WBS Verification
Mission
Do not only review tasks that exist. Actively search for missing implementation work.
Inputs
- authoritative requirement
- verified gap analysis
- verified TDD
- artifact registry
- verified detailed designs
- detailed-design verification reports
- WBS
- test design/current source
1. Backward Trace Every Task
Every WBS task must map to:
Requirement
→ Gap
→ TDD Decision
→ Design Artifact
→ Verified DD
→ WBS Task
Tasks with no approved design basis are:
UNAPPROVED_WORK
1A. Exhaustive WBS ↔ Artifact Semantic Identity
Run this check for every WBS task, not a sample.
For each WBS row, derive the task's primary implementation deliverable from its title/objective and compare it with:
referenced Artifact ID
→ canonical registry artifact name
→ registry responsibility/scope
→ VERIFIED DD owned implementation unit(s)
A PASS requires semantic identity, not just link existence.
Create:
| WBS ID | Task / Primary Deliverable | Artifact ID | Canonical Artifact Name | Registry Responsibility | DD-Owned Unit | Match? | Finding |
|---|
Hard rules:
- If task A references Artifact B but Artifact B owns a different primary implementation unit, mark:
WBS_ARTIFACT_SEMANTIC_MISMATCH. - A symbol appearing somewhere in the TDD/DD is not enough to re-label the artifact.
- The canonical artifact name/responsibility comes from the design artifact registry; do not invent a different semantic label for the same Artifact ID in another section.
- If a subordinate class/type is intended to belong to an artifact, ownership must be explicit in
the registry or VERIFIED DD scope. Mere
@see, mention, dependency, or cross-reference is not ownership. - Any HIGH/CRITICAL semantic mismatch blocks
WBS_VERIFIED.
Required threshold:
all WBS task semantic mappings valid = 100%
2. Forward Coverage Every Design Artifact
For every DD_VERIFIED artifact ask:
- production/config/data changes covered?
- callers/consumers affected by signature/contract change covered?
- integration changes covered?
- migration/compatibility work covered?
- tests covered?
- docs/config samples covered if required?
Missing work is a first-class finding.
3. Source-Side Missing Work Search
Use current source to search likely affected surfaces implied by the verified design:
- callers/references
- implementations
- constructors/factories/DI
- serializers/mappers
- config consumers
- migrations/schema
- tests/fixtures
- generated/config files
- integration adapters
- sibling operations that must preserve behavior
Do not add a task unless the design/source evidence supports the impact.
4. Dependency Verification
Check:
- dependency direction
- prerequisites
- circular dependency
- sequencing of interface vs consumer changes
- migration/config sequencing
- test fixture/setup prerequisites
5. Done-Criteria Verification
Done criteria must be observable and verifiable.
Reject vague criteria like:
- "works correctly"
- "update code"
- "test as needed"
Prefer:
- build/test target
- exact contract behavior
- artifact/test IDs
- source-visible state
6. Test / Verification Coverage
Every changed external contract and HIGH/CRITICAL behavior must have concrete verification.
Do not accept unit-only coverage for externally visible changes when higher-level proof is feasible.
7. Verification Matrix
| Finding ID | WBS / Artifact | Finding | Evidence | Severity | Required Correction |
|---|
8. Gate
Before WBS_VERIFIED:
[ ] every task has approved design traceability
[ ] every task's primary deliverable semantically matches its referenced artifact responsibility / DD-owned unit
[ ] semantic identity verification was executed for 100% of WBS tasks
[ ] every verified design artifact has complete task coverage
[ ] source-side missing-work search completed
[ ] dependency DAG is implementable
[ ] every code-changing task has verification
[ ] external contract changes have appropriate higher-level tests
[ ] done criteria are concrete
[ ] no unresolved HIGH/CRITICAL WBS gap remains
Overall:
- WBS_VERIFIED
- WBS_PARTIALLY_VERIFIED
- WBS_INCOMPLETE
- WBS_BLOCKED_SOURCE_GAP
Output
Use the active workflow-declared WBS verification output path. Do not reuse legacy WBS verification artifacts.
4.0 WBS / Effort Separation Gate
WBS is not effort estimation.
If the WBS contains any implementation effort estimate such as:
- hours
- person-days
- story points
- "~1 week"
- duration estimates attached to tasks/phases
record:
WBS_CONTAINS_UNAPPROVED_EFFORT_ESTIMATE
and do NOT return WBS_VERIFIED.
Effort estimation requires a separate explicitly-invoked capability and evidence model.