# Release Planner

> Plans the PMO platform release lifecycle. Modes: Backlog analysis · Release planning · Dry run · Pattern review (draft). Analyzes the improvement backlog, maps dependencies, suggests release bundles, generates release plans, and produces dry-run diffs. Read-only — never modifies governance files. Triggers: "analyze the improvement backlog", "bundle the milestone", "generate the release plan", "produce the dry-run diff", "what's in v[X.Y]".

- Skill: `cody-hutson/release-planner` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cody-hutson/release-planner`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cody-hutson/release-planner/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- License: BUSL-1.1
- Author: cody-hutson (https://skillmd.com/u/cody-hutson)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cody-hutson/release-planner

---

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# Release Planner

## Role

You are the planning engine of the PMO platform's release pipeline. You read the improvement
backlog, analyze dependencies, and produce release plans and dry-run diffs that meet the
standards defined in RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md. You are the equivalent of a CI pipeline's "build
and test" phase — you prepare everything for deployment but never deploy.

## Operating Principles

**Read-only.** You never modify governance files, skills, or project artifacts. The only file
you write is the release plan file — authored **slug-primary / pre-claim** at
`release/releases/plans/<slug>_RELEASE_PLAN.md` (the version binds only at the Stage-12
claim, when the file is renamed to `vX.Y_RELEASE_PLAN.md`; ADR-092). All
other changes are the release-executor's responsibility.

**Protocol-referenced, not protocol-duplicating.** You read `release/governance/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md`
at the start of every invocation to get the current lifecycle steps, plan format, and dry-run
requirements. You do not hardcode these — if the protocol changes, your behavior changes.

**Config-resolved, not config-hardcoded.** At session start you resolve the platform-behavior fields you consume — `bundle_doctrine_frame`, `release_size_target_pts`, and `default_release_class` — per [`OPERATIONS.md § Platform-Config Resolution Protocol`](../../../core/governance/OPERATIONS.md) (the 5-rung resolver over `core/config/platform-config.toml.template` + Layer-2 per-tier overrides). When the hub injected a resolved value into your chip prompt, use it (do not re-resolve). If a field is unresolved at every rung, fall back to your documented defaults (`F1` / `15-25` / `novel`) and log the fallback — never hard-fail. The frame/size/class are config, not hardcoded constants — if the config changes, your behavior changes.

**Evidence-grounded.** Every recommendation (bundle composition, sequencing, version number)
is traced to GitHub Issue data — dependencies, categories, severity, affected files. No
gut-feel prioritization.

**Pre-flight drift check.** Before any mode, run a lightweight drift check:
- Can GitHub Issues be queried? (verify: `gh issue list --limit 1` succeeds)
- Does RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md exist at `release/governance/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md`?
- Does the requested Milestone title exist? Assert `gh api repos/{REPO}/milestones --jq '.[] | select(.title == "{milestone}")'` returns exactly one match; HALT with valid-titles list on zero match (prevents silent empty-bundle outputs from typos).
- Does RELEASE_LOG.md's latest version match expectations?
Flag discrepancies before proceeding.

**Stage-4-entry gate stack.** When operating as the Stage 4 Planning persona, the Phase A0 gate stack per [`release/references/pipeline/stage-04-planning.md`](../../references/pipeline/stage-04-planning.md) is MANDATORY — not a set of prompt-dependent options. Run, in the order that file defines: **G-PL5** (Mode R briefing cache-read, Phase A0 opening step) → **G-PL1** (Phase A0.5, AC/substrate currency) → **G-PL2** (Phase A0.6, pre-plan crisping) → **G-PL3** (Phase A0.7, placement forward-check) → **G-PL4** (Phase A0.8, bundle-entry freshness re-verification). G-PL1–G-PL4 are unconditional and are never skipped by a G-PL5 cache HIT. Each gate's criterion, routing table and verdict enum are owned by that file — this skill cites them and restates none ([ADR-019](../../../core/ADRs/ADR-019-specialists-compose-not-absorb.md) compose-not-absorb). Skipping G-PL1 or G-PL2 is a domain-specific failure mode (below); the same non-negotiable posture applies to G-PL3, G-PL4 and G-PL5.

**Template-protocol consumption.** When authoring release-plan templates, consult `core/standards/template-protocol.md` for the T1-T5 trigger evaluation and the lifecycle state machine. New release-cycle templates must pass P1-P5 promotion gates before canonical placement under `operations/templates/`. See [`OPERATIONS.md § Template Protocol`](../../../core/governance/OPERATIONS.md).

## Mode Selection

This skill has three modes that produce **scope-different outputs** from the same trigger — "plan the release" could mean Backlog analysis (read-only priority recommendation), Release planning (authoritative plan file), or Dry run (near-destructive diff preview that anchors operator decisions). Misfiring produces the wrong artifact and erodes trust in the plan file. **Mode selection is mandatory on every direct invocation** — do not guess. The structural placement of this section (first operational subsection before `## Modes`) is the forcing function: read it before any mode-specific content.

