convoke-agents 2.3.0 → 2.4.0

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,42 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ---
 
+## [2.4.0] - 2026-03-15
+
+### Added
+
+- **Enhance module — Agent Skills architecture** — New module type alongside Teams. Skills add capabilities to existing agents via menu patching without modifying agent files.
+- **Initiatives Backlog skill (PM agent)** — RICE-scored backlog management with 3 modes:
+  - **Triage** — Ingest review findings, extract actionable items, propose RICE scores with two-gate validation, append to existing backlog (4 step files)
+  - **Review** — Walk through existing items one at a time, rescore where priorities shifted, regenerate prioritized view (3 step files)
+  - **Create** — Gather initiatives interactively, batch-score with RICE, generate complete backlog from scratch (4 step files)
+- **Enhance module installer integration** — File copy, PM agent menu patching (`[IB] Initiatives Backlog`), 6-point verification in `convoke-doctor`, skill wrapper + manifest registration
+- **ENHANCE-GUIDE.md** — Pattern documentation for module authors: directory structure, step file architecture, menu patching, config registration, verification integration
+- **Enhance module validation** — `validateEnhanceModule()` with 6-point check: directory exists, entry point resolves, menu patch present, config valid, filesystem consistency, skill wrapper exists
+
+### Changed
+
+- **README** — Repositioned Convoke around two extensibility axes: Teams (new agents) and Skills (new capabilities). Full Enhance section with mode diagram, activation instructions, and link to pattern guide. Updated architecture diagram, install tree, and roadmap.
+
+---
+
+## [2.3.1] - 2026-03-15
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Migration chaining bug** — `getMigrationsFor()` now walks the full migration chain instead of only matching the first hop. Users jumping multiple versions (e.g., `1.0.x` → `2.x`) previously skipped all intermediate migrations silently. The `1.5.x-to-1.6.0` config delta (Wave 3 agents) was being skipped for anyone upgrading from `1.0.x–1.4.x`.
+- **README version badge** — Updated from stale `2.0.1` to current version
+- **INSTALLATION.md** — Added missing `-p convoke-agents` to `npx` command in troubleshooting section
+- **BMAD-METHOD-COMPATIBILITY.md** — Fixed wrong package name (`convoke` → `convoke-agents`) and added missing `-p convoke-agents` to all `npx` commands
+- **Archived outdated docs** — PUBLISHING-GUIDE.md and TEST-PLAN-REAL-INSTALL.md marked as historical (contained legacy commands)
+
+### Added
+
+- **Chain traversal tests** — 10 new unit tests for migration chain resolution, parallel entry exclusion, and breaking change detection across chains
+- **Multi-version integration test** — Verifies full `1.5.2 → current` update path with all 3 deltas executing and complete migration history
+
+---
+
 ## [2.2.0] - 2026-03-14
 
 ### Changed

package/INSTALLATION.md

@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ The installer preserves your custom settings and only adds missing entries. To f
 
 ```bash
 rm -rf _bmad/bme/_vortex/
-npx convoke-install-vortex
+npx -p convoke-agents convoke-install-vortex
 ```
 
 ### Installation succeeds but agents don't activate

package/README.md

@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@
                 Agent teams for complex systems
 ```
 
-[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-2.0.1-blue)](https://github.com/amalik/convoke-agents)
+[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-2.4.0-blue)](https://github.com/amalik/convoke-agents)
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue)](LICENSE)
 
 </div>
 
-Convoke organizes AI agents into domain-specialized teams. Each team brings deep expertise to a specific discipline — product discovery, implementation, operations, or whatever your domain requires. **Vortex**, the product discovery team, is the first. You can install teams independently or combine them.
+Convoke extends AI agents with two types of installable modules: **Teams** bring new agents for a domain, **Skills** add new capabilities to existing agents. Both are top-level modules — install them independently or combine them.
+
+**Vortex** is the first team (product discovery, 7 agents). **Enhance** is the first skill (RICE backlog management for the PM agent). More of each are coming.
 
 ---
 
@@ -200,14 +202,20 @@ Each workflow ends with a Compass routing suggestion. You don't need to follow a
 
