Review Policy Rule Builder

Review Policy Rule Builder

Adds a new rule or updates an existing rule in global or module policy files under <docs-dir>/review/policies/.

Read references/policy-rule-checklist.md before editing any policy file.

Quick start

Example user prompts:

• "Add a new high-severity rule for <module-slug> to enforce <constraint>."
• "Update rule RP-<MODULE>-NNN in <module-slug> to refine check logic and exceptions."
• "Add a global policy rule to enforce <cross-project-constraint>."
• "Update global rule RP-GLOBAL-NNN to tighten evidence expectation."

1. Locate <docs-dir>/review/policies/global-policy.md or module-<slug>.md.
2. Ask for missing fields: scope, domain/module, intent, severity, check logic, evidence expectation, exceptions, optional automation.
3. Create a new rule ID (RP-GLOBAL-NNN or RP-<MODULE>-NNN) for add mode, or keep the existing ID for modify mode.
4. Write or merge rule YAML under ## Rules and update - Updated: YYYY-MM-DD.
5. When applicable, update POLICY_INDEX.md metadata tables.
6. Validate required schema fields and report result.

Workflow

1. Locate target policy file

   • Resolve <docs-dir> from repository contract docs.
   • Ask whether the target is global or module if not explicit.
   • Route to global-policy.md for global scope and module-<slug>.md for module scope.
   • If file missing, create it using the appropriate template.

2. Run AskTheUser interview

   • Collect:
     • rule scope (global or module)
     • policy domain/module
     • policy description (title + intent)
     • code sample(s) from repo or user snippet
     • additional metadata (severity, evidence expectation, exceptions, source, ADR, status)
     • for global scope: cross-project impact and why module-local scope is insufficient
   • Offer defaults when user is unsure:
     • severity: high
     • source: user-specified
     • status: active
     • allowed_exceptions: none
   • If automation is added/changed/removed, ask:
     • "Should I update POLICY_INDEX.md -> Automated Checks for this rule?"
     • Recommend Yes when automation exists or changed.
     • Recommend Yes when automation was removed (to remove stale row).
     • Recommend No only when user explicitly wants to defer index updates.
   • Explain purpose before asking: Automated Checks is the governance index of machine-checkable rules used for review traceability and deterministic enforcement visibility.

3. Decide operation mode

   • Add: no matching rule ID/intent found.
   • Modify: user names rule ID, or intent clearly maps to an existing rule.
   • Preserve stable IDs when intent is unchanged.
   • If intent changes materially, add a new ID and deprecate old rule with rationale.
   • ID family:
     • global: RP-GLOBAL-NNN
     • module: RP-<MODULE>-NNN

4. Write contract-compliant rule

   • Required fields:
     • id, title, scope, severity, intent, check_logic, evidence_expectation, allowed_exceptions, source, status
   • Optional fields:
     • related_adr
     • automation metadata
   • Scope rules:
     • global-policy.md must use scope: global
     • module-<slug>.md must use scope: module:<slug>

5. Update POLICY_INDEX.md when applicable

   • Update only if <docs-dir>/review/policies/POLICY_INDEX.md exists.
   • If missing, do not create it in this skill; report warning and remediation.
   • Always update after policy file edits:
     • - Updated: YYYY-MM-DD
   • Update ## Needs Decision when rule status is needs-decision.
   • Update ## Automated Checks only when automation changed and based on AskTheUser decision:
     • Yes: upsert/remove row keyed by rule ID.
     • No: leave unchanged and report explicit user override.
   • If a global rule is added/deprecated/needs-decision, ensure index reflects it in relevant sections.

6. Validate and report

   • Validate against checklist in references/policy-rule-checklist.md.
   • If available, run python skills/review-policy-rule-builder/scripts/validate_policy_rule.py <policy-file>.
   • Report created/updated rule IDs, file path, and any unresolved ambiguity.

Guardrails

• Never silently delete existing rules.
• If replacing policy intent, mark prior rule status: deprecated.
• Keep edits minimal and localized to target policy file plus POLICY_INDEX.md when applicable.
• Keep policy language testable and evidence-oriented.
• If user input conflicts with ADR constraints, mark status: needs-decision and note conflict.

AskTheUser prompt snippet

Use this prompt when automation metadata was added, changed, or removed:

"This rule has automation metadata changes. Should I update POLICY_INDEX.md -> Automated Checks for traceability of machine-enforced rules?"

Options:

• Yes (Recommended) - keep index aligned with deterministic checks.
• No - keep policy rule change only and defer index update.

Decision handling:

• If Yes, upsert or remove Automated Checks row by Rule ID.
• If No, leave Automated Checks unchanged and report user override.
• If POLICY_INDEX.md is missing, report warning and skip index update.