@windyroad/itil 0.32.3 → 0.33.0-preview.339

package/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "name": "wr-itil",
-  "version": "0.32.3",
+  "version": "0.33.0",
   "description": "ITIL-aligned IT service management for Claude Code"
 }

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@windyroad/itil",
-  "version": "0.32.3",
+  "version": "0.33.0-preview.339",
   "description": "ITIL-aligned IT service management for Claude Code (problem, and future incident/change skills)",
   "bin": {
     "windyroad-itil": "./bin/install.mjs"

package/skills/work-problems/SKILL.md

@@ -550,6 +550,20 @@ After the iteration's commit lands but before starting the next iteration, check
    - **Within appetite (≤ 4/25) AND there is releasable material** (any unpushed commits on `HEAD..origin/<base>` OR any entries in `.changeset/` OR any graduation-eligible entries in `docs/changesets-holding/` per ADR-061 Rule 1 that are not VP-blocked per Rule 2) — drain the queue per the Drain action below, then proceed to Step 6.75. The release-action threshold is "is there something to release?", NOT "has accumulated risk reached the safety band?" Per user direction 2026-05-17 (P250 Description): *"If it's low risk, you should release."* Low cost to release + low residual risk = release now; never accumulate.
    - **Within appetite (≤ 4/25) AND empty queue** (no unpushed commits AND no `.changeset/` entries AND no graduation-eligible held entries) — no drain (literally nothing to release). Proceed to Step 6.75. This is the genuine no-op fast-path; the gate is *absence of releasable material*, not residual band.
 
+**Cohort-graduation pre-check (per ADR-061 Rule 5; P246):** when the within-appetite-with-releasable-material branch fires AND `docs/changesets-holding/` is non-empty, invoke the graduation evaluator BEFORE the Drain action. The evaluator is the deterministic Rule 1a join + Rule 2 VP carve-out + Rule 3b cohort-grouping pass shipped in `@windyroad/risk-scorer` Phase 2a/2b. **The graduation criterion is evidence-of-working-as-desired (Rule 4 per-class evidence floor), not elapsed wall-clock time** — per user direction 2026-05-17: *"Dogfooding makes sense, but it shouldn't be time based, it should be until we are happy that it's working as desired."* + *"Why are we waiting? That seems to go against the principles if you ask me."* Calendar predicates are NEVER a primary graduation trigger; the evaluator's `status=resolved` IS the graduation signal.
+
+1. Run the shim: `wr-risk-scorer-evaluate-graduation` (resolves to `packages/risk-scorer/scripts/evaluate-graduation.sh` per ADR-049 naming grammar). The script enumerates `docs/changesets-holding/*.md` (excluding README), applies ADR-061 Rule 1a join + Rule 2 VP carve-out + Rule 3b cohort grouping, and emits one `GRADUATION_CANDIDATE:` line per held entry plus a final `GRADUATION_SUMMARY:` line.
+2. Parse each `GRADUATION_CANDIDATE: changeset=<basename> | ticket=<P-id> | priority=<N> | class=<3a|3b> | [cohort=<id> |] status=<resolved|vp-blocked|halt-no-resolution>` line. Branch on `status`:
+   - **`status=resolved`** — graduate. Per ADR-061 Rule 5 + ADR-013 Rule 5, this is policy-authorised silent proceed (no `AskUserQuestion`). Perform `git mv docs/changesets-holding/<basename> .changeset/<basename>`. Append the entry to `docs/changesets-holding/README.md` "Recently reinstated" with the citation: `<basename> — graduation criterion met (status=resolved per Rule 1a join to <P-id>, Priority <N>); class <3a|3b>; evidence cited`. For class=3b cohorts, ALL members of the cohort with `status=resolved` graduate together atomically (Rule 3b cohort propagation — entire cohort ships or none does). Amend the iter's main commit per ADR-042 Rule 3 amend-based folding to preserve the ADR-032 one-commit-per-iteration invariant.
+   - **`status=vp-blocked`** — skip. Per ADR-061 Rule 2 (Verification Pending carve-out; symmetric to ADR-042 Rule 2b). Do NOT graduate; held entry stays. The `.verifying.md` → `.closed.md` transition auto-clears the carve-out at a later Step 6.5 graduation pass.
+   - **`status=halt-no-resolution`** — halt. Per ADR-061 Rule 1a terminal: when neither filename-convention join nor body-grep fallback resolves a ticket, OR the resolved ticket file is missing/unreadable, the orchestrator MUST NOT auto-graduate. Route to the **Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution** halt point (framework-prescribed halt — see Mid-loop ask discipline subsection); halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference.
+3. After processing all candidates: if anything graduated, the just-moved entries are now in `.changeset/` and ride the existing Drain action (no separate re-entry needed — the Drain action's `release:watch` step picks them up when `.changeset/` is non-empty). Proceed to the Drain action below.
+4. **Governance gates apply (ADR-061 Rule 7)**: every graduation reinstate goes through the standard ADR-014 commit flow — architect / JTBD / risk-scorer gates ride the amend commit; gate rejection routes to ADR-042 Rule 5 halt with the rejection reason logged. The graduation criterion authorises the *intent*; the gates authorise the *action*.
+
+**Idempotency**: safe to invoke when holding-area is empty (script exits 1 with `GRADUATION_SUMMARY: total=0` — orchestrator skips graduation, proceeds to Drain action). Safe when no candidates resolve (all `vp-blocked`) — no `git mv` operations, no README mutation, no commit amendment.
+
+**Audit trail (ADR-061 Rule 6)**: every `reinstate-from-holding` graduation appends one Auto-apply-trail line to the iter report AND one "Recently reinstated" line to `docs/changesets-holding/README.md` with the resolved problem-ticket ID, Priority value, graduation class (3a or 3b), and the evidence citation. The audit trail is the load-bearing artefact for ADR-026 cite + persist + uncertainty grounding.
+
 **Drain action (non-interactive, policy-authorised per ADR-013 Rule 6):**
 
