Spec

Specification Maintenance

Maintain governance artifacts for $ARGUMENTS without implementing code or creating execution work.

Operational Baseline

Discovery

Establish artifact and lifecycle state first:

govctl status
govctl search <topic>
govctl rfc list
govctl adr list

Read the current projection with the resource show command and use --history only when obsolete content matters. Use govctl <resource> --help for current authoring and lifecycle syntax. In the govctl repository itself, invoke the development binary as cargo run --quiet --.

Hard Stops

• This workflow is artifact-only. Do not write implementation code, create Work Items, or advance an RFC beyond spec.
• RFCs own obligations; ADRs own design rationale. Do not put implementation plans into either artifact.
• Use canonical govctl resource commands rather than editing gov/ files. Clause operations use the root govctl clause namespace.
• Obtain user authorization before lifecycle-owned or destructive artifact operations, including acceptance/rejection, finalization, version changes, deprecation, supersession, and deletion, unless already granted.
• Stop when a clarification changes behavior, design remains unresolved, or the task requires implementation. Route those cases to discuss or gov.
• Stop lifecycle mutation when authoritative phase, signature baseline, or required recovery state cannot be established.

Decision Policy

Classify The Change

Follow rfc-writer or adr-writer for artifact quality. Use rfc-reviewer for RFCs, adr-reviewer for ADRs, and wi-reviewer for Work Items before treating substantively changed content as ready for a lifecycle transition.

Respect Candidate Boundaries

Inspect the RFC and its governing lifecycle clauses before editing:

• Draft RFC content remains in its initial candidate and is finalized rather than version-bumped.
• A normative RFC already in spec remains open for current-candidate authoring; do not bump merely to retarget that candidate.
• Editing sealed content after spec creates an amendment that needs an authorized version-changing bump before later phase progression.
• A post-spec RFC without a trustworthy sealed baseline requires the documented migration or version-control restoration path, not an inferred bump.
• Deprecated RFC content is historical and is not edited or version-bumped.

Clause since and version assignment are lifecycle-owned. Use the Clause lifecycle surface rather than rewriting history. Current-version changelog corrections use the canonical changelog edit path and do not replace a content amendment or lifecycle bump.

Validate And Hand Off

Run govctl check after substantive artifact edits and render affected projections. Resolve structural diagnostics and critical reviewer findings before requesting a lifecycle transition.

Use:

• discuss when the decision remains open;
• gov when code or implementation tests are required;
• quick only for unrelated non-behavioral cleanup outside governance artifacts; and
• commit for raw VCS operations.

Completion Evidence

Spec maintenance is complete when:

• the artifact stays within its authority boundary;
• lifecycle state and required authorization are explicit;
• the artifact's named reviewer has no unresolved critical finding;
• govctl check passes and affected projections are current; and
• the final response identifies changed artifacts, lifecycle state, review result, and the correct next workflow.

Leave unapproved artifacts in their existing draft/proposed lifecycle state.