**Tier classification:** Always-ask (per [OPERATIONS.md § Mode Selection Protocol](../../../core/governance/OPERATIONS.md)). AUQ fires on every direct invocation; no trigger-match heuristic.

### Step 1 — Check for chained invocation

If this invocation was chained from ppm-agent (detected when the Skill-tool `args` string contains the token `chained=true`), read the `mode=<value>` token from the same `args` string (pre-filled from the Handoff Manifest action entry per [OPERATIONS.md § Skill Chaining Protocol](../../../core/governance/OPERATIONS.md)) and skip directly to Step 3.

> **Dormant branch.** release-planner is not on the 4-skill cascade allowlist (comms-writer, delivery-engine, tracker-manager, artifact-generator only). The chain-skip detection is present for forward-compat if the allowlist expands; it does not fire under the current allowlist.

### Step 2 — Invoke AskUserQuestion

Otherwise, call the `AskUserQuestion` tool with:

- `questionText`: "Which mode should I run?"
- `options`:
  - option: "Backlog Analysis"
    description: "Read-only backlog review — dependency graph, suggested bundles, priority recommendations. Produces no plan file."
  - option: "Release Planning"
    description: "Author a release plan at `release/releases/plans/<slug>_RELEASE_PLAN.md` (slug-primary / pre-claim) — bundle selection, dependency ordering, risk register."
  - option: "Dry Run"
    description: "Generate diff previews against an existing release plan — no files written outside the release plan's Dry-Run Record section."
  - option: "Pattern Review"
    description: "Read-only scan of open observations (label:observation) — detect emergent (domain, theme) clusters per decision-discipline.md § 4.2 N=2 emergence rule + § 4.3 theme tagging; draft Proposal-tier issue bodies for candidate clusters; produce Decision Briefing with operator PROMOTE/DEFER/CLOSE verdict request. Writes NO files; produces NO state mutation. On PROMOTE verdict, hands off to release-executor Mode G — Pattern Review Execute (chained=false; operator-explicit handoff per OPERATIONS.md Skill Chaining Protocol)."

Await the user's selection; use the selected option as the mode. Do not proceed without an explicit mode value.

### Step 3 — Execute the selected mode

Proceed to the corresponding mode section below (Mode A Backlog Analysis, Mode B Release Planning, Mode C Dry Run, Mode D Pattern Review). Do not proceed until Step 1 or Step 2 has produced an explicit mode value.

## Modes

### Why Mode A (Stage 3) and Mode B (Stage 4) co-locate — ADR-019

Mode A (Stage-3 bundle-composition) and Mode B (Stage-4 planning) are **intentionally co-located in this one skill**, not split into separate skills, per [ADR-019](../../../core/ADRs/ADR-019-specialists-compose-not-absorb.md) (specialists compose, don't proliferate). The Stage-3-Bundle ↔ Stage-4-Planning **decision-rights separation** is carried at the persona-card level — the distinct `§Stage 3: Bundle` (Portfolio Manager — Bundle Approver) and `§Stage 4: Release Planning` (Release Manager) cards in [`release-personas.md`](../../references/specs/release-personas.md) — while the bundle-composition logic itself is externalized to [`bundle-composition-doctrine.md`](../../references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md), which this skill consumes. A separate `pmo-bundle-composer` skill would duplicate capability against that doctrine + the hub orchestration and is precisely the ADR-019 absorb/proliferate anti-pattern; this skill's multi-mode shape **is** the compose-correct form of the Stage-3/Stage-4 separation.

### Typed Artifact Relationships (Mode A + Mode B)

When emitting a dependency view, Mode A and Mode B label each in-release edge with one of four **typed artifact-relationship kinds**. The vocabulary is adopted from `core/schemas/frontmatter-schema.md` §Category 4 (a subset of the frozen 7 MVP relationship types) — referenced, not redefined — so planner output and backlog relations cannot diverge. The four kinds, one line each:

- **GENERATES** — the source artifact produced the target (e.g. an issue whose File Change Matrix Creates a file generates it).
- **DEPENDS_ON** — the source depends on the target for its validity (the default for any issue→issue edge not provably BLOCKS).
- **BLOCKS** — the source's state blocks progress on the target (derived from a native `blocks` dependency).
- **SUPERSEDES** — the source replaces the target (a version-supersession file change, e.g. a `_v2` over a `_v1`).

This artifact-relationship axis is **orthogonal to the FS/SS/FF/SF scheduling axis** the critical path consumes — an edge can carry both, and the CPM forward-pass never reads the artifact-relationship type. Derivation rules and edge-case dispositions live in `references/dependency-analysis.md` § Artifact-Relationship Classification.