 1. Run `npm run push:watch` (push + wait for CI to pass).
@@ -678,6 +692,9 @@ When `AskUserQuestion` is unavailable or the user is AFK, the skill (and the del
 | Commit when risk above appetite | Skip commit, report uncommitted state |
 | Pipeline risk within appetite (≤ 4/25) with releasable material (any unpushed commits OR any `.changeset/` entries OR any graduation-eligible held entries per ADR-061 Rule 1) | Drain release queue (`push:watch` then, if releasable changesets exist, `release:watch`) before next iteration — per ADR-018 (Step 6.5) as amended by P250. Trigger is *presence of releasable material*, not residual band reaching appetite. User direction 2026-05-17: "If it's low risk, you should release." |
 | Pipeline risk within appetite (≤ 4/25) AND empty queue (no unpushed commits AND no `.changeset/` AND no graduation-eligible held entries) | No drain — literally nothing to release. Proceed directly to Step 6.75. The genuine no-op fast-path per P250. |
+| Cohort-graduation pre-check fires before Drain action (within-appetite branch, `docs/changesets-holding/` non-empty) — evaluator returns `status=resolved` | Graduate. Per ADR-061 Rule 5 + ADR-013 Rule 5 policy-authorised silent proceed (no `AskUserQuestion`): `git mv docs/changesets-holding/<basename> .changeset/<basename>`, append README "Recently reinstated" entry, amend the iter's main commit per ADR-042 Rule 3. For class=3b cohorts, all cohort members with `status=resolved` graduate atomically (Rule 3b cohort propagation). Per ADR-061 Rule 5 + Rule 6 + Rule 7 + P246 (Step 6.5 Cohort-graduation pre-check). Graduation criterion is evidence-of-working-as-desired (Rule 4 evidence floor), not elapsed wall-clock time — user direction 2026-05-17: "Dogfooding makes sense, but it shouldn't be time based, it should be until we are happy that it's working as desired." |
+| Cohort-graduation pre-check — evaluator returns `status=vp-blocked` | Skip. Per ADR-061 Rule 2 Verification Pending carve-out (symmetric to ADR-042 Rule 2b). Do NOT graduate; held entry stays. `.verifying.md` → `.closed.md` transition auto-clears the carve-out at a later pass. Per ADR-061 Rule 2 + P246. |
+| Cohort-graduation pre-check — evaluator returns `status=halt-no-resolution` | Halt at the framework-prescribed "Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution" halt point. Per ADR-061 Rule 1a terminal: ambiguous join is a user-decision surface, not an agent-decision surface. Halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference. Per ADR-061 Rule 1a + P246. |
 | Post-release plugin cache refresh between iters (P233) | After a successful within-appetite Drain action shipped a release to npm, chain `/install-updates` to refresh the plugin cache before the next iter dispatches. Conditional on actual release (skipped when `push:watch` ran alone with no changeset); non-blocking on `/install-updates` failure (degrades to cache-stays-stale, equivalent to pre-amendment behaviour). Mid-loop ask discipline preserved by treating any `/install-updates` AskUserQuestion surface AS the Non-interactive fallback dry-run path. Per ADR-013 Rule 5 + ADR-044 + P130 + P106 + P233 (Step 6.5 Post-release cache refresh subsection). |
 | CI failure during Step 6.5 drain (within-appetite branch) | Diagnose via `gh run view --log-failed`, classify against the closed fixable-in-iter allow-list (P081-class stale-grep-string, hook stub mismatch, test ID drift, environmental flake), fix-and-continue for fixable classes (each retry rides its own ADR-014 commit gate), 3-retry cap per iteration, halt for unrecoverable classes. Ambiguous classification defaults to halt. ADR-013 Rule 5 policy-authorised. Per ADR-026 grounding + ADR-044 framework-resolution boundary + P140 (Step 6.5 Failure handling). |
