Specification Maintenance

Maintain governance artifacts for $ARGUMENTS without writing code or creating execution work.

Discovery

govctl status
govctl search <topic>
govctl rfc list
govctl adr list

Read artifacts with show; add --history only when obsolete content matters. Use govctl <resource> --help for current syntax.

Hard Stops

• Do not write code, create Work Items, or advance an RFC beyond spec.
• RFCs own obligations, ADRs own design rationale, and Work Items own execution scope. Keep implementation plans out of RFCs and ADRs.
• Do not edit gov/ files directly; use govctl commands. Clause operations use the root govctl clause namespace.
• Ask the user before any lifecycle or destructive artifact operation (accept, reject, finalize, advance, bump, deprecate, supersede, delete) unless the request already authorizes it.
• Stop a lifecycle mutation when you cannot establish the phase, sealed baseline, or recovery path it depends on.
• Hand off to discuss or gov when a "clarification" changes behavior, the design is unresolved, or code is required.

Classify The Change

Follow rfc-writer or adr-writer. Before a lifecycle transition on substantively changed content, run rfc-reviewer, adr-reviewer, or wi-reviewer as appropriate.

RFC Lifecycle

Read the RFC's phase and the rules in [[RFC-0000:C-PHASE-LIFECYCLE]] and [[RFC-0002:C-LIFECYCLE-VERBS]] before editing:

• A draft RFC is finalized, never bumped.
• A normative RFC in spec is still its open candidate; do not bump it just to retarget that candidate.
• Content edits after spec need an authorized version bump before further phase progression.
• A post-spec RFC with no trustworthy sealed baseline needs migration or a restore from version control, not an inferred bump.
• Do not edit or bump deprecated RFCs.
• Clause since is lifecycle-owned; use Clause lifecycle commands. Current-version changelog corrections use the changelog edit path and do not replace an amendment or bump.

Done When

• each artifact stays within its authority and its lifecycle state is explicit;
• its reviewer has no unresolved critical finding;
• govctl check passes and affected projections are rendered; and
• the final response names changed artifacts, lifecycle state, review result, and the next workflow: discuss for open design, gov for code, quick for unrelated non-behavioral cleanup, or commit for VCS.

Leave unapproved artifacts in their current draft or proposed state.