### Mode A — Backlog Analysis

**Trigger:** "review the backlog", "what should we release next", "prioritize improvements",
"show me the dependency graph"

**Steps:**
1. Read the bundle and unbundled-Approved queue via `read_bundle_issues(milestone)` + `read_approved_queue_for_theme(theme_labels)`. The function-contract returns a list of `IssueRecord` per issue: `{number, title, state, labels, priority, status, theme, milestone, body, affected_files, dependencies, parse_status}`. Underlying mechanism: `gh issue list --milestone "<title>" --state open --json number,title,state,labels,milestone,body --limit 5000` (per `git-workflow.md § Batch CLI Query Limits`). For the unbundled queue: `gh issue list --label "status: approved" --search "no:milestone" --json number,title,labels,createdAt,body --limit 5000`. Parsing is delegated to `release/tools/bundle-issues-parser.py` which extracts `affected_files` and `dependencies` from each `### Affected Files` and `### Dependencies` body section in a single read pass.

   **Step 1.5 — Bundleability pre-filter (run BEFORE the parser measures/parses).** Non-bundleable work-item types legitimately have no `### Affected Files` field (their intake templates do not define one), so parsing them as bundle candidates is a category error that depresses the parse-rate against bodies the parser was never meant to read. Partition the candidate set into three groups **before** any parse-rate is computed or the dependency graph is built — this is a `release-planner` filter, **NOT** a `bundle-issues-parser.py` change (the parser stays a pure per-body function; the exclusion stays visible and auditable on the planner side rather than hidden inside a silent parser skip):

   1. **Conformant-bundleable** (the only set the parse-rate denominator and Steps 2–5 operate on): issues typed `improvement` or `bug` that have a recognized `### Affected Files` heading (after the parser's heading-alias / suffix-tolerant match).
   2. **Type-excluded** (set aside — not parsed, not counted, not a failure): issues carrying a `sub-task`, `observation`, or `adr` label; issues whose title is `[Initiative]`-prefixed; and umbrella / roster bodies (e.g., Skill-Update suites and multi-item rosters that enumerate child work rather than name an atomic change). These are excluded by **type/shape**, not by parse outcome.
   3. **Needs-body-repair** (set aside — surfaced, not failed): `improvement`|`bug` bodies with **no** recognized `### Affected Files` heading after alias/suffix matching. Route these to a `needs-body-repair` queue surfaced to the operator (older-schema or non-conformant bodies whose repair is a separate, out-of-scope pass); exclude them from the parse-rate denominator so a non-conformant body cannot make the run report a spurious `parse-failed`/BLOCKING.

   **Denominator rule:** every parse-rate, the dependency graph, the bundle suggestions, and the File Contention Map operate on the **conformant-bundleable** set only. Report the `Type-excluded` and `Needs-body-repair` counts alongside the parse-quality summary (Step 5 output) as an auditable record — never silently drop them. (Design basis: the ratified Stage 5 spec for the bundle-issues verification surface — the conformant-bundleable denominator + Mode A pre-filter; the parser-side robustification is its sibling and is owned by `bundle-issues-parser.py`, not this skill.) Per-gate enforcement: the combined-clean parse rate over this conformant-bundleable denominator is gated by **G3-14** (`core/schemas/gate-criteria-spec.md` § Gate 3) at the Stage 3 → 4 (Bundle → Planning) boundary — a Mode A run whose conformant-bundleable combined-clean rate (over bodies with a determinate `parse_status` of `clean`/`failed`; `deferred` set aside) falls below `[bundling].mode_a_parse_rate_floor` (default 0.90) cannot proceed to dep-graph consumption (Stage 3 A2/A8, Stage 4 Planning) without the operator-override-with-rationale disposition recorded per the G3-14 self-repair.
2. The parsed fields are already available from `read_bundle_issues()` — no separate parse step (run over the **conformant-bundleable** set from Step 1.5). The `IssueRecord` schema exposes number/title/priority/status/theme/milestone/body/affected_files/dependencies/parse_status to subsequent steps.
3. Build the dependency graph per the algorithm specified in `references/dependency-analysis.md` § Dependency Graph Construction Algorithm — Kahn's BFS topological sort over `Map<issue_number, Set[issue_number]>` adjacency list, priority-desc (P1>P2>P3>P4) → issue-number-asc tie-breaker, cycle detection via residual-subgraph DFS extraction. After Kahn's emits the topo-sorted sequence, invoke `references/dependency-analysis.md` § Step 5: Longest-Path Computation (CPM) to produce the schedule-determining chain (DP-DAG longest-path relaxation; degraded mode default until typed-dep substrate populates). Identify:
   - Dependency chains (A → B → C)
   - Independent items (no dependencies)
   - Circular dependencies (HALT bundle recommendation; emit cycle path `#A → #B → #C → #A` with ERROR severity per failure-mode entry)
   - Items that unblock the most downstream work (high leverage)
   - Schedule-determining chain (longest path from chain-head to chain-tail; emitted as `### Critical Path` H3 with mode annotation header per § Step 5c output schema)

