stationkeeping

Prepare and execute an explicitly authorised operational change with observability, rollback, and post-change checks. Use for release or incident procedures, not unattended production action.

Inputs

Environment and service identity; authorised operation; current health; owner/contact; rollback plan and observable success/abort thresholds.

Run record

Use checklist 0.5 or newer for this SOP. Reading or reloading the skill must not reset work. For a new task, run checklist init "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}" --new --path "/absolute/project"; retain its returned ID as RUN. For existing work, use checklist resume "$RUN", then checklist show --run "$RUN". Outside Claude, replace the skill-directory variable with this directory’s actual path.

Commands below record work after it is done. Replace evidence placeholders with concise artifact locations and observations. Manual confirmations are not independent proof; a sensor pass covers only the command and inputs it observed. verify does not close a stage; advance checks that its required readings are fulfilled. Use report --run "$RUN" for the retained history.

Procedure

prepare

Confirm the exact environment, current deployment/configuration, authority, and blast radius. Check that rollback artifacts and access actually exist. Do not alter the process or network carrying this conversation.

Record these artifacts after doing the work:

• Environment, operation, authority, and blast radius are unambiguous. checklist check prepare target --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"
• Rollback path and success/abort thresholds are recorded and feasible. checklist check prepare rollback --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"

When this stage is fulfilled: checklist advance prepare --run "$RUN".

operate

Establish a health baseline. Execute the approved bounded action, watching the named signals. On an abort condition, use the agreed rollback or escalate; do not widen permissions to force progress.

Record these artifacts after doing the work:

• Pre-change health and relevant configuration are recorded. checklist check operate baseline --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"
• Action, observed signals, and any rollback are logged. checklist check operate operation --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"

When this stage is fulfilled: checklist advance operate --run "$RUN".

handoff

Check the user-visible path as well as internal health. Record deployed versions, remaining risks, and the next owner; do not infer recovery from one green dashboard.

Record these artifacts after doing the work:

• Post-change checks cover the intended outcome and abort signals. checklist check handoff health --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"
• Operational record names current state, open issues, and next owner. checklist check handoff owner --run "$RUN" --evidence "<artifact and observation>"

When this stage is fulfilled: checklist advance handoff --run "$RUN".

Branches

For planning-only requests, produce the runbook without executing it; execution checks remain pending. If a change can cut the agent’s communication path, hand that action to the human.

If an input or permission is missing, name the blocker and leave the relevant item pending. A changed requirement may need a new run; an accepted checklist edit uses resume "$RUN" --refresh and requires fresh readings. To abandon work, use checklist reset --run "$RUN" --reason "<reason>"; history is retained.

Completion

A recorded operational outcome with verified health or an explicit rollback/escalation state. Completion does not mean every reliability risk is eliminated.

After all required work and stage closures is recorded, use checklist done --run "$RUN". This archives the result without deleting its history; it does not authorise any external action.

Reference shelf

Open the technique relevant to the current step. These notes provide concrete methods and examples, not additional phases; this entrypoint defines the run's completion conditions.

• Operating with an observable rollback boundary
• Measure a limit and exercise a recovery path
• Select an operational procedure from the actual risk
• Change the intended environment and configuration
• Alerts with an owner and a useful response
• Follow one operation through its consequences
• A bounded release with a feasible reversal
• Restore useful service and leave an honest incident record