phase-validate git:20260720.2e4f3b4A

Immutable. This exact content is served forever at /api/v1/blob/88d918da7471cf62.

---
name: phase-validate
description: Validate exactly one implemented phase or scoped change against its authoritative contract. Use after implementation to re-derive criterion-level conclusions from current evidence and fix only required implementation gaps.
---

# Phase Validation

Own contract validation between implementation and structural review.

## Workflow

1. Read the authoritative contract and applicable repository rules unconditionally.
2. Enumerate each observable acceptance criterion, invariant, required progress, environmental assumption, and failure case, then map it to implementation and evidence.
3. Inspect changed files, tests, failure paths, cleanup, side effects, and required checks without trusting implementation claims. Confirm that each evidence method fits the relevant input, state, ordering, and failure space.
4. Invoke focused review skills only when their trigger materially applies; consume read-only findings and keep fixes under this phase's authority. Use separately authorized specialist or independent challenge passes only to broaden defect discovery, verify their claims from evidence, and never treat agreement as proof.
5. Use `plan-update` or `spec-update` when the contract is incorrect or incomplete. Do not invent behavior.
6. Fix only implementation gaps required by the selected contract.
7. Run focused checks while correcting, then run the authoritative required command once against final content.

For every criterion report `VERIFIED`, `NOT VERIFIED`, or `INCONCLUSIVE`, with evidence and reasoning. Independence means fresh evidence-based conclusions, not mandatory separate-agent execution.

Do not add verification dependencies or harnesses without authority; report the expected benefit and residual risk when they are unavailable. Do not perform broad maintainability refactoring, final closeout, shipping, commits, pushes, external mutations, or unrelated cleanup. Use `phase-review` after validation for structural regressions.

Finish when every criterion has a supported status, scoped defects are fixed, required checks reflect final content, and blockers are explicit.