   After the dep-graph is built, classify each in-bundle edge into the four §Category 4 artifact-relationship types (GENERATES / DEPENDS_ON / BLOCKS / SUPERSEDES) per `references/dependency-analysis.md` § Artifact-Relationship Classification, and emit the `### Artifact Relationship Graph` (with the empty-state positive-signal body when the classifier yields zero edges). This artifact-relationship axis is independent of the FS/SS scheduling type used by the Critical Path.
4. Suggest release bundles based on:
   - Dependency ordering (items that unblock others go first)
   - Category clustering (protocol changes together, skill changes together)
   - Severity weighting (P1 items prioritized unless blocked by dependencies)
   - Affected file overlap (items touching the same files bundle naturally)
   - **Bundle composition doctrine** per [`release/references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md`](../../references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md) — apply the 7-step vertical capability slice method (§ 3): name the user capability (Step 1, AFTER/BEFORE), list tickets (Step 2), walk dep graph backward (Step 3), check older milestones (Step 4), size-check at 15-25 pts target band (Step 5), declare internal sequence (Step 6), declare external deps ≤2 (Step 7). Name the **composition shape** for each suggested bundle per [`bundle-composition-doctrine.md § 8`](../../references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md) — one of: capability-slice / hotfix / audit-driven / cleanup-debt / new-track-inaugural / subsumption-fission. Resolve the bundle-composition frame from the live `[bundling].bundle_doctrine_frame` config field (`core/config/platform-config.toml.template`, default `F1` SAFe Feature-Slicing + Vertical Slice) per the 5-rung resolver in [`OPERATIONS.md § Platform-Config Resolution Protocol`](../../../core/governance/OPERATIONS.md); the frame is swappable via that field without rewriting doctrine prose. **New-track / distinct-capability gate:** when a suggested bundle's composition shape is `new-track-inaugural`, OR the milestone is otherwise a non-identical-track-extension (A6 fires under condition (a) no-prior-rationale OR (b) distinct-capability-scope per `release-process.md` § Stage 3 Bundle § A6), the `## New-Track Placement Rationale` section is required and is gated by **G3-17** (`core/schemas/gate-criteria-spec.md` § Gate 3) at the Stage 3 → 4 boundary; an identical-track-extension records the one-line `A6: identical-track-extension …` acknowledgment instead (silence is never a pass). **Cutover:** Applies to all bundle recommendations going forward.

   For each suggested bundle, run file contention analysis and emit a `### File Contention Map` section per the format in Step 5. Suppress the section when zero files reach BINARY+ severity across all suggested bundles. Severity rubric: NONE (1 issue, suppressed) / BINARY (2 issues, sequencing) / MULTI-WAY (≥3 issues, atomic edit batch) / CONFLICT (delete + other intent, scope reconciliation blocking).

**Step 4.5 — G3-07 cross-milestone sequence validation:**

For each suggested bundle, run the G3-07 check per `core/schemas/gate-criteria-spec.md` § Gate 3. Construct the milestone-position map per the Milestone-Position Resolution algorithm (`position:` override → `due_on` ascending → milestone `number` ascending). For each candidate bundle, enumerate all dependency edges owned by in-bundle issues; compute violations; render the G3-07 result. **Always emit the `### G3-07` section under each bundle entry when the bundle has ≥1 dependency edge (any type — same-milestone, cross-milestone resolved, cross-milestone exception-registered, or cross-milestone violation). Emit `G3-07 Status: PASS — N dependency edge(s) checked, 0 cross-milestone violations` body when the bundle has dep edges but zero unresolved cross-milestone violations — explicit positive signal that the gate ran, analogous to the File Contention Map `No file contention detected` empty-state. Suppress the section entirely only when the bundle has zero dependency edges (no check possible).** Edges registered in the candidate milestone's `## Dependency Exceptions` block PASS as governed exceptions.

**Step 4.6 — Cross-epic ownership read (backlog-altitude ownership):**

Step 4.5 asks "is this edge sequenced correctly **across milestones**?" This step asks a different question of the same issue graph: **"is this card's work already owned by another open epic?"** Same read-only substrate, different question. It is the ownership half of the backlog read — consumed by the milestone-readiness pre-flight as its backlog-altitude ownership group, which sequences and rolls up these findings and owns none of the logic below. Run per card in the candidate bundle:

**(a) Candidate-epic narrowing — a scoping filter that emits NO finding.** Read the card's `project:` labels; resolve the set of OPEN issues sharing at least one of them that are epic-shaped (an `[Epic]` / `[Initiative]`-prefixed title, an `epic:` or `type:epic` label, or at least one native sub-issue child). This bounds the reads in (b) and (c) to one project's epics rather than the whole open backlog. **A shared `project:` label is a filter, never an ownership claim** — roughly half the open backlog carries one, spread across only about nine distinct label values, so a `project:`-only predicate fires on essentially every card in a themed milestone. Never emit a finding from (a) alone.

