Initialize Governance

Initialize Governance Framework

Skill Usage Announcement

MANDATORY: When using this skill, announce it at the start with:

🔧 Using Skill: initialize-governance | [brief purpose based on context]

Example:

🔧 Using Skill: initialize-governance | [Provide context-specific example of what you're doing]

This creates an audit trail showing which skills were applied during the session.

You are setting up a complete project governance framework to ensure perfect alignment between AI assistant and human partner on design principles, strategic direction, and tactical execution.

Purpose

This skill creates the three-tier governance hierarchy:

1. Constitution (CONSTITUTION.md) - Immutable design principles
2. Roadmap (ROADMAP.md + ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md) - Strategic + tactical plans
3. Process Documentation (README files) - Operational guidance

Initialization Process

Phase 1: Discovery and Planning

1. Detect Project Structure

Use Bash to check current state:

# Check for git repository
git rev-parse --show-toplevel

# Check for existing wrangler workspace
ls -la .wrangler/ 2>/dev/null || echo "No .wrangler directory"

# Check for existing governance docs
[ -f .wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md ] && echo "Constitution exists" || echo "No constitution"
[ -f .wrangler/ROADMAP.md ] && echo "Roadmap exists" || echo "No roadmap"

2. Ask User for Project Context

Use AskUserQuestion to gather essential information:

AskUserQuestion({
  questions: [
    {
      question: "What is the core mission of this project in one sentence?",
      header: "Mission",
      options: [
        { label: "I'll type it myself", description: "Provide custom mission statement" }
      ],
      multiSelect: false
    },
    {
      question: "What stage is this project currently in?",
      header: "Stage",
      options: [
        { label: "Brand new", description: "Just starting, no code yet" },
        { label: "Early development", description: "Some code exists, still evolving" },
        { label: "Active development", description: "Established codebase, ongoing features" },
        { label: "Mature", description: "Stable codebase, maintenance mode" }
      ],
      multiSelect: false
    },
    {
      question: "Do you have existing design principles or guidelines?",
      header: "Principles",
      options: [
        { label: "Yes, documented", description: "Have written principles already" },
        { label: "Yes, informal", description: "Have ideas but not written down" },
        { label: "No, need help", description: "Want to create them now" }
      ],
      multiSelect: false
    }
  ]
})

3. Create Directory Structure

Ensure all required directories exist:

# Create directories if they don't exist
mkdir -p .wrangler
mkdir -p .wrangler/docs
mkdir -p .wrangler/plans

# Note: .wrangler/issues and .wrangler/specifications are created by session hooks

4. Create Process Documentation

Create standard process documentation files from skill templates:

# Copy TESTING.md from skill template
cp skills/initialize-governance/templates/TESTING.md .wrangler/TESTING.md

TESTING.md will be populated later by setup-git-hooks with actual test commands.

Initial state should have placeholder status:

• Replace {{STATUS_PLACEHOLDER}} with: **Status:** Not configured yet
• Leave {{TEST_COMMAND}} and other placeholders as-is
• These will be filled in by setup-git-hooks

Note on Templates: Issue and specification templates live in their respective skills:

• Issue template: skills/create-new-issue/templates/TASK_ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md
• Specification template: skills/writing-specifications/templates/SPECIFICATION_TEMPLATE.md
• Security checklist: skills/initialize-governance/templates/SECURITY_CHECKLIST.md
• Definition of Done: skills/initialize-governance/templates/DEFINITION_OF_DONE.md

These are referenced directly from skills, not copied to .wrangler/templates/.

5. Set Up Git Hooks (Automatic)

After governance files are created, automatically set up git hooks:

# Invoke setup-git-hooks skill
Skill: setup-git-hooks

This will:

• Populate .wrangler/TESTING.md (created in previous step)
• Detect project type and configure appropriate hooks
• Create .wrangler/config/hooks-config.json with configuration
• Install hooks to .git/hooks/ directory
• Handle empty projects gracefully (creates placeholders)

Users can reconfigure later with /wrangler:update-git-hooks command.

