Done When Criteria

Define completion as observable artifacts so a skill cannot be declared finished on vibes

Use when: a procedure has several steps and the endpoint of the work is ambiguous

Avoid when: the skill is one mechanical action whose result is self-evident

Procedure

1. Write what exists on disk when the skill is complete
2. Require at least one artifact a reviewer can open
3. Include a verification step that compares two artifacts
4. Avoid verbs like understand, consider or ensure
5. Check each criterion can be marked pass or fail without argument
6. Re-read after a session and confirm you actually produced each artifact

Signals

• each criterion names a file, a pair or a captured response
• no criterion depends on an unstated judgement
• the criteria can be checked by someone else
• a session that skipped a criterion has a visible hole

Patterns

1. Artifact criterion

a baseline and candidate capture exist for the same target

2. Verification criterion

a second run reproduces the same digest

3. Rejected verb

understand the cache behaviour

Pitfalls

• Writing completion criteria as feelings or intentions
• Requiring an artifact that the procedure never produces
• Making criteria so strict that routine work always fails them

Done when

• every criterion is a pass or fail check on an artifact
• a completed session can be audited against the list

References

• NIST - documentation
• OWASP - methodology