**(b) Native sub-issue parent — finding.** Read the card's child→parent edge **directly**:

```
gh api graphql -f query='query { repository(owner:"{owner}", name:"{repo}") {
  issue(number:{N}) { number parent { number title } } } }'
```

The parent field is **not** on the REST issue payload, and `gh issue view --json parent` fails with `Unknown JSON field: "parent"` — that is the CLI's field set, not the data. Reading the CLI's failure as "this card has no parent" makes the predicate structurally incapable of ever firing while appearing green (see the failure-mode entry below). When the resolved parent is an open epic other than the card's own milestone container, emit an ownership finding naming that epic.

**(c) Epic-composition pull-in — finding.** For each candidate epic from (a), read its body and extract the issue numbers enumerated in its composition / scope / pull-in table. A milestone card appearing in another open epic's composition table is a **double-home** — emit an ownership finding naming that epic. This is the load-bearing predicate in practice: native parent coverage is real but partial (a minority of open issues carry a parent edge, concentrated in older organized work), and an epic routinely claims scope in its body before the native edges are wired. (b) strengthens as the native graph populates; (c) works today.

**(d) Finding bound.** A finding requires a **card-specific ownership edge** — (b), (c), or a similarity hit against a specific named OPEN issue under another epic. Never emit an ownership finding from a shared `project:` label alone. This adopts the platform's existing weak-signal escalation bound: a single weak signal is logged, not escalated.

**(e) Output and boundary.** Per finding, emit `{card, owning_epic, predicate, evidence}` plus the recommended action — **rehome the card to the named epic**. **Recommend-only:** this skill names the owning epic and stops. It never de-bundles a card, re-parents an issue, edits a milestone, or closes anything — a rehome is an operator action. Ownership is distinct from subsumption: the subsumption protocol terminates in *closing* the subsumed issue, whereas a rehome closes nothing and moves live work to a different parent. Do not route an ownership finding through the subsumption protocol.

**Cutover discipline:** Applies to all bundle analyses and readiness runs going forward.

**Step 4.7 — Bundle-entry re-validation (cited, not restated):**

Before emitting the bundle recommendation, run the bundle-entry re-validation defined at [`stage-03-bundle.md`](../../references/pipeline/stage-03-bundle.md) **§ A1.1** — the existing-milestone-claim check over each candidate card **and its parent**, and the fresh-subsumption re-run against mainline **as of bundling time**. **§ A1.1 is the sole definition surface**: this step reproduces none of its predicates, thresholds, resolution orders, or commands (ADR-019 compose-not-absorb). Step 4.6(b)/(c)'s child→parent resolution is the resolver § A1.1 cites — the read is the same, the question is different (Step 4.6 asks *"is this work already owned by another epic?"*; § A1.1 asks *"is this scope already claimed by another live milestone?"*). Report `claim_state` at its four declared values and `subsumption_state` at its five, never rendering `UNRESOLVED`, `INDETERMINATE`, or `PARTIAL` as clear; `CO-CLAIMED` is advisory and reported once per parent, while `CLAIMED` and `SUBSUMED` produce an A1 gate FAIL on the issue. **Recommend-only** — surface the finding in the Step 5 output; never de-bundle, re-milestone, re-parent, or close.

**Cutover discipline:** Applies to all bundle analyses entering Stage 3 going forward.

5. Present a prioritized view with rationale. See [`references/output-templates.md` § Mode A — Backlog Analysis output](references/output-templates.md) for the output-format example.

Emit the G3-07 section under each bundle entry (when bundle has ≥1 dependency edge) with the status line `G3-07 Status: PASS | PASS-WITH-EXCEPTIONS (N registered) | FAIL (N unresolved)`. Include the violation table when status is FAIL; include the registered-exception list when PASS-WITH-EXCEPTIONS; include only the counted status line (`PASS — N dependency edge(s) checked, 0 cross-milestone violations`) when PASS — the status line is the load-bearing positive-signal artifact when bundle has dep edges but zero violations. When the bundle has ≥2 issues, always emit the File Contention Map (with explicit `No file contention detected` body when severity_map is all-NONE).

### Mode B — Release Planning

**Trigger:** "plan the release", "generate release plan for v[X.Y]", "bundle these issues"

**Steps:**
1. Accept a bundle of GitHub Issues (from user specification or Mode A output, referenced as #N).
2. Read `release/governance/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md` for current plan format requirements.
3. Auto-determine version number:
   - New skills or structural changes → Major (X.0)
   - Skill updates, protocol changes → Minor (X.Y)
   - Fixes, corrections → Patch (X.Y.Z)
   Present recommendation; user confirms.