Phase 2: Constitution Creation

If user has existing principles: Use the constitution skill (invoke with Skill tool) to help them refine and formalize.

If user needs help creating principles: Guide them through brainstorming process:

1. Identify Core Values

Ask these questions (one at a time, discussion-style):

• "What matters most to you in this project's design and architecture?"
• "What are the non-negotiables - things you'd refuse to compromise on?"
• "What mistakes have you seen in similar projects that you want to avoid?"
• "What does success look like for this project in 2 years?"

2. Convert Values to Principles

For each core value, help user formulate as concrete principle:

Template:

### [Principle Number]: [Principle Name]

**Principle**: [One-sentence statement of the principle]

**In Practice**:
- [Specific application 1]
- [Specific application 2]
- [Specific application 3]

**Anti-patterns** (What NOT to do):
- ❌ [Anti-pattern 1 with explanation]
- ❌ [Anti-pattern 2 with explanation]

**Examples**:
- ✅ **Good**: [Concrete example showing principle in action]
- ❌ **Bad**: [Concrete example violating principle]

3. Write Constitution File

Use the template from skills/constitution/templates/_CONSTITUTION.md:

# Copy template (if not using the skill to generate it)
cp /path/to/wrangler/skills/constitution/templates/_CONSTITUTION.md .wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md

Then use Edit tool to fill in:

• Project name
• Current date for ratification
• North Star mission (from Phase 1)
• 5+ principles (from brainstorming)
• Decision framework (can use default)
• Amendment process (can use default)

Phase 3: Roadmap Creation

1. Gather Roadmap Information

Ask user about phases and goals:

AskUserQuestion({
  questions: [
    {
      question: "How many major phases do you envision for this project?",
      header: "Phases",
      options: [
        { label: "1-2 phases", description: "Small project, focused scope" },
        { label: "3-4 phases", description: "Medium project, several major milestones" },
        { label: "5+ phases", description: "Large project, long-term vision" }
      ],
      multiSelect: false
    }
  ]
})

2. For Each Phase, Gather Details

For first phase (most important):

• "What's the main goal of Phase 1?"
• "What features are essential for Phase 1?"
• "What does success look like at the end of Phase 1?"
• "What's the timeline for Phase 1?"

For subsequent phases (can be less detailed):

• "What's the main goal of Phase N?"
• "What key features belong in Phase N?"

3. Write Roadmap File

Use template from skills/validating-roadmap/templates/_ROADMAP.md:

# Copy template (if not using the skill to generate it)
cp /path/to/wrangler/skills/validating-roadmap/templates/_ROADMAP.md .wrangler/ROADMAP.md

Fill in with Edit tool:

• Project name and overview
• Current state (what's already done)
• Each phase with timeline, goal, features, success metrics
• Link to constitution principles

4. Write Next Steps File

Use template from skills/validating-roadmap/templates/_ROADMAP__NEXT_STEPS.md:

# Copy template (if not using the skill to generate it)
cp /path/to/wrangler/skills/validating-roadmap/templates/_ROADMAP__NEXT_STEPS.md .wrangler/ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md

Initial file should reflect current state:

• If brand new project: Everything in ❌ Not Implemented
• If existing project: Categorize features into ✅ / ⚠️ / ❌

Phase 4: Process Documentation

1. Create Issues README

Create a minimal README with status metrics using template from skills/initialize-governance/templates/issues-README.md.

Use Edit tool to:

• Update "Status" section with current counts (run issues_list to get counts)
• Update "Metrics" section with actual data
• Keep rest of template as-is (it's generic guidance)

2. Create Specifications README

Create a minimal README with status metrics using template from skills/initialize-governance/templates/specifications-README.md.

