dough-slice-plan-refinement · diff
git:20260921.783382a to git:20260922.7e7bbcc
29 added, 17 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: dough-slice-plan-refinement
description: >-
- Refines an existing executable plan in place into smaller, proof-owned
- Behavior/Structure slices. Use after dough-slice-planning when slices are
- complex, cumulative design accumulates special cases, sizing confidence is low,
- or execution overruns. Creates no new plan and does not change the selected
- story outcome or bounded retrospective correction outcome.
+ Refines an executable plan in place into proportionate, proof-owned
+ Behavior/Structure slices. Use after dough-slice-planning when boundaries
+ fragment cohesive work, combine independent concerns, accumulate special cases,
+ or overrun. Creates no new plan and preserves the selected story or bounded
+ correction outcome. After rewriting the plan, reassess readiness through the
+ shared preparation procedure without granting Take or execution.
---
# Slice-plan refinement
Refine an existing executable plan in place. Do not create another plan,
implement product code, or change its selected story or bounded correction
outcome.
## Require a refinable plan
Require an existing executable plan and this project's context required by
[dough-slice-planning](../dough-slice-planning/SKILL.md), especially any supplied
target, hard limit, exceptions, overrun policy, and the plan lifecycle.
Identify whether the plan's source is a selected feature story or a bounded
retrospective correction under
[planning scope and lifecycle](../dough-story-refinement/references/planning.md#choose-the-planning-level).
For a complete correction, use the plan's outcome, findings, scope, proof,
decisions, and slices directly; do not require or create a seed. Name whichever
required correction field is missing and stop. A complete plan permits
refinement, not execution; preserve the invoking instruction's authorization
- boundary. Before choosing further subdivision, apply the shared
+ boundary. Before revising boundaries, apply the shared
[reassessment decision](../dough-execute-plan/references/execution-decisions.md#reassess-before-extending-work).
- If no plan exists, use `dough-slice-planning`.
- If a plan is marked as awaiting story refinement after resplitting, use
[dough-story-refinement](../dough-story-refinement/SKILL.md) on its mapped
story and realign the plan before treating it as refinable or executable.
- If the selected story's goal, scope, or examples must change, use
[dough-story-refinement](../dough-story-refinement/SKILL.md).
- If a correction's beneficiary, bounded outcome, scope, or proof must change,
stop through the shared execution-decision handoff; do not turn it into a
feature story. A disputed product constraint uses the plan-conflict handoff
below and remains human-owned.
- If the parent problem, candidate selection, or sibling ordering must change,
use [dough-story-decomposition](../dough-story-decomposition/SKILL.md).
- - After the assessment below, if the cumulative design is supported and all
- remaining slices are cohesive and single-proof-loop, meet any supplied target,
- and have no unexplained path beyond a supplied hard limit,
- report `ready for direct execution`; no further refinement is required.
- Execution still requires separate authorization from the invoking workflow.
+ - Report `ready for direct execution` only when cumulative design is supported,
+ every boundary preserves useful progress or learning, and all slices are
+ cohesive, single-proof-loop, meet supplied targets, and have no unexplained
+ path beyond a hard limit. Record that outcome through
+ [assess readiness at preparation completion](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md#assess-readiness-at-preparation-completion)
+ when the work item has a recorded identity. Execution still requires separate
+ authorization from the invoking workflow.
## Refine the plan
Before writing to the plan, establish or reuse the required workspace under
[preparation workspace](../dough-story-refinement/references/preparation-workspace.md);
reading the plan and the code and tests needed to judge execution boundaries
needs no workspace on its own. Read and apply:
- [slice decomposition](../dough-story-decomposition/references/problem-decomposition.md#decompose-slices),
including its cumulative design assessment, sizing, and escalation rules; and
- [active-plan refinement](../dough-story-refinement/references/planning.md#refine-the-active-plan),
including executable proof ownership.
When refinement reconsiders the plan's selected existing solution or the
architectural direction supporting it, reapply
[architectural thinking](../dough-slice-planning/references/architectural-thinking.md),
including its authoritative PFE handoff. Otherwise carry the decision forward;
do not repeat PFE or create a new direction topic merely because slices are
being refined.
Preserve completed slices, applicable evidence, and the selected story's goal
and scope or the correction plan's bounded outcome and scope.
Assess the cumulative design, including how remaining examples build on
- completed slices, then classify each remaining slice:
+ completed slices, then classify each remaining boundary:
| Result | Decision |
| --- | --- |
- | **Ready** | One Behavior/Structure gate, one proof loop, a cohesive path consistent with the cumulative model, and a plausible hypothesis under any supplied target |
- | **Refine** | Same story or bounded correction, but the slice has multiple beats, unsupported special-case design, low confidence, or a supplied target or hard-limit concern |
- | **Escalate** | Learning requires review of the source outcome, selected story, or parent problem |
+ | **Retain** | One gate and proof loop yield cohesive progress within supplied limits |
+ | **Consolidate** | Adjacent slices are useful only together; combining hides no consequential risk and preserves safe recovery |
+ | **Split** | One slice has independent outcomes or proof loops, hidden preparation, credible risk, special-case design, or a sizing concern |
+ | **Escalate** | Learning requires review of the source outcome, story, or parent problem |
A suspected accidental contractual restriction uses the shared
[plan-conflict handoff](../dough-execute-plan/references/execution-decisions.md#resolve-a-disputed-plan-restriction)
before a conflicting plan edit; classify it as Escalate, not an automatically
correctable special case. Route other Escalate findings through the input gate.
- Refine every remaining Refine slice.
+ Apply every Consolidate or Split decision.
After an overrun, confirm attempt-owned work is safely parked or reverted before
editing the plan. Stop for human judgment when ownership is unclear. Do not
commit, push, implement, or verify product behavior unless the invoking workflow
separately authorizes it.
Count the resulting plan's slices, including completed slices but excluding
obsolete replaced slices. If the count is greater than 15, report
`story resplit recommended: <count> slices; use dough-resplit-story` and link to
[dough-resplit-story](../dough-resplit-story/SKILL.md). This is a recommendation,
not an automatic invocation or a new execution-readiness gate. Do not resplit
the story or change its backlog placement during slice-plan refinement.
Report the plan path, replaced slices, resulting slice count, sizing exceptions,
- any resplit recommendation, and whether execution can resume. Apply
+ any resplit recommendation, whether execution can resume, and — when the work
+ item has a recorded identity — the readiness reassessment through
+ [assess readiness at preparation completion](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md#assess-readiness-at-preparation-completion):
+ remaining Refine or Escalate findings, or any other blocking concern, become
+ `not-ready` reasons; when the cumulative design is supported and remaining
+ slices are ready under the table above, record `ready`. Do not Take, move the
+ queue, or start execution from this reassessment.
+
+ Apply
[preparation workspace](../dough-story-refinement/references/preparation-workspace.md)'s
keep or discard decision, then close or retain the workspace, when this
session ends.
End with:
`## SLICE PLAN REFINED`