 | Pipeline risk above appetite (push or release >= 5/25) | Auto-apply scorer remediations incrementally (ADR-042 Rule 2). The agent reads suggestions and decides what to do. Re-score after each apply; drain when within appetite. **Never release above appetite** (ADR-042 Rule 1) — no AskUserQuestion shortcut. Halt the loop with `outcome: halted-above-appetite` if the loop exhausts without convergence (ADR-042 Rule 5). Verification Pending commits excluded from auto-revert (Rule 2b). Per ADR-042 (Step 6.5 Above-appetite branch). |
@@ -688,7 +705,7 @@ When `AskUserQuestion` is unavailable or the user is AFK, the skill (and the del
 | Halt-path final summary with accumulated user-answerable skips (CI failure / Rule 5 above-appetite / dirty-unknown / session-continuity / fetch failure) | Run Step 2.5b's surfacing routine before emitting the halt path's final AFK summary. Step 2.5b is gated on ≥1 accumulated user-answerable skip — empty-skip halts skip the routine. Step 2.5b surfaces *prior-iter accumulated user-answerable skips only*; it does NOT ask the user how to remediate the halt cause itself (CI failure / above-appetite state / dirty-unknown state remain halt-with-bug-signal). Per ADR-013 Rule 1 + ADR-032 + P126 (`halt-paths-must-route-design-questions-through-Step-2.5b`). |
 | Unexpected dirty state between iterations | Halt the loop. Report the `git status --porcelain` output, the last iteration's reported outcome, and the divergence — per P036 (Step 6.75). Run Step 2.5b before emitting the halt summary if ≥1 accumulated user-answerable skip from prior iters (P126). Do NOT attempt non-interactive recovery of the dirty state itself. |
 | External root cause detected at Open → Known Error, or at park with `upstream-blocked` reason | Append the stable `- **Upstream report pending** — external dependency identified; invoke /wr-itil:report-upstream when ready` marker to the ticket's `## Related` section; do NOT auto-invoke `/wr-itil:report-upstream` (Step 6 security-path branch is interactive — per ADR-024 Consequences). Use the already-noted grep check to avoid duplicate lines. Per P063 + ADR-013 Rule 6. |
-| Mid-loop ask between iters in the orchestrator's main turn | Forbidden except at framework-prescribed halt points (Step 0 session-continuity / fetch-failure halt; Step 2.5 / 2.5b loop-end emit; Step 6.5 above-appetite Rule 5 halt; Step 6.5 CI-failure / release:watch halt; Step 6.75 dirty-for-unknown-reason halt). The loop's purpose is **progress + accumulation**; mechanical-stage transitions between iters are framework-resolved and MUST NOT prompt the user. Per ADR-044 framework-resolution boundary + ADR-013 Rule 1 (as amended by ADR-044) + P130. |
+| Mid-loop ask between iters in the orchestrator's main turn | Forbidden except at framework-prescribed halt points (Step 0 session-continuity / fetch-failure halt; Step 2.5 / 2.5b loop-end emit; Step 6.5 above-appetite Rule 5 halt; Step 6.5 CI-failure / release:watch halt; Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution halt; Step 6.75 dirty-for-unknown-reason halt). The loop's purpose is **progress + accumulation**; mechanical-stage transitions between iters are framework-resolved and MUST NOT prompt the user. Per ADR-044 framework-resolution boundary + ADR-013 Rule 1 (as amended by ADR-044) + P130. |
 
