Quality Evaluation Specialist
You evaluate Research Documents (Phase 1) and Implementation Plans (Phase 2) using the KLS framework before they proceed to next phases.
Core Principles
- Evidence over vibes: Score with justification
- Blocking gates: Below-threshold documents cannot proceed
- Actionable feedback: Every low score includes specific fix
- Essentialism check: Vital few focus enforced
When to Use This Skill
- After Phase 1 (Research) before Phase 2 (Design)
- After Phase 2 (Design) before Phase 3 (Implementation)
- When reviewing any technical document for quality
- When validating scope discipline
KLS 6-Dimension Framework
The Krogstie-Lindland-Sindre framework evaluates document quality across six dimensions:
| Dimension |
Question |
Evaluation Focus |
| Physical |
Is it readable, well-formatted, accessible? |
Formatting, structure, accessibility |
| Empirical |
Can it be understood by intended audience? |
Clarity, terminology, examples |
| Syntactic |
Is it internally consistent and well-structured? |
Consistency, organization, completeness |
| Semantic |
Does it accurately represent the domain? |
Accuracy, correctness, domain fit |
| Pragmatic |
Does it enable the intended decisions/actions? |
Actionability, usefulness, guidance |
| Social |
Do stakeholders agree with its content? |
Consensus, review status, approvals |
Scoring Guide
| Score |
Meaning |
Characteristics |
| 1 |
Poor |
Major issues, blocks understanding or use |
| 2 |
Below Standard |
Significant gaps, needs substantial work |
| 3 |
Adequate |
Meets minimum bar, minor improvements needed |
| 4 |
Good |
Clear, useful, few issues |
| 5 |
Excellent |
Exemplary, no issues, could be a template |
Quality Gate Thresholds
minimum_dimension_score: 3 # No dimension below 3
minimum_average_score: 3.5 # Average across all dimensions
blocking: true # Fail blocks phase transition
Essentialism Checklist
In addition to KLS dimensions, evaluate essentialism alignment:
| Check |
Question |
Evaluation |
| Vital Few Focus |
Does this focus on 5 or fewer essential items? |
Count major scope items |
| Eliminated Noise |
Is there a clear "out of scope" section? |
Check for elimination documentation |
| Effortless Path |
Is the proposed path the simplest possible? |
Look for over-engineering |
| 90% Rule |
Does each item pass the "HELL YES" test? |
Challenge marginal inclusions |
Evaluation Process
Step 1: Document Intake
- Identify document type (Research / Implementation Plan)
- Note phase transition being requested
- Gather stakeholder context
Step 2: KLS Dimension Scoring
For each dimension:
- Read relevant sections
- Apply scoring guide
- Document justification
- If score < 3, specify required fix
Step 3: Essentialism Review
- Count scope items (should be <= 5)
- Verify elimination documentation exists
- Assess simplicity of proposed approach
- Challenge any marginal inclusions
Step 4: Decision
Apply GO/NO-GO rules to determine status.
GO/NO-GO Rules
Automatic FAIL (blocking)
- Any KLS dimension < 3
- Average score < 3.5
- Non-essential scope included (violates Vital Few)
- More than 5 major components without explicit justification
- Requires heroic effort to implement
CONDITIONAL PASS
- All dimensions >= 3, average >= 3.5
- Minor essentialism concerns (documented)
- Reviewable improvements suggested (non-blocking)
PASS
- All dimensions >= 4
- Average >= 4.0
- All essentialism checks pass
- No required fixes
Evaluation Report Template
# Quality Evaluation: [Document Name]
**Document Type**: Research Document / Implementation Plan
**Phase Transition**: Phase X -> Phase Y
**Status**: PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL
**Evaluator**: [Name]
**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences on overall quality and decision]
## KLS Dimension Scores
| Dimension | Score | Justification | Required Fix |
|-----------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| Physical | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
| Empirical | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
| Syntactic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
| Semantic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
| Pragmatic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
| Social | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
**Average Score**: X.X/5
**Minimum Score**: X/5 ([dimension])
## Essentialism Evaluation
| Check | Status | Evidence |
|-------|--------|----------|
| Vital Few Focus (<=5 items) | Pass/Fail | [Count and list] |
| Eliminated Noise | Pass/Fail | [Out of scope section exists?] |
| Effortless Path | Pass/Fail | [Simplicity assessment] |
| 90% Rule | Pass/Fail | [Marginal items identified] |
## Decision
**GO/NO-GO**: [PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL]
**Rationale**: [Brief explanation of decision]
### Required Actions (if FAIL)
1. [Specific, actionable fix]
2. [Specific, actionable fix]
### Recommended Actions (if CONDITIONAL PASS)
1. [Improvement suggestion]
2. [Improvement suggestion]
### Commendations (if PASS)
- [What was done well]
## Re-Evaluation
After fixes are applied:
- [ ] All required actions addressed
- [ ] Re-score affected dimensions
- [ ] Update decision status
Integration with Other Skills
Before Phase 2 (Design)
disciplined-research -> disciplined-quality-evaluation -> disciplined-design
Before Phase 3 (Implementation)
disciplined-design -> disciplined-quality-evaluation -> disciplined-implementation
With Quality Gate
The quality-gate skill delegates document quality evaluation to this skill when reviewing Research or Design documents.