Use Edit tool to:

• Update "Status" section with current counts
• Update "Current Phase" section from roadmap
• Update "Metrics" section with actual data
• Keep rest as guidance

Note: Templates remain in their skill directories and are referenced directly:

• Issue template: skills/create-new-issue/templates/TASK_ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md
• Specification template: skills/writing-specifications/templates/SPECIFICATION_TEMPLATE.md

No copying to .wrangler/templates/ is needed. Skills reference templates from their own directories.

Phase 5: Integration and Verification

1. Update Project CLAUDE.md

If CLAUDE.md exists in project root, add governance section:

## Project Governance

This project uses a three-tier governance framework:

### Tier 1: Constitution (Immutable Principles)
**File**: `.wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md`

Supreme law of the project. All features and decisions must align with constitutional principles.

**Read this first** before working on any feature.

### Tier 2: Strategic Roadmap
**File**: `.wrangler/ROADMAP.md`

Multi-phase strategic plan showing project direction and feature phasing.

### Tier 3: Tactical Execution
**File**: `.wrangler/ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md`

Granular tracking of implementation status with % completion metrics.

### Governance Workflow

Before implementing any feature:
1. Check constitutional alignment
2. Verify roadmap phase
3. Create/update specification
4. Break into tracked issues
5. Follow TDD implementation
6. Update progress in NEXT_STEPS

**Critical**: Use the `check-constitutional-alignment` skill before starting new features.

2. Verify All Files Created

Run verification:

# List all governance files
echo "=== Governance Files ==="
ls -lh .wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md
ls -lh .wrangler/ROADMAP.md
ls -lh .wrangler/ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md
ls -lh .wrangler/specifications/README.md
ls -lh .wrangler/issues/README.md

echo ""
echo "=== Directory Structure ==="
tree -L 2 .wrangler/

3. Create Welcome Issue

Use issues_create to create first issue explaining governance:

issues_create({
  title: "Welcome to Project Governance Framework",
  description: `## Governance Framework Initialized

This project now has a complete governance framework to ensure alignment between AI assistant and human partner.

### Key Documents

**Constitution** (\`.wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md\`)
- Immutable design principles
- Decision framework
- Amendment process

**Roadmap** (\`.wrangler/ROADMAP.md\`)
- Strategic multi-phase plan
- Feature phasing
- Success metrics

**Next Steps** (\`.wrangler/ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md\`)
- Tactical execution tracker
- % completion metrics
- Prioritized work items

### Quick Start

1. Read the Constitution first
2. Review the Roadmap to understand phases
3. Check Next Steps for current priorities
4. Use MCP tools or skills to create issues/specs

### Next Actions

- [ ] Read CONSTITUTION.md thoroughly
- [ ] Review ROADMAP.md phases
- [ ] Identify first features to implement
- [ ] Create specifications for Phase 1 features
- [ ] Begin implementation following governance

### Skills Available

- \`check-constitutional-alignment\` - Verify feature alignment
- \`constitution\` - Refine principles and clarity
- \`verify-governance\` - Check governance integrity
- \`refresh-metrics\` - Update status metrics

Close this issue once you've reviewed all governance documents.
  `,
  type: "issue",
  status: "open",
  priority: "high",
  labels: ["governance", "onboarding"],
  project: "Governance Framework"
})

Phase 6: User Handoff

Provide Summary to User

Create summary message:

## Governance Framework Initialized

Your project now has a complete governance system ensuring we stay aligned on:
- Design principles (Constitution)
- Strategic direction (Roadmap)
- Tactical execution (Next Steps)

### Files Created

**Core Governance** (in `.wrangler/`):
- `CONSTITUTION.md` - [X] principles ratified
- `ROADMAP.md` - [Y] phases planned
- `ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md` - Execution tracker

**Process Documentation** (in `.wrangler/`):
- `issues/README.md` - Issue management guide
- `specifications/README.md` - Specification guide
- `TESTING.md` - Test documentation (created here, populated by setup-git-hooks)

**Git Hooks** (always enabled):
- `.wrangler/config/hooks-config.json` - Hook configuration
- `.git/hooks/pre-commit` - Pre-commit hook
- `.git/hooks/pre-push` - Pre-push hook