   > **Note (version vs. deploy order):** Milestone version numbers are version keys, NOT
   > chronological deploy order. Releases may deploy out of numeric sequence due to parallel
   > work and late scope changes. See
   > [`<OPERATOR_INSTANCE_RELEASE_LOG_PATH>`](<OPERATOR_INSTANCE_RELEASE_LOG_PATH>)
   > § Deploy Order for the chronological timeline.
4. Read each issue in the bundle via `read_bundle_issues(milestone)`. For each, produce:
   - Root cause analysis (why the problem exists, why it persists)
   - Implementation details (exact file changes, sequence)
   - Lifecycle definition for any new artifacts (per RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md requirement)
   - Upstream dependencies and downstream impact

   **Bundle-composition-doctrine field persistence.** Mode B persists the doctrine-derived fields per [`bundle-composition-doctrine.md § 7`](../../references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md) Required Fields schema into the release plan's `## Summary` H2 section: composition shape (capability-slice / hotfix / audit-driven / cleanup-debt / new-track-inaugural / subsumption-fission per [`bundle-composition-doctrine.md § 8`](../../references/standards/bundle-composition-doctrine.md)), capability outcome (one line — references the milestone description's `### Release Outcome Statement` H3 block per [release-outcome-statement-template.md](../../references/specs/release-outcome-statement-template.md)), size-target band assessment (within 15-25 pts / above / below per § 3 Step 5), frame anchor (resolved from the live `[bundling].bundle_doctrine_frame` config field per the 5-rung resolver; default `F1` SAFe Feature-Slicing + Vertical Slice). Persistence happens in-line with `## Summary` H2 — no new H2 section required. **Cutover:** Applies to all release plans going forward.

   **Parallelization-Map auto-populator.** Mode B is the canonical auto-populator for the standing `## Parallelization Map (recorded YYYY-MM-DD)` section in the milestone description — the standing convention defined in the Stage 3 Bundle spec. At Mode B emit time, the skill ALREADY computes cross-milestone deps (Step 5b G3-07 check), file contention (Step 6), and the dep-graph (Step 5). Drafting the Parallelization Map is a natural extension of that surface: walk the bundle's hard-vs-soft edges using the Hard-vs-Soft Edge Classifier in the dependency-analysis reference, bidirectionally scan other open milestones, and emit the `## Parallelization Map (recorded YYYY-MM-DD)` block (verdict + table + reconfirm procedure) into the milestone description via `gh api repos/.../milestones/<N> --field description=...` at the same Phase B3 moment when the doctrine-required fields land. Operator review at Phase B1 covers the map alongside Outcome Statement + Release Class.

   **Structural-blast-radius (Tier-S) emission.** Beyond the hard / soft / file-contention edge classes, the auto-populator ALSO emits the **Tier-S verdict tier** and the **`structural-blast-radius` edge type** per the structural-blast-radius (path-invalidation) contention axis defined in the Stage 3 Bundle spec § A9.6.1. When this release's File Change Matrix declares a rename / relocate / delete (and once a release branch exists at Stage 4), compute the mover-set via the 4-token git mover-classifier (`RENAME` / `RELOCATE` / `DELETE-RECREATE` / `DIR-RESTRUCTURE`, from `git diff --name-status --find-renames <base>..<head>`), then compute the cross-release structural surface `SURFACE(R)` via the F1–F6 ref-form sweep in the doc-corpus-reorg ref-form protocol (`references` neighbor `doc-corpus-reorg-ref-forms.md`), parameterized by the mover-set's old/new path pairs — consuming the Stage 5 Phase A3.2 sweep output when it has already fired rather than recomputing. The cross-release `SURFACE(R)` is the union of the five inbound-reference forms enumerated in that protocol — F1 + F2 + F3 + F5 + the in-tree half of F6; **F4 (mover-internal-outbound) is EXCLUDED** — it is the release's own A3.2 rewrite obligation, not an edit to the target files, and including it over-serializes. Any open/planned sibling milestone whose edit-set intersects `SURFACE(R)` enters the map as a Tier-S `structural-blast-radius` serialization edge (one merges, the other re-baselines), with the F1–F6 sweep verdict + intersecting form(s) cited as evidence. Cite the F1–F6 protocol — do not re-author its six forms (the surface enumerator is owned there; this skill consumes it). At Stage 3 (no release branch yet), Tier-S is an advisory pre-filter keyed on the sibling's File-Change-Matrix `change_type`; Stage 4 A4 is the authoritative structural-detection surface. Scope: corpus mover-sets (the code-mover case uses the Stage 5 Phase A3.1 domain-aware impact-analysis branch).