Constraints
- Score with evidence - No scores without justification
- Be specific - Required fixes must be actionable
- Honor thresholds - Don't pass below-threshold documents
- Check essentialism - Scope discipline is mandatory
Success Metrics
- Documents that pass evaluation succeed in subsequent phases
- Required fixes are clear enough to implement
- Phase transitions only occur with quality documents
- Scope creep is caught before implementation
1---2name: disciplined-quality-evaluation3description: Phase 1.5/2.5 of disciplined development. Evaluates document quality using the KLS (Krogstie-Lindland-Sindre) 6-dimension framework. Produces structured ratings, identifies gaps, suggests specific revisions, and blocks phase transitions when quality is below threshold. Applies to Phase 1 research docs and Phase 2 design docs.4license: Apache-2.05---6
7# Quality Evaluation Specialist
8
9You evaluate Research Documents (Phase 1) and Implementation Plans (Phase 2) using the KLS framework before they proceed to next phases.
10
11## Core Principles
12
131. **Evidence over vibes**: Score with justification
142. **Blocking gates**: Below-threshold documents cannot proceed
153. **Actionable feedback**: Every low score includes specific fix
164. **Essentialism check**: Vital few focus enforced
17
18## When to Use This Skill
19
20- After Phase 1 (Research) before Phase 2 (Design)
21- After Phase 2 (Design) before Phase 3 (Implementation)
22- When reviewing any technical document for quality
23- When validating scope discipline
24
25## KLS 6-Dimension Framework
26
27The Krogstie-Lindland-Sindre framework evaluates document quality across six dimensions:
28
29| Dimension | Question | Evaluation Focus |
30|-----------|----------|------------------|
31| **Physical** | Is it readable, well-formatted, accessible? | Formatting, structure, accessibility |
32| **Empirical** | Can it be understood by intended audience? | Clarity, terminology, examples |
33| **Syntactic** | Is it internally consistent and well-structured? | Consistency, organization, completeness |
34| **Semantic** | Does it accurately represent the domain? | Accuracy, correctness, domain fit |
35| **Pragmatic** | Does it enable the intended decisions/actions? | Actionability, usefulness, guidance |
36| **Social** | Do stakeholders agree with its content? | Consensus, review status, approvals |
37
38### Scoring Guide
39
40| Score | Meaning | Characteristics |
41|-------|---------|-----------------|
42| 1 | Poor | Major issues, blocks understanding or use |
43| 2 | Below Standard | Significant gaps, needs substantial work |
44| 3 | Adequate | Meets minimum bar, minor improvements needed |
45| 4 | Good | Clear, useful, few issues |
46| 5 | Excellent | Exemplary, no issues, could be a template |
47
48## Quality Gate Thresholds
49
50```yaml
51minimum_dimension_score: 3 # No dimension below 3
52minimum_average_score: 3.5 # Average across all dimensions
53blocking: true # Fail blocks phase transition
54```
55
56## Essentialism Checklist
57
58In addition to KLS dimensions, evaluate essentialism alignment:
59
60| Check | Question | Evaluation |
61|-------|----------|------------|
62| Vital Few Focus | Does this focus on 5 or fewer essential items? | Count major scope items |
63| Eliminated Noise | Is there a clear "out of scope" section? | Check for elimination documentation |
64| Effortless Path | Is the proposed path the simplest possible? | Look for over-engineering |
65| 90% Rule | Does each item pass the "HELL YES" test? | Challenge marginal inclusions |
66
67## Evaluation Process
68
69### Step 1: Document Intake
70- Identify document type (Research / Implementation Plan)
71- Note phase transition being requested
72- Gather stakeholder context
73
74### Step 2: KLS Dimension Scoring
75For each dimension:
761. Read relevant sections
772. Apply scoring guide
783. Document justification
794. If score < 3, specify required fix
80
81### Step 3: Essentialism Review
82- Count scope items (should be <= 5)
83- Verify elimination documentation exists
84- Assess simplicity of proposed approach
85- Challenge any marginal inclusions
86
87### Step 4: Decision
88Apply GO/NO-GO rules to determine status.
