Epic Constitution

epic-constitution

Establish epic-specific constitution that extends project principles.

When to use this command:

• Epic has unique compliance/regulatory requirements
• Complex inter-epic boundaries need definition
• Epic owns critical data with special handling rules
• Performance/security requirements differ from project baseline
• Multiple teams working on dependent epics

When to skip:

• Simple, standalone epics
• Epic follows standard project patterns
• No special constraints beyond project constitution
• Internal features with flexible requirements

Context Requirements

First, identify the epic context:

• Project name/ID (ask if not provided)
• Epic name/ID (ask if not provided)

Load hierarchical context:

• Project constitution (parent principles)
• Project technical context
• Epic specification

Epic Constitution Purpose

Epic constitutions:

• Extend project principles (never contradict)
• Specialize rules for epic's domain
• Clarify epic-specific trade-offs
• Define epic boundaries and interfaces

Interactive Constitution Development

Step 1: Review Inherited Principles

Load and present project constitution:

• "The project defines these core principles: [list]"
• "Your epic must honor these while adding specificity"

Step 2: Epic-Specific Principles

Guide principle development:

Domain-Specific Rules:

• "What special rules apply to [epic domain]?"
• "Any compliance/security requirements?"
• "Performance constraints unique to this epic?"

Technical Decisions:

• "Any epic-specific technology choices?"
• "Special patterns for this domain?"
• "Integration standards?"

Quality Standards:

• "Testing requirements beyond project standards?"
• "Documentation needs?"
• "Monitoring/observability requirements?"

Step 3: Boundary Definition

Clarify epic interfaces:

API Contracts:

• "How do other epics interact with this one?"
• "What contracts must be maintained?"
• "Versioning strategy?"

Data Ownership:

• "What data does this epic own?"
• "Sharing rules with other epics?"
• "Privacy boundaries?"

Dependencies:

• "What can this epic depend on?"
• "What must it NOT depend on?"
• "Abstraction requirements?"

Constitution Generation

1. Load template: .speck/templates/epic/constitution-template.md
2. Create file: specs/projects/[PROJECT_ID]/epics/[EPIC_ID]/constitution.md
3. Fill template systematically:
   • Copy project principles for reference
   • Define epic-specific extensions
   • Specify boundaries clearly
   • Set measurable standards
   • Document governance process

The template provides comprehensive sections for all constitution needs.

Step 4: Validation Rules

Define how to verify compliance:

Automated Checks:

• API contract tests
• Dependency analysis
• Performance benchmarks
• Security scans

Manual Reviews:

• Code review checklist
• Architecture review points
• Documentation standards

Step 5: Integration with Stories

Explain inheritance:

• "All stories in this epic inherit both project and epic constitutions"
• "Story-level rules can specialize further but not contradict"
• "Stories reference this constitution for epic-specific patterns"

Step 6: Cross-Epic Coordination

If epic has dependencies:

• "How do constitutions align between dependent epics?"
• "Any shared principles needed?"
• "Contract negotiation required?"

Step 7: Review and Activation

Guide finalization:

• Review with epic team
• Validate against project constitution
• Check dependent epic impacts
• Approve and version

Next steps:

• Re-read the marked canonical Epic flow in root AGENTS.md and continue at its first incomplete applicable slot.
• Translate enforceable principles into the later plan and validation gates when those canonical slots run.

Note: Epic constitutions are most valuable for complex domains with special rules. Many epics can successfully use just the project constitution.

Constitution Hierarchy

Project Constitution (Universal)
    ↓ inherits
Epic Constitution (Domain-specific)
    ↓ inherits
Story Constitution (Feature-specific)

Each level:

• Extends the level above
• Specializes for its scope
• Never contradicts parent principles

Common Epic Constitution Patterns

Data-Heavy Epics

• Data quality principles
• Privacy boundaries
• Retention policies
• Access patterns

User-Facing Epics

• UX consistency rules
• Accessibility standards
• Performance budgets
• Error handling patterns

Integration Epics

• API versioning rules
• Retry/fallback patterns
• Contract testing requirements
• Monitoring standards

Security-Critical Epics

• Authentication patterns
• Audit requirements
• Encryption standards
• Compliance mappings

Success Criteria

A good epic constitution:

• Extends project principles clearly
• Defines epic boundaries precisely
• Enables autonomous development
• Prevents epic coupling
• Measurable and enforceable