git:20260828.cbfd12c to git:20260902.ac7251a

5 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: interview-framework-codex

description: Internal Ralph Specum contract for Codex phase interviews, skill manifests, approval, and delegation gates. Phase coordinators load this skill directly; users do not invoke it as a workflow phase.

metadata:

surface: internal

---

# Codex interview framework

Run every normal-mode `start`, `triage`, `research`, `requirements`, `design`, and `tasks` phase through `references/algorithm.md` and `references/domain-modeling.md`.

## Completion criterion

Delegate only after all of these conditions hold for one identity tuple:

- `phase`, `interviewId`, `discoveryRevision`, and `contextDigest` match in state and in the delegation packet.

- The selected skill manifest has status `complete` or `partial_warned`.

- The phase interview has status `complete` or `skipped` after explicit final approval.

- `phase_gate.py check-delegation` succeeds.

- Quick mode uses the same identity tuple. It requires a current `complete` or `partial_warned` manifest plus an interview receipt with status `bypassed_quick` and `quickAuthorization.source: "--quick"`. Quick mode bypasses interview questions only. Discovery, contract load, parent delegation provenance, artifact-agent reload, and `check-agent-write` still apply.

+ ## Hard-transition invariant

+ Run the current `check-delegation` immediately before each affected phase transition or child dispatch. A failed `check-delegation` in either mode stops this invocation before state transition, child dispatch, or target-artifact write. After a normal-mode failure, the next explicit invocation uses a fresh manifest/interview identity. After an exact `--quick` delegation failure, the next explicit invocation reruns discovery, records a fresh `phaseSkillLoad` and interview identity, and does not reuse a terminal `bypassed_quick` interview or its discovery revision. Only a matching in-progress `collecting` or `awaiting_confirmation` interview is resumable. A matching in-progress interview that has not reached a failed delegation boundary remains valid for resume.

+ Exact `--quick` preserves discovery, manifest, parent-delegation provenance, `check-delegation`, receipt recording, and `check-agent-write`. Quick mode bypasses interview questions only. Exact `--quick` separately bypasses final approval. It still runs `check-delegation` immediately before dispatch, uses the same identity tuple, requires a current `complete` or `partial_warned` manifest plus an interview receipt with status `bypassed_quick` and `quickAuthorization.source: "--quick"`, and has no other bypass.

## Hard boundaries

- Ask only critical user decisions that can change phase scope, externally visible behavior, acceptance, architecture, sequencing, or material risk.

- Inspect code, configuration, state, prior artifacts, and selected skill contracts for facts. Do not ask the user for discoverable facts or setup and administration choices.

- Ask the whole currently unblocked critical frontier. Split a frontier only when Codex's native user-input tool limit requires another batch. The current limit is three questions per call.

- Put the recommended option first and state its tradeoff. Offer only viable alternatives.

- Persist each partial answer before asking the next frontier.

- Treat control-only replies such as `apply the changes`, `continue`, `proceed`, and `go ahead` as no answer to an active interview question.

- Treat bare `skip` during an active question as an instruction to finish the remaining interview with stated defaults and assumptions. Present the final approval gate before delegation.

- Delegate in the same turn after the user explicitly chooses `approve and delegate`.

- During artifact review, treat `apply the changes` as a revision request. Delegate the revision and remain at the artifact approval gate.

- Apply domain-language modeling during the grill. Challenge conflicting or vague terms, use concrete boundary scenarios, and record resolved domain terms without creating an ADR.

## Preload boundary

Load selected skill bodies and required current-work references as contracts. During preload, collect constraints, vocabulary, checks, and conflicts. Start no task action prescribed by a loaded domain skill until the phase interview is approved and the delegation gate passes.

If this core skill, its algorithm reference, or its domain-modeling reference cannot be read and hashed, record `phaseSkillLoad.status: "core_failed"`, report the failure, and stop. Record domain-skill load failures in `warnings` and `failures`, use `partial_warned`, and continue. Turn unresolved material conflicts between loaded contracts into first-layer interview decisions.