git:20260218.dfab498 to git:20260226.23d1a81

2 added, 2 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: instructions-management

description: "Manages the project instructions — a document of non-negotiable project principles and governance rules. Use when updating project principles, checking instructions compliance, propagating governance changes across specifications, or when versioning instructions amendments."

---

# Instructions Management Guide

## What are the Project Instructions?

- The project instructions at `.github/copilot-instructions.md` contain non-negotiable project principles that gate all downstream decisions. It is the highest authority in the SDD process.

+ The project instructions at `project-instructions.md` contain non-negotiable project principles that gate all downstream decisions. It is the highest authority in the SDD process.

## Update Process

### 1. Load Current Project Instructions

- - Read `.github/copilot-instructions.md`

+ - Read `project-instructions.md`

- Identify all placeholder tokens: `[ALL_CAPS_IDENTIFIER]`

- The user may need fewer or more principles than the template provides — adapt accordingly

### 2. Collect Values for Placeholders

- Use values from user input (conversation)

- Infer from repo context (README, docs, prior versions) if not provided

- Governance dates:

- `LAST_AMENDED_DATE`: Today if changes are made

- Version: See [references/versioning-rules.md](references/versioning-rules.md)

### 3. Draft Updated Content

- Replace every placeholder with concrete text

- Preserve heading hierarchy

- Each Principle section: succinct name, non-negotiable rules, explicit rationale

- Governance section: amendment procedure, versioning policy, compliance expectations

### 4. Consistency Propagation

After updating, check these files for alignment:

- Plan template: Instructions Check section must reference updated principles

- Spec template: scope/requirements alignment with new constraints

- Tasks template: task categories reflecting principle-driven types

- Agent instructions: no outdated references

### 5. Sync Impact Report

Present a report to the user in the response:

- Version change: old → new

- Modified principles

- Added/removed sections

- Templates requiring updates (✅ updated / ⚠ pending)

- Follow-up TODOs

### 6. Validation

- No unexplained bracket tokens remaining

- Version line matches report

- Dates in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD)

- Principles are declarative, testable, and free of vague language

## Principles of Good Project Instructions Writing

- Use MUST/SHOULD with rationale

- Make each principle testable (can you tell if code violates it?)

- Keep principles declarative, not procedural

- Limit to 3-7 core principles (focused > comprehensive)