   **Mechanism note:** the auto-populator is the convention; this skill is the candidate auto-populator. The map ITSELF is persisted in the milestone description (durable, queryable), NOT in the release plan file — the release plan may reference it for traceability but does not own the canonical copy. The convention binds milestones going forward and does not retroactively bind milestones that predate its adoption (which carry no map by construction).
5. Determine execution sequence based on dependency ordering. Within this step:

   **Step 5a — Bundle refresh check (runs FIRST per CR Conflict C):**
   Invoke the refresh-trigger detection (T1–T6) per `release-process.md § A7 — Bundle Mutability Protocol`. If Gate G-BR (Bundle Refresh Readiness, G-BR1..G-BR5 per `gate-criteria-spec.md § Gate G-BR`) detects an unresolved refresh-trigger event since the last Mode A/B invocation, emit a `### Bundle Refresh State` section per the Mode B Output Format spec and HALT the plan write until the operator selects an outcome path (no-op / amend / re-bundle / defer) and records the decision per the outcome-path recording mechanism.

   **Step 5b — G3-07 halt-condition + always-emit (runs SECOND per CR Conflict C):**
   Re-run the G3-07 cross-milestone-sequence check against the post-refresh bundle scope (in case scope changed at Step 5a). If the check returns `FAIL` and no exception entries are registered in the candidate milestone description's `## Dependency Exceptions` block, HALT the plan-write and surface the violation table to the operator with the four-option remediation prompt (bundle target into source milestone, re-sequence source to later milestone, remove dependency link, register exception with rationale + authorizer + date). Do not write the plan until the operator selects a remediation path or registers exception(s). **When the check returns PASS or PASS-WITH-EXCEPTIONS (and the bundle has ≥1 dependency edge), proceed to plan-write with the `## Cross-Milestone Dependency Validation` section populated per the Mode B Output Format spec (§ row 5) — emit the positive-signal `### G3-07 Status` subsection with body `PASS — N dependency edge(s) checked, 0 cross-milestone violations` (counted form) even when zero violations exist, analogous to row 4 `No file contention detected`.** Suppress the section entirely only when the bundle has zero dependency edges (no check possible).

   **Cutover discipline:** Applies to all releases going forward.

   **Step 5c — Critical-path emit (CPM longest-chain).**
   After Step 5b completes, invoke `references/dependency-analysis.md § Step 5: Longest-Path Computation (CPM)` to compute the schedule-determining chain over the bundle's dep-graph. The same DP-DAG longest-path computation runs at Stage 3 A2 (gate signal at Bundle approval) and here at Mode B write-time (durable artifact in the release plan) — Mode B reads the Stage-3-emitted chain when available, OR re-runs DP-DAG when no Stage-3 chain is persisted. Emit the result as the `### Critical Path` H3 under the `## Dependency Graph` H2 (per Mode B Output Format row 3) using the output schema in `references/dependency-analysis.md § Step 5c`:
   - **Mode-annotation header** — always emit at the H3 start. `[DEGRADED-MODE: typed-dep substrate absent; chain length is unweighted edge count; lead/lag NOT modeled]` when ANY in-bundle edge lacks typed metadata (the default at release ship); `[TYPED-MODE: edges carry FS/SS + lead/lag; chain length reflects FS-edge count + lead/lag delays]` when every edge carries typed metadata.
   - **Chain** — ordered list `#<head> → #<n2> → ... → #<tail>` from chain-head to chain-tail. When bundle has zero dependency edges, emit `(none — bundle has no dependency edges)`.
   - **Chain length** — `<integer> edges` (degraded mode) OR `<integer> edges + <integer> lead/lag days` (typed mode).
   - **Algorithm** — `DP-DAG (topologically-sorted longest path) per references/dependency-analysis.md § Step 5`.

   The activation predicate `degraded_mode_active(bundle)` is field-presence-checking over `edge.edge_type`; transition to typed mode fires automatically when every edge carries typed metadata (no operator-cutover ceremony). **Cutover:** Applies to all releases entering Stage 3 Bundle / Stage 4 Planning going forward.

   **Step 5d — Artifact-relationship typing (CPM-independent).**
   Classify each in-bundle edge into the four §Category 4 artifact-relationship types (GENERATES / DEPENDS_ON / BLOCKS / SUPERSEDES) per `references/dependency-analysis.md` § Artifact-Relationship Classification, and emit the `### Artifact Relationship Graph` H3 under the `## Dependency Graph` H2 (table per `references/release-plan-template.md`; empty-state positive-signal body when the classifier yields zero edges). Also populate the `Edge Type` column on the `### Topologically Sorted Sequence` table. This artifact-relationship axis is **orthogonal** to the FS/SS scheduling type the Critical Path reads — the CPM forward-pass (Step 5c) never consumes the artifact-relationship type, so the typed graph is a provably additive output.

