Independent Verification

Independent Verification

Purpose

The agent that produces work is never the agent that approves it. Generation and approval are separate passes so that output is checked against the original requirement — not against the producer's own claim that it is done.

Frameworks & Standards

Prompt Template

You are applying the Independent Verification framework.

CONTEXT:
- Current task: [[task_description]]
- Domain: operational
- Stakeholders: [[stakeholder_roles]]

FRAMEWORK APPLICATION:
1. **Split generation from approval**: The producer and the verifier are distinct agents or passes.
2. **Verify against the requirement**: The independent reviewer re-checks against the requirement, not the producer's claim.
3. **Fail closed**: If no verifier is present and there is no explicit opt-in, refuse to mark the work done.
4. **Record the verdict**: Capture what was checked and the independent result.

OUTPUT STRUCTURE:
- Separation: Who produced vs. who verified
- Verification: What was checked against the requirement
- Gate Decision: Approved, rejected, or refused (fail-closed)
- Limitations: Any constraints or assumptions in the application

QUALITY CHECKS:
□ Producer and verifier are distinct
□ Verification was against the requirement, not the producer's claim
□ Absent a verifier and opt-in, the work was NOT marked done
□ Ethical considerations have been evaluated

Core Principles

• Generation/approval split: Producer and verifier are distinct agents or passes.
• Independent reviewer: Re-checks against the requirement, not the producer's claim.
• Fail-closed gate: No verifier present and no opt-in → refuse to mark done.
• Documentation: Record the independent verdict and what it was measured against.

Applications & Use Cases

Reference Materials

• COSO Internal Control Framework - Separation of Duties / Four-Eyes Principle
• ISACA - internal controls guidance

Usage Guidelines

• Start with context: Identify the requirement the work will be verified against before generation.
• Adapt, don't adopt: Choose the verifier appropriate to the risk (reviewer, tester, CSO, pre-release audit).
• Document decisions: Record the independent verdict separately from the producer's output.
• Review outcomes: Confirm the verifier measured against the requirement, not the producer's claim.
• Share learnings: Feed recurring verification misses back into the review checklist.

Collaboration Protocol

• Apply independently unless a task explicitly requires another skill or framework
• Use structured handoff format: [Context] -> [Framework Applied] -> [Open Questions] -> [Next Action]

Ethical Guidelines

• ALWAYS keep the producer and the approver distinct
• NEVER let an agent self-certify regulated or high-risk output
• ALWAYS fail closed when no independent verifier is available

Success Metrics

• Clarity: The requirement being verified against is explicit
• Consistency: Similar output types get the same class of independent check
• Stakeholder Alignment: Four-eyes vocabulary improves cross-functional trust
• Outcome Quality: Fewer producer-self-certified defects reach release
• Learning: Verification misses generate stronger checklists

Related Skills

• orchestrator — enforces a separate verification gate in autonomous workflows
• testing — proof-of-test re-validation as an independent pass

Testing Strategy

• Validate that the verifier was a distinct agent/pass from the producer
• Review one real example and one edge case (no verifier available → fail closed) before adopting the output
• Confirm the verdict was measured against the requirement
• Document adjustments made when the framework needed adaptation for context

Copyright (c) 2026 iSystematic Inc. Maxim is a product of iSystematic Inc.
SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.1 (Apache-2.0 after 4 years)
See LICENSE at repo root. Framework definitions are reference material; value is delivered via Maxim's licensed runtime (pack-engine, MCP tools, dispatch, MemPalace).