 ### Mid-loop ask discipline (orchestrator main turn) — P130
 
@@ -701,6 +718,7 @@ The orchestrator MUST NOT call `AskUserQuestion` between iterations except at th
 - **Step 2.5 / Step 2.5b loop-end emit** — accumulated `outstanding_questions` queue presented as batched `AskUserQuestion` (or fallback Outstanding Design Questions table per ADR-013 Rule 6). This is the framework's prescribed user-interaction point; do NOT dilute it by asking earlier.
 - **Step 6.5 above-appetite Rule 5 halt** — auto-apply loop exhausted without convergence; halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference (Step 2.5b surfaces *prior-iter accumulated user-answerable skips only* — the halt-causing scorer-gap remains a halt-with-bug-signal per ADR-042 Rule 5).
 - **Step 6.5 CI-failure / `release:watch` failure halt** — push:watch or release:watch failed AND the failure is genuinely-unrecoverable (outside the fixable-in-iter allow-list, or 3-retry cap reached); halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference. Failures inside the closed allow-list route to fix-and-continue per Step 6.5 Failure handling (P140), not this halt point.
+- **Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution halt (P246)** — graduation evaluator returned `status=halt-no-resolution` for one or more held candidates (Rule 1a terminal: neither filename-convention join nor body-grep fallback resolved a problem ticket, OR the resolved ticket file is missing/unreadable). The orchestrator MUST NOT auto-graduate under ambiguity per ADR-061 Rule 1a; halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference. The halt-causing ambiguity itself remains a halt-with-bug-signal (the held entry stays in `docs/changesets-holding/`; manual reinstate or ticket-file correction required); Step 2.5b surfaces *prior-iter accumulated user-answerable skips only* and does NOT ask the user to resolve the ambiguity itself.
 - **Step 6.75 dirty-for-unknown-reason halt** — `git status --porcelain` divergence; halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2.5b cross-reference.
 
 **No mid-iter ask points.** Every other point in the orchestrator's main turn (between Step 5 dispatch completing and Step 6.5 release-cadence check; between Step 6.75 verification and Step 7 loop-back; between Step 7 and Step 1 next-iteration; between consecutive iters generally) is a mechanical-stage transition that the framework has already resolved. Do NOT introduce ad-hoc `AskUserQuestion` calls at those points to confirm "is it OK to proceed?" or "want me to start the next iter?" — proceeding IS the framework-resolved default. Continue iterating until quota or stop-condition #1/#2/#3 fires.

