Dependency Map

Dependency Map

Identify and visualize dependencies for "$ARGUMENTS". Map story-to-story, cross-team, and external dependencies. Flag critical path items and recommend sequencing.

Prerequisites

Check that .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md exists. If it does not, tell the user to run an Initiate skill first (e.g., project-charter) and stop.

If the user passes --skip-checks, skip the prerequisite check and log the skip to .project/$ARGUMENTS/skip-log.md with a timestamp and reason.

Process

1. Read existing context:

   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md for project scope and team structure
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/01-plan.md if it exists (for backlog, story details, and sprint planning)
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/02-sprint.md if it exists (for current sprint state)

2. Identify story-to-story dependencies:

   • For each story in the sprint backlog, determine if it depends on another story completing first
   • Common patterns: "API must exist before frontend can consume it," "data model must be defined before services can use it," "shared component must be built before pages can use it"
   • Document each dependency as: Story A → depends on → Story B (with reason)
   • Flag circular dependencies — these must be resolved before work can proceed

3. Identify cross-team dependencies:

   • Dependencies on other teams within the organization (waiting on API from backend team, design from design team, infrastructure from platform team)
   • For each cross-team dependency: what is needed, from whom, by when
   • Identify the contact person and current status (requested, in progress, committed, delivered)
   • Flag dependencies where no commitment has been made — these are high risk

4. Identify external dependencies:

   • Vendor deliverables (third-party library updates, SaaS provider changes)
   • Third-party approvals (security review, compliance sign-off, legal review)
   • Infrastructure provisioning (cloud resources, environments, access permissions)
   • Data availability (test data, production data access, data migration)
   • For each: what is needed, expected delivery date, fallback plan if delayed

5. Create dependency matrix:

   • Build a matrix showing blocking relationships between all items
   • Rows and columns are stories/tasks, cells indicate dependency type (blocks, blocked-by, related)
   • Highlight the critical path: the longest chain of dependencies that determines the minimum sprint duration
   • Identify items with no dependencies (can start immediately) vs. items with multiple dependencies (high risk)

6. Flag critical path items:

   • The critical path is the sequence of dependent items where any delay delays the entire sprint
   • List critical path items in order with their dependencies
   • Calculate total critical path duration vs. available sprint time
   • If critical path exceeds sprint duration, the sprint goal is at risk before work begins

7. Recommend sequencing:

   • Based on the dependency map, recommend the order in which stories should be started
   • Stories with no dependencies should start first (unblock others)
   • Stories on the critical path should start early and be monitored closely
   • Stories with external dependencies should have their dependencies confirmed before starting
   • Identify opportunities for parallel work (stories with no shared dependencies)

8. Write the artifact — append to .project/$ARGUMENTS/02-sprint.md under a ## Dependency Map section:

   • Story-to-Story Dependencies — list of dependencies with reasons
   • Cross-Team Dependencies — what, from whom, status, and risk level
   • External Dependencies — what, expected date, and fallback plan
   • Dependency Matrix — blocking relationships in table format
   • Critical Path — ordered list of critical path items with durations
   • Recommended Sequencing — suggested start order for stories

Output

Dependency map appended to .project/$ARGUMENTS/02-sprint.md. Present a summary highlighting:

• Total number of dependencies identified (by type)
• Critical path length vs. available sprint time
• Highest-risk dependencies (unconfirmed, external, or long-chain)
• Recommended first-day actions to unblock the critical path