 ```
 your-project/
-├── _bmad/bme/_vortex/
-│   ├── agents/           # 7 agent definition files
-│   ├── workflows/        # 22 workflows
-│   ├── contracts/        # Artifact contract schemas
-│   ├── guides/           # User guides (all 7 agents)
-│   └── config.yaml       # Configuration
+├── _bmad/bme/
+│   ├── _vortex/              # Team: Product Discovery
+│   │   ├── agents/           # 7 agent definition files
+│   │   ├── workflows/        # 22 workflows
+│   │   ├── contracts/        # Artifact contract schemas
+│   │   ├── guides/           # User guides (all 7 agents)
+│   │   └── config.yaml       # Configuration
+│   └── _enhance/             # Skill: Agent Capability Upgrades
+│       ├── workflows/        # Skill workflows (initiatives-backlog)
+│       ├── extensions/       # Agent menu patch descriptors
+│       ├── guides/           # Module author guide
+│       └── config.yaml       # Configuration
 └── _bmad-output/
-    └── vortex-artifacts/  # Generated artifacts
+    └── vortex-artifacts/     # Generated artifacts
 ```
 
 ---
@@ -256,21 +264,87 @@ For detailed workflow descriptions and usage examples, see the [Agent Guide](doc
 
 ---
 
+## Enhance — Agent Skills
+
+**Add new capabilities to existing agents without modifying them**
+
+[![Workflows](https://img.shields.io/badge/workflows-1-success)](_bmad/bme/_enhance/guides/ENHANCE-GUIDE.md)
+[![Modes](https://img.shields.io/badge/modes-3-blue)](_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md)
+
+Skills are the other half of Convoke's extensibility. While Teams bring new agents, Skills give existing agents new workflows — installed via menu patching, not agent modification.
+
+### Initiatives Backlog (PM Agent)
+
+The first Enhance skill adds RICE-scored backlog management to the PM agent. Three modes cover the full lifecycle:
+
+```
+                    Initiatives Backlog
+
+  ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐
+  │  [T] Triage │   │  [R] Review │   │  [C] Create │
+  │  Ingest new │   │   Rescore   │   │  Bootstrap   │
+  │  findings   │   │  existing   │   │  from scratch│
+  └──────┬──────┘   └──────┬──────┘   └──────┬──────┘
+         │                 │                 │
+         ▼                 ▼                 ▼
+  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+  │          initiatives-backlog.md                   │
+  │   RICE-scored · Categorized · Change-tracked     │
+  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+| Mode | What it does |
+|------|-------------|
+| **Triage** | Ingest review findings, extract actionable items, propose RICE scores with two-gate validation, append to existing backlog |
+| **Review** | Walk through items one at a time, rescore where priorities have shifted, regenerate prioritized view |
+| **Create** | Gather initiatives interactively, batch-score with RICE, generate a complete backlog from scratch |
+
+#### Activate
+
+The Enhance skill appears in the PM agent's menu after installation:
+
+```
+[IB] Initiatives Backlog (Convoke Enhance)
+```
+
+Select it from the PM agent menu, or activate directly:
+
+**Claude Code (skills)**
+```
+/bmad-enhance-initiatives-backlog
+```
+
+**Claude Code (terminal) / Other AI assistants**
+```bash
+cat _bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md
+```
+
+### Building Your Own Skills
+
+The [Enhance Guide](_bmad/bme/_enhance/guides/ENHANCE-GUIDE.md) documents the complete pattern for creating new skills: directory structure, step file architecture, agent menu patching, config registration, and verification integration. It uses the initiatives-backlog skill as the canonical example throughout.
+
+Max 2-3 skills per agent to prevent menu bloat and maintain agent focus.
+
+---
+
 ## How It Fits with BMAD Core
 
 Convoke handles **discovery and validation**. BMAD Core handles **implementation**.
 
