# Plan Issue Work

> Turn an implementation-ready issue into semantic commit units, dependencies, and safe execution waves.

- Skill: `tristan-hauber/plan-issue-work` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tristan-hauber/plan-issue-work`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tristan-hauber/plan-issue-work/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: Tristan-Hauber (https://skillmd.com/u/tristan-hauber)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tristan-hauber/plan-issue-work

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Read the verified issue decision/ownership ledger/receipt, relevant linked decisions, repo instructions, and only missing code evidence. Plan only `target-owned`/`inherited` requirements. Dependencies may constrain or block but are not target work; `downstream`/`context` do not expand scope unless explicitly assigned. Verify fingerprints; do not reread unchanged source bodies. Use one `explorer` for nontrivial mapping, starting with symbols/changed paths before full files.

Resolve ambiguity first. Material semantic uncertainty requires a direct `Q#` under `Please answer:` with context, options, and recommendation. Same-session answers resume; only reversible implementation choices may be assumptions.

Derive semantic commit units before dependencies or execution waves; parallelism must not determine commit boundaries. Each item must be reviewable after prerequisites and leave a coherent state with focused validation. Keep tests/docs with the behaviour they validate. Split meaningful foundations, preparatory refactors, distinct behaviours, or platform/integration stages; do not split by file/layer, production-vs-tests, worker/review iteration, or into knowingly broken/incomplete states. Sequential items may overlap paths/symbols.

For each:
`ID | goal | depends: IDs/- | owns: paths/symbols | accept: checks | validate: commands`
For a nontrivial one-item plan add `Single-item rationale:`; same files/subsystem, sequentiality, or inability to parallelise are insufficient reasons.

Require an acyclic dependency graph and complete issue coverage. Then derive `Waves: [ready IDs] -> [next IDs] ...`. Only concurrently active items require non-overlapping ownership and one active owner per area. Do not pre-start dependent workers/worktrees; start them after prerequisites integrate from exact new `HEAD`. Respect configured concurrency; use no agent for a trivial task.

Return task lines, any single-item rationale, waves, assumptions, the full question block, and inspected evidence locations for the caller's receipt.