementation is delegated to a FRESH session driving opus-4.8 software-engineer subagents in a separate worktree, held to the plan by a /goal line.
Quality Notes
- Every mechanic claimed by the issue or discussion gets verified in the actual code (file:line) before it enters the plan. Never plan from memory or from the issue text alone.
- The plan is the source of truth for a session that has NO chat context. Self-containment test: could a fresh session execute from the plan file alone?
- Locked decisions are locked: the implementing session must not relitigate them.
Step 0: Resolve the input
- Issue mode:
gh issue view <N> --repo <org/repo> --json title,body,comments. Read refs it cites (ADRs, prior PRs). - Analysis mode: the problem was already dissected in this session; consolidate that.
- If neither gives a crisp problem statement, ask at most 1-2 clarifying questions (AskUserQuestion), then proceed.
Step 1: Deep analysis (code-level, evidence-first)
- Read the actual code paths involved. Cite
file:linefor every mechanic (detection surface, write path, config default, ...). Grep, do not assume. - State the root cause or design gap in one paragraph a reviewer could falsify.
- Enumerate candidate approaches INCLUDING rejected ones with the reason (rejections are load-bearing for the second opinion and the plan).
- Note blast radius: which packages, which tests, hot-path or not (check the repo's perf-gate rule; mirsad:
internal/{lsh,pii,decode,control,adapter,proxy,cache}).
Step 2: Second opinion (mandatory for non-trivial work)
Invoke the second-opinion skill with: problem context + verbatim code excerpts + your recommendation + rejected alternatives + 3-5 explicit questions (hidden flaws? failure paths not closed? false-positive/false-block scenarios? operational semantics like metrics/reasons?).
Fold every hard requirement the reviewers surface back into the locked decisions, citing which reviewer (e.g. "full-chain verify, Claude isolated, must-fix"). Skip the second opinion only when the task is mechanical plumbing with one obvious shape; say so explicitly.
Step 3: Write the ExecPlan to disk
Path: quality_reports/plans/active/YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>.md in the target repo (worktree-safe path if the session is isolated). Follow references/plan-template.md exactly. Non-negotiables:
- Analysis section marked "verified, do not re-derive", with file:line evidence.
- Locked design-decisions table (append-only afterwards).
- W0 = REPRODUCE-first for any bugfix: a failing test recorded RED before one line of fix code.
- E2E matrix WITH an exhaustiveness note (the union rationale; forbid combinatorial padding).
- DoD includes: fresh pristine VERIFY after last edit; BENCH-BASELINE/bench-compare when hot-path; review fleet (minimum security + architecture + test, or the repo's file-routing); PR to the integration branch NOT merged;
SCORE: <n>/100 (threshold: 90, gate: pr); plan updated after every task. - Empty living-plan sections: Progress, Surprises & Discoveries, Decisions, Outcomes & Retrospective.
Mirror to vault if Obsidian is up (obsidian create name="Plans/YYYY-MM-DD - <desc>" ... silent); repo copy stays authoritative.
Step 4: Emit the implementation prompt + /goal line
Fill references/impl-prompt-template.md from the plan (repo, branch, plan path, hot-path yes/no, verify commands, reproduce clause). Present BOTH blocks to the user: the prompt to paste into a fresh session, and the /goal line they type immediately after (only the user can set /goal).
The prompt must carry, verbatim from the template: worktree from updated origin/; plan copied + committed FIRST; bench-baseline pre-edit on a quiet machine when hot-path; REPRODUCE red before fix code; subagents = software-engineer, model opus-4.8; shared-worktree git guards; review fleet + fix + re-verify + canonical SCORE; follow-up issues filed; PR opened, never merged by the agent.
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Issue text is vague or aspirational | Step 0 questions; if still fuzzy, stop and say what is missing |
| A second-opinion reviewer fails (401/timeout) | Degrade per that skill: synthesize from survivors, report status line |
| Plan file name collides | Append -2 to the slug; never overwrite another task's plan |
| Target repo lacks make check/e2e equivalents | Name the repo's actual verify commands in prompt AND goal line |
| Hot-path unclear | Grep the repo's perf/bench rule; when in doubt, include BENCH-BASELINE (cheap) |
References
references/plan-template.md: the ExecPlan skeleton (structure is mandatory, prose adapts)references/impl-prompt-template.md: the implementation prompt + /goal templates with placeholders- Rules this operationalizes:
plan-first-workflow(plan shape, living plans),orchestrator-protocol(SCORE format, BENCH-BASELINE, review routing),verification-protocol(REPRODUCE, outcome verification)