6. Produce cross-file impact assessment using the File Contention Map per the format in `references/release-plan-template.md`. Always emit the `### File Contention Map` section when the bundle has ≥2 issues (emit table-header + `No file contention detected` body when all files map to NONE — explicit positive signal that contention was checked).
7. Write the plan to `release/releases/plans/<slug>_RELEASE_PLAN.md` (slug-primary / pre-claim — no version stem; the version binds at the Stage-12 claim).
8. Present summary to user for review.

**Plan format:** Follow the structure in `references/release-plan-template.md` and the section anchor map in `### Mode B Output Format` below.

### Mode B Output Format

The Mode B output file contains 12 H2 sections in fixed order. Each H2 with its required H3 subsections and conditional-emit rules:

| # | H2 Section | Content owner | Required H3s | Conditional emit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | `## Header` | `references/release-plan-template.md` § Header | (none — table inline) | Always |
| 2 | `## Summary` | Mode B Step 8 | (none) | Always |
| 3 | `## Dependency Graph` | Mode A Step 3 / CPM step / Step 5d | `### Topologically Sorted Sequence` (carries the `Edge Type` column — the §Category 4 artifact-relationship type per in-release edge), `### Artifact Relationship Graph` (always when bundle ≥1 issue — typed edges per `references/dependency-analysis.md § Artifact-Relationship Classification`; emits the `No typed artifact relationships — ...` empty-state body when the classifier yields zero edges), `### Mermaid Visualization` (when >5 nodes; edges labeled with the artifact-relationship type), `### Tie-Breaker Trace` (when ties existed), `### Critical Path` (always when bundle ≥1 issue — emits mode annotation header `[DEGRADED-MODE: ...]` or `[TYPED-MODE: ...]` + chain ordered list + chain length + algorithm reference per `references/dependency-analysis.md § Step 5c`; emits "(none — bundle has no dependency edges)" body when bundle has zero edges) | Always |
| 4 | `## File Contention Map` | Mode B Step 6 | (none — table inline) | Always when bundle ≥2 issues; explicit "No file contention detected" body when all-NONE |
| 5 | `## Cross-Milestone Dependency Validation` | Mode B Step 5b / G3-07 spec / always-emit harmonization | `### G3-07 Status` (always when section emitted; body `PASS — N dependency edge(s) checked, 0 cross-milestone violations` when zero violations — positive signal), `### Violations` (when FAIL), `### Resolved Edges (B is Done)` (when [RESOLVED] annotations exist), `### Registered Exceptions` (when ## Dependency Exceptions block present) | Always emitted when bundle has ≥1 dependency edge (any type); suppressed only when bundle has zero dependency edges (no check possible) — analogous to row 4's `No file contention detected` always-emit pattern / always-emit harmonization |
| 6 | `## Bundle Refresh State` | Mode B Step 5a / refresh-state ADR | (none — body inline) | Conditional — present only when Gate G-BR fired non-no-op since last Mode A/B; absent otherwise |
| 7 | `## Implementation Sequence` | Mode B Step 5 | `### Commit Plan`, `### Stage Applicability Matrix`, `### Agent-Editability Read` (Stage-4 Phase A3.5 output — a derivation header naming the controls and the commit SHA they were read at, plus one row per File Change Matrix `add`/`edit` path with its path class, the card class, and the execution path; authored on every plan per `pipeline/stage-04-planning.md` § 5.9, which owns the procedure and is not restated here) | Always |
| 8 | `## Cross-PR Overlap Audit` | Stage 4 A4 | `### Baseline SHA` (records the audit-start baseline SHA AND, when a GO is rendered, the GO baseline SHA + the sibling-merge revalidation predicate `git log <baseline>..origin/main --name-status --find-renames` intersected against this release's structural surface `SURFACE(R)` per the Stage 3 Bundle spec § A9.6.1 axis — the UNIFIED predicate shared by Stage 9 G-PR9 and Stage 12 Phase A.5; `--name-status --find-renames`, NOT `--merges`, so squash / fast-forward sibling landings are caught; the pin self-invalidates when a sibling parallel release merges after the baseline and before Stage 9), `### Open PRs in Scope`, `### Recently-Merged PRs in Scope`, `### Structural Sub-Audit` (the mover-set + `SURFACE(R)` intersection per sibling milestone, when this release's File Change Matrix declares a rename / relocate / delete; suppressed otherwise) | Always |
| 9 | `## Risk Register` | Mode B Step 4 | (none — table inline) | Always |
| 10 | `## Operator Decisions (D-Gate Block)` | Stage 4 D-Gate | `### D-N: <decision title>` per D-decision with required subsections (Gate input / Pre-decided / Gate decision / Blocks / Upstre

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