### Next Steps

1. **Review Constitution**: Read `.wrangler/CONSTITUTION.md`
   - Verify principles match your vision
   - Use `constitution` skill if refinement needed

2. **Review Roadmap**: Read `.wrangler/ROADMAP.md`
   - Confirm phases and timelines
   - Adjust priorities if needed

3. **Start Implementation**:
   - Create specifications for Phase 1 features
   - Use `writing-plans` skill to break into tasks
   - Follow governance workflow for all features

### Governance Workflow

Feature Request ↓ Constitutional Check (use check-constitutional-alignment skill) ↓ (if aligned) Specification (create with constitutional alignment section) ↓ Implementation Plan (use writing-plans skill) ↓ Issue Tracking (auto-created by writing-plans) ↓ Implementation (follow TDD) ↓ Update NEXT_STEPS (mark features complete)

### Skills for Governance

- **check-constitutional-alignment** - Verify feature fits principles
- **constitution** - Refine and clarify principles
- **verify-governance** - Check framework integrity
- **refresh-metrics** - Update status counts

**You're all set!** We're now "of one mind" on project governance.

Edge Cases

If Governance Already Partially Exists

Scenario: Some governance files already exist

Approach:

1. Detect which files exist
2. Ask user: "I see you already have [files]. Would you like me to:"
   • "Enhance existing files (preserve your content)"
   • "Start fresh (backup old, create new)"
   • "Skip initialization"
3. If enhancing:
   • Read existing files
   • Identify gaps compared to templates
   • Propose additions (don't remove user content)

If User is Unsure About Principles

Scenario: User says "I don't know" or "Not sure" when asked about principles

Approach:

1. Use researching-web-sources skill to find examples:
   • "software design principles"
   • "project constitution examples"
   • "engineering team values"
2. Present 3-4 common principles as starting point
3. Offer to use constitution skill for deep refinement

If Project is Very Small

Scenario: Single-file project or very small scope

Approach:

1. Still create full governance (future-proofing)
2. Explain: "Even small projects benefit from clear principles"
3. Suggest simplified constitution (3 principles instead of 5+)
4. Suggest single-phase roadmap

Success Criteria

Initialization is complete when:

• Core governance files exist and are populated (CONSTITUTION.md, ROADMAP.md, ROADMAP_NEXT_STEPS.md)
• Constitution has 3+ principles with examples
• Roadmap has at least 1 phase with goals
• README files have current metrics (issues/README.md, specifications/README.md)
• Welcome issue created
• User has reviewed all documents
• CLAUDE.md updated (if exists)
• TESTING.md created from template (placeholder status, to be populated by setup-git-hooks)
• Git hooks set up (automatically invoked during initialization)

Important Notes

Template Paths: Templates are in skill-specific directories:

• Constitution: skills/constitution/templates/
• Roadmap: skills/validating-roadmap/templates/
• Issues: skills/create-new-issue/templates/
• Specifications: skills/writing-specifications/templates/
• Process docs: skills/initialize-governance/templates/ (TESTING.md, SECURITY_CHECKLIST.md, DEFINITION_OF_DONE.md)

Use Copy, Not Move: Always copy templates, never move them (templates stay in wrangler)

Preserve User Content: If enhancing existing files, never delete user content

Constitutional First: The constitution is most important - spend time here

Roadmap Can Evolve: Roadmap will change - it's okay to start simple

Metrics Will Update: Don't worry about exact metrics now - refresh-metrics skill handles this

Related Skills

• constitution - For deep principle refinement and clarification
• check-constitutional-alignment - For verifying features align with principles
• verify-governance - For checking governance file integrity
• refresh-metrics - For updating status counts in READMEs and NEXT_STEPS
• setup-git-hooks - For setting up git hooks enforcement
• update-git-hooks - For modifying existing git hooks configuration

Remember

You're establishing the foundation for perfect alignment between AI and human. Take time to make the constitution solid - everything else builds on this foundation.