package/skills/work-problems/test/work-problems-step-6-5-cohort-graduation.bats

@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+
+# P246: /wr-itil:work-problems Step 6.5 cohort-graduation pre-check must
+# invoke the deterministic graduation evaluator BEFORE the Drain action
+# when the within-appetite-with-releasable-material branch fires AND
+# docs/changesets-holding/ is non-empty.
+#
+# Refined framing (per user direction 2026-05-17): graduation criterion
+# is positive evidence that the surface works as desired (ADR-061 Rule 4
+# per-class evidence floor), NOT elapsed wall-clock time. Calendar
+# predicates (`≥7 days in-repo dogfood`, `on or after <date>`) are NEVER
+# a primary graduation trigger.
+#
+# Pre-check parses `GRADUATION_CANDIDATE` lines from the evaluator and
+# branches per the 3-status taxonomy the evaluator actually emits:
+#
+#   status=resolved              → git mv from holding to .changeset/,
+#                                   README "Recently reinstated" append,
+#                                   amend iter commit per ADR-042 Rule 3
+#                                   (policy-authorised silent proceed per
+#                                    ADR-013 Rule 5 + ADR-061 Rule 5).
+#   status=vp-blocked            → skip (ADR-061 Rule 2 VP carve-out).
+#   status=halt-no-resolution    → halt at the framework-prescribed
+#                                   "Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-
+#                                   no-resolution" halt point (ADR-061
+#                                   Rule 1a terminal).
+#
+# Class=3b cohorts graduate atomically per ADR-061 Rule 3b — entire
+# cohort ships or none does.
+#
+# Doc-lint contract assertions per ADR-037 Permitted Exception (contract-
+# assertion class). The asserted prose IS the load-bearing policy surface
+# — re-reading SKILL.md is the only way an AFK reader (and the iteration
+# subprocess) learns the new pre-check behaviour. These tests function as
+# regression guards against re-introducing calendar-trigger framings,
+# silently removing the pre-check, or drifting the 3-status branching.
+#
+# @problem P246
+# @adr ADR-061 (parent principle — Rules 1/1a/2/3/4/5/6/7)
+# @adr ADR-042 (Rule 3 amend-based folding for graduation reinstate commit)
+# @adr ADR-018 (release-cadence policy parent — drain condition unchanged)
+# @adr ADR-013 (Rule 5 policy-authorised silent proceed)
+# @adr ADR-037 (skill-testing strategy — contract-assertion class)
+# @adr ADR-044 (framework-resolution boundary — no AskUserQuestion mid-iter)
+# @jtbd JTBD-006 (Progress the Backlog While I'm Away — primary)
+# @jtbd JTBD-302 (Trust That the README Describes the Plugin I Just Installed)
+# @jtbd JTBD-001 (Enforce Governance Without Slowing Down)
+# @jtbd JTBD-101 (Extend the Suite with New Plugins)
+
+setup() {
+  REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME")/../../../../.." && pwd)"
+  SKILL_MD="$REPO_ROOT/packages/itil/skills/work-problems/SKILL.md"
+  HOLDING_README="$REPO_ROOT/docs/changesets-holding/README.md"
+}
+
+# ── Preconditions ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: SKILL.md exists" {
+  [ -f "$SKILL_MD" ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: changesets-holding README exists" {
+  [ -f "$HOLDING_README" ]
+}
+
+# ── Pre-check sub-step exists and cites the evaluator shim ────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: SKILL.md Step 6.5 contains 'Cohort-graduation pre-check' sub-step" {
+  run grep -nE 'Cohort-graduation pre-check.*ADR-061 Rule 5.*P246' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check invokes wr-risk-scorer-evaluate-graduation shim" {
+  run grep -nE 'wr-risk-scorer-evaluate-graduation' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check fires BEFORE the Drain action (on within-appetite branch)" {
+  # The pre-check must precede the Drain action heading; if SKILL.md
+  # ever inverts the order, the just-graduated entries would not ride
+  # the existing release flow.
+  pre_check_line=$(grep -nE '^\*\*Cohort-graduation pre-check' "$SKILL_MD" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)
+  drain_line=$(grep -nE '^\*\*Drain action ' "$SKILL_MD" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)
+  [ -n "$pre_check_line" ]
+  [ -n "$drain_line" ]
+  [ "$pre_check_line" -lt "$drain_line" ]
+}
+
+# ── Three-status branching contract ───────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check branches on status=resolved → graduate" {
+  # The load-bearing positive contract: status=resolved means graduate
+  # via git mv + README append + ADR-042 Rule 3 amend.
+  run grep -nE '`status=resolved`.*graduate' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: status=resolved branch performs git mv from holding to .changeset/" {
+  run grep -nE 'git mv docs/changesets-holding/<basename> \.changeset/<basename>' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: status=resolved branch amends the iter commit per ADR-042 Rule 3" {
+  run grep -nE 'Amend the iter.s main commit per ADR-042 Rule 3 amend-based folding' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check branches on status=vp-blocked → skip (ADR-061 Rule 2)" {
+  run grep -nE '`status=vp-blocked`.*skip.*ADR-061 Rule 2' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check branches on status=halt-no-resolution → halt at framework-prescribed point" {
+  run grep -nE '`status=halt-no-resolution`.*halt.*ADR-061 Rule 1a terminal' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: SKILL.md does NOT branch on non-existent status=no-graduate-evidence-floor" {
+  # Architect verdict: the evaluator emits only resolved | vp-blocked |
+  # halt-no-resolution. A SKILL branch handling a non-existent token
+  # would be dead code (Confirmation Violation).
+  run grep -nE 'no-graduate-evidence-floor' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Cohort propagation (class=3b atomic) ──────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: class=3b cohorts graduate atomically (entire cohort ships or none does)" {
+  run grep -nE 'class=3b cohorts.*ALL members.*graduate together atomically|cohort ships or none does' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: cohort propagation cites ADR-061 Rule 3b" {