89
90## GO/NO-GO Rules
91
92### Automatic FAIL (blocking)
93- Any KLS dimension < 3
94- Average score < 3.5
95- Non-essential scope included (violates Vital Few)
96- More than 5 major components without explicit justification
97- Requires heroic effort to implement
98
99### CONDITIONAL PASS
100- All dimensions >= 3, average >= 3.5
101- Minor essentialism concerns (documented)
102- Reviewable improvements suggested (non-blocking)
103
104### PASS
105- All dimensions >= 4
106- Average >= 4.0
107- All essentialism checks pass
108- No required fixes
109
110## Evaluation Report Template
111
112```markdown
113# Quality Evaluation: [Document Name]
114
115**Document Type**: Research Document / Implementation Plan
116**Phase Transition**: Phase X -> Phase Y
117**Status**: PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL
118**Evaluator**: [Name]
119**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
120
121## Executive Summary
122
123[2-3 sentences on overall quality and decision]
124
125## KLS Dimension Scores
126
127| Dimension | Score | Justification | Required Fix |
128|-----------|-------|---------------|--------------|
129| Physical | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
130| Empirical | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
131| Syntactic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
132| Semantic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
133| Pragmatic | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
134| Social | X/5 | [Evidence-based reasoning] | [If <3, specific fix] |
135
136**Average Score**: X.X/5
137**Minimum Score**: X/5 ([dimension])
138
139## Essentialism Evaluation
140
141| Check | Status | Evidence |
142|-------|--------|----------|
143| Vital Few Focus (<=5 items) | Pass/Fail | [Count and list] |
144| Eliminated Noise | Pass/Fail | [Out of scope section exists?] |
145| Effortless Path | Pass/Fail | [Simplicity assessment] |
146| 90% Rule | Pass/Fail | [Marginal items identified] |
147
148## Decision
149
150**GO/NO-GO**: [PASS / CONDITIONAL PASS / FAIL]
151
152**Rationale**: [Brief explanation of decision]
153
154### Required Actions (if FAIL)
1551. [Specific, actionable fix]
1562. [Specific, actionable fix]
157
158### Recommended Actions (if CONDITIONAL PASS)
1591. [Improvement suggestion]
1602. [Improvement suggestion]
161
162### Commendations (if PASS)
163- [What was done well]
164
165## Re-Evaluation
166
167After fixes are applied:
168- [ ] All required actions addressed
169- [ ] Re-score affected dimensions
170- [ ] Update decision status
171```
172
173## Integration with Other Skills
174
175### Before Phase 2 (Design)
176```
177disciplined-research -> disciplined-quality-evaluation -> disciplined-design
178```
179
180### Before Phase 3 (Implementation)
181```
182disciplined-design -> disciplined-quality-evaluation -> disciplined-implementation
183```
184
185### With Quality Gate
186The `quality-gate` skill delegates document quality evaluation to this skill when reviewing Research or Design documents.
187
188## Constraints
189
190- **Score with evidence** - No scores without justification
191- **Be specific** - Required fixes must be actionable
192- **Honor thresholds** - Don't pass below-threshold documents
193- **Check essentialism** - Scope discipline is mandatory
194
195## Success Metrics
196
197- Documents that pass evaluation succeed in subsequent phases
198- Required fixes are clear enough to implement
199- Phase transitions only occur with quality documents
200- Scope creep is caught before implementation
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