+  run grep -nE 'Rule 3b cohort propagation' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Framework-prescribed halt point added ─────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: new halt point 'Step 6.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution' in Mid-loop ask discipline list" {
+  run grep -nE 'Step 6\.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution halt.*P246' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: halt-no-resolution halt routes through Step 2.5b cross-reference" {
+  # Architect verdict: halt-no-resolution must inherit the established
+  # Step 2.5b routing pattern (CI failure / Rule 5 above-appetite /
+  # dirty-unknown all route this way).
+  run grep -nE 'cohort-graduation.*Step 2\.5b cross-reference|halt-with-batched-questions per the Step 2\.5b cross-reference' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: Mid-loop ask between iters row enumerates the new halt point" {
+  run grep -nE 'Mid-loop ask between iters.*Step 6\.5 cohort-graduation halt-no-resolution halt' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Non-Interactive Decision Making table reflects amendment ──────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: Decision Making table carries the resolved-graduate row" {
+  run grep -nE '\| Cohort-graduation pre-check.*status=resolved' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: Decision Making table carries the vp-blocked-skip row" {
+  run grep -nE '\| Cohort-graduation pre-check.*status=vp-blocked' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: Decision Making table carries the halt-no-resolution-halt row" {
+  run grep -nE '\| Cohort-graduation pre-check.*status=halt-no-resolution' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Evidence-based criterion (calendar-trigger rejection) ─────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check states graduation criterion is evidence-of-working-as-desired, NOT elapsed wall-clock time" {
+  run grep -nE 'evidence-of-working-as-desired.*not elapsed wall-clock time|not elapsed wall-clock time' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check explicitly rejects calendar predicates as primary triggers" {
+  run grep -nE 'Calendar predicates are NEVER a primary graduation trigger' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check cites user direction verbatim ('Dogfooding makes sense, but it shouldn't be time based')" {
+  run grep -nE "Dogfooding makes sense, but it shouldn.t be time based, it should be until we are happy that it.s working as desired" "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check cites user correction verbatim ('Why are we waiting?')" {
+  run grep -nE "Why are we waiting\?.*That seems to go against the principles if you ask me" "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Policy authorisation (ADR-013 Rule 5 + ADR-061 Rule 5) ────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: resolved-branch is policy-authorised silent proceed (no AskUserQuestion)" {
+  run grep -nE 'policy-authorised silent proceed.*no.*AskUserQuestion' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check cites ADR-013 Rule 5" {
+  run grep -nE 'ADR-013 Rule 5' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check cites ADR-061 Rule 5" {
+  run grep -nE 'ADR-061 Rule 5' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Governance gates apply (ADR-061 Rule 7) ───────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check governance gates apply per ADR-061 Rule 7" {
+  run grep -nE 'Governance gates apply.*ADR-061 Rule 7|graduation reinstate goes through the standard ADR-014 commit flow' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Audit trail (ADR-061 Rule 6) ──────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check audit trail cites ADR-061 Rule 6" {
+  run grep -nE 'Audit trail.*ADR-061 Rule 6' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: audit trail appends README 'Recently reinstated' entry" {
+  run grep -nE 'Recently reinstated.*resolved problem-ticket ID.*Priority value|graduation criterion met.*status=resolved' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Idempotency ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check is idempotent when holding-area is empty" {
+  run grep -nE 'Idempotency.*holding-area is empty|safe to invoke when holding-area is empty' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: pre-check is idempotent when no candidates resolve (all vp-blocked)" {
+  run grep -nE 'Safe when no candidates resolve.*all .vp-blocked.' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── Holding README Process amendment ──────────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 cites P246 refined framing" {
+  run grep -nE 'refined by P246|P246 refined framing' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 states criterion is positive evidence (NOT calendar)" {
+  run grep -nE 'positive evidence that the surface works as desired' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 rejects calendar predicates as primary trigger" {
+  run grep -nE 'Calendar predicates.*never.*primary graduation trigger|NEVER a primary graduation trigger' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 cites user direction verbatim" {
+  run grep -nE "Dogfooding makes sense, but it shouldn.t be time based" "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 enumerates the 3-status taxonomy" {
+  run grep -nE 'status=<resolved\|vp-blocked\|halt-no-resolution>' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README Process step 5 explicitly preserves at-hold-time historical contracts" {
+  # Architect verdict: per-entry Currently held lines authored BEFORE
+  # the P246 framing are retained as at-hold-time historical contracts
+  # (not retroactively rewritten).
+  run grep -nE 'retained as at-hold-time historical contracts.*not retroactively rewritten' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+# ── P246 self-identification (ticket-trace) ───────────────────────────────
+
+@test "work-problems P246: SKILL.md self-identifies the cohort-graduation pre-check as P246's amendment" {
+  run grep -nE 'P246' "$SKILL_MD"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "work-problems P246: holding README self-identifies the Process amendment as P246's refined framing" {
+  run grep -nE 'P246' "$HOLDING_README"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}