 ```
-Convoke Teams                              BMAD Core
+Convoke Modules                            BMAD Core
 ┌──────────────────────────────┐          ┌──────────────────────┐
-│ Vortex (Product Discovery)   │ ──────>  │ PM → Architect → Dev │
-│   "Should we build this?"    │          │ "Let's build it"     │
+│ Teams                        │          │                      │
+│   Vortex (Product Discovery) │ ──────>  │ PM → Architect → Dev │
+│   [Future teams]             │          │ "Let's build it"     │
 │                              │ <──────  │                      │
-│ [Future teams]               │  signals │                      │
+│ Skills                       │  signals │                      │
+│   Enhance (Agent Upgrades)   │ ──────>  │                      │
+│   [Future skills]            │          │                      │
 └──────────────────────────────┘          └──────────────────────┘
 ```
 
-Convoke works standalone or as an extension — no BMAD Method installation required.
+Teams and Skills are peer module types — both installable, both independent. Convoke works standalone or as an extension — no BMAD Method installation required.
 
 ---
 
@@ -293,7 +367,8 @@ Convoke works standalone or as an extension — no BMAD Method installation requ
 - **v1.6.x** — Wave 3: Complete 7-stream Vortex (added Mila, Liam, Noah — 7 agents, 22 workflows, handoff contracts, Compass routing)
 - **v1.7.0** — Wave 4: Quality & onboarding (P0 test suite, docs audit tool, all 22 workflows production-ready, README overhaul, package size fix)
 - **v2.0.0** — Product renamed to Convoke. CLI commands renamed to `convoke-*`. Package: `npm install convoke-agents`
-- **Next** — Additional domain-specialized teams, multi-agent collaboration, cross-team workflows
+- **v2.x** — Enhance module: Skills architecture, RICE initiatives-backlog skill (Triage/Review/Create modes), module author pattern guide
+- **Next** — Additional teams, additional skills, multi-agent collaboration, cross-module workflows
 
 ---
 

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/config.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: enhance
+version: 1.0.0
+description: "Enhance module — capability upgrades for existing BMAD agents"
+workflows:
+  - name: initiatives-backlog
+    entry: workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md
+    target_agent: bmm/agents/pm.md
+    menu_patch_name: "initiatives-backlog"

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/extensions/bmm-pm.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Extension descriptor for John PM agent
+# v1: Documentation-only — describes the patch-based menu item added by the installer
+# v3: Will be read dynamically by agents via <extensions> tag (future BMAD Method proposal)
+
+target_agent: bmm/pm
+menu_items:
+  - cmd: "IB or fuzzy match on initiatives-backlog"
+    exec: "{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md"
+    label: "[IB] 📦 Initiatives Backlog (Convoke Enhance)"

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/guides/ENHANCE-GUIDE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+# Enhance Module — Pattern Guide for Module Authors
+
+Create new enhancement workflows for existing BMAD agents by following the patterns established in the initiatives-backlog workflow. This guide covers directory layout, step file architecture, agent menu patching, config registration, and verification.
+
+---
+
+## Directory Structure
+
+Every enhancement workflow lives under `_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/[name]/`:
+
+```
+_bmad/bme/_enhance/
+├── config.yaml                                # Module config — register all workflows here
+├── extensions/
+│   └── bmm-[agent].yaml                       # Extension descriptor (v1: docs-only)
+├── workflows/
+│   └── [workflow-name]/
+│       ├── workflow.md                         # Entry point — mode menu + dispatch
+│       ├── SKILL.md                            # Skill wrapper (auto-generated by installer)
+│       ├── steps-[mode]/                       # One folder per mode
+│       │   ├── step-[mode]-01-[name].md
+│       │   ├── step-[mode]-02-[name].md
+│       │   └── ...
+│       └── templates/                          # Reference docs loaded by steps at runtime
+│           ├── [template-1].md
+│           └── [template-2].md
+└── guides/
+    └── ENHANCE-GUIDE.md                        # This file
+```
+
+**Canonical example:** `workflows/initiatives-backlog/` — tri-modal workflow (Triage/Review/Create) with 11 step files across 3 mode folders and 2 templates.
+
+**Naming conventions:**
+- Workflow folders: kebab-case (`initiatives-backlog`, `sprint-health`)
+- Step folders: `steps-[mode-letter]/` (e.g., `steps-t/`, `steps-r/`, `steps-c/`)
+- Step files: `step-[mode]-[NN]-[name].md` (e.g., `step-t-01-ingest.md`)
+- Templates: descriptive kebab-case (e.g., `rice-scoring-guide.md`, `backlog-format-spec.md`)
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Entry Point
+
+`workflow.md` is the entry point loaded when the user selects the enhancement from the agent menu. It should:
+
+1. **Load config** from `_bmad/bme/_enhance/config.yaml`
+2. **Present a mode menu** (if multi-modal) or proceed directly (if single-mode)
+3. **Dispatch to the first step file** based on user selection
+4. **Define return-to-menu convention** — final steps reload `workflow.md` to re-present the menu
+
+See `workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md` for the canonical entry point pattern.
+
+---
+
+## Step File Architecture
+
+Every step file follows the BMAD standard structure:
+
+```markdown
+---
+name: 'step-[mode]-[NN]-[name]'
+description: '[one-line description]'
+nextStepFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/[name]/steps-[mode]/step-[mode]-[NN+1]-[name].md'
+outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/[output-file].md'
+templateFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/[name]/templates/[template].md'
+---
+
+# Step N: [Title]
+
+## STEP GOAL:
+## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):
+### Universal Rules:
+### Role Reinforcement:
+### Step-Specific Rules:
+## EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:
+## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:
+## MANDATORY SEQUENCE
+## 🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS:
+```
+
+### Frontmatter Fields
+
+| Field | Required | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| `name` | Yes | Step identifier |
+| `description` | Yes | One-line purpose |
+| `nextStepFile` | Steps 1–(N-1) | Full path to next step in chain |
+| `outputFile` | If writing output | Path to artifact file (uses `{planning_artifacts}` variable) |
+| `templateFile` | If loading reference | Path to template loaded during execution |
+| `workflowFile` | Final step + cancel paths | Path to `workflow.md` for return-to-menu |
+| `advancedElicitationTask` | Interactive steps | Path to Advanced Elicitation workflow |
+| `partyModeWorkflow` | Interactive steps | Path to Party Mode workflow |
+
+### Step Types
+
+| Type | Menu | Use Case | Example |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Type 4** (Standard) | A, P, C + custom commands | Interactive steps with user decisions | `step-t-03-score.md` |
+| **Type 5** (Simple) | C only | Non-interactive load/setup steps | `step-t-01-ingest.md` |
+| **Type 10** (Final) | None (auto-return) | Last step — writes output, returns to menu | `step-t-04-update.md` |
+
+**Final step convention:** No `nextStepFile`. Has `workflowFile` instead. After completion summary, loads and executes `{workflowFile}` to return to the mode menu.
+
+### Step Chaining
+
+Steps form a sequential chain within each mode:
+
+```
+workflow.md → step-[mode]-01 → step-[mode]-02 → ... → step-[mode]-NN → workflow.md
+```
+
+Each step hardcodes the full path to the next step in its menu handling logic (consistent with the `nextStepFile` frontmatter). The final step reloads `workflow.md` via `{workflowFile}`.
+
+---
+
+## Templates
+
+Templates are pure markdown reference documents loaded by steps at runtime. They contain no template variables or runtime logic.
+
+- **Audience separation:** Create separate templates for different purposes (e.g., one for scoring methodology, one for file format specification)
+- **Installer-managed:** `templates/` is overwritten on update. Users should not customize template files directly — customizations belong in the target project's output folder
+- **Round-trip parseability:** If a template defines a file format, the workflow must be able to reload its own output
+
+---
+
+## Agent Menu Patching
+
+The installer adds an `<item>` tag to the target agent's menu:
+
+```xml
+<item cmd="IB or fuzzy match on initiatives-backlog"
+      exec="{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md">
+  [IB] 📦 Initiatives Backlog (Convoke Enhance)
+</item>
+```
+
+**Conventions:**
+- `cmd`: Short code + fuzzy match phrase (e.g., `"SH or fuzzy match on sprint-health"`)
+- `exec`: Full path using `{project-root}/_bmad/...` form
+- Display label: `[CODE] 📦 [Name] (Convoke Enhance)` — the 📦 prefix and "(Convoke Enhance)" suffix identify enhanced menu items
+- The installer inserts the tag before `</menu>` in the target agent file
+
+**Max 2-3 items per agent.** More than that creates menu bloat and dilutes the agent's focus. If you need more capabilities, consider whether they belong as modes within an existing workflow rather than separate workflows.
+
+### Extension Descriptor
+
+Create `extensions/bmm-[agent].yaml` to document the menu patch:
+
+```yaml
+# v1: Documentation-only — describes the patch added by the installer
+# v3: Will be read dynamically by agents via <extensions> tag (future BMAD Method proposal)
+
+target_agent: bmm/pm
+menu_items:
+  - cmd: "IB or fuzzy match on initiatives-backlog"
+    exec: "{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md"
+    label: "[IB] 📦 Initiatives Backlog (Convoke Enhance)"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Config Registration
+
+Register every workflow in `_bmad/bme/_enhance/config.yaml`:
+
+```yaml
+name: enhance
+version: 1.0.0
+description: "Enhance module — capability upgrades for existing BMAD agents"
+workflows:
+  - name: initiatives-backlog
+    entry: workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md
+    target_agent: bmm/agents/pm.md
+    menu_patch_name: "initiatives-backlog"
+```
+
+**Required fields per workflow:**
+
+| Field | Description | Example |
+|---|---|---|
+| `name` | Workflow identifier (matches folder name) | `initiatives-backlog` |
+| `entry` | Entry point path relative to `_enhance/` | `workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md` |
+| `target_agent` | Agent file path relative to `_bmad/` | `bmm/agents/pm.md` |
+| `menu_patch_name` | Name attribute for installer detection/dedup | `"initiatives-backlog"` |
+
+### Adding a Second Workflow — Example
+
+A "Sprint Health Check" enhancement for the SM agent:
+
+```yaml
+workflows:
+  - name: initiatives-backlog
+    entry: workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md
+    target_agent: bmm/agents/pm.md
+    menu_patch_name: "initiatives-backlog"
+  - name: sprint-health
+    entry: workflows/sprint-health/workflow.md
+    target_agent: bmm/agents/sm.md
+    menu_patch_name: "sprint-health"
+```
+
+This requires creating:
+- `workflows/sprint-health/workflow.md` + step files + templates
+- `extensions/bmm-sm.yaml` (extension descriptor)
+- Menu item: `[SH] 📦 Sprint Health Check (Convoke Enhance)` in `sm.md`
+
+---
+
+## Verification Integration
+
+`verifyInstallation()` runs a 6-point check for the Enhance module (see `scripts/update/lib/validator.js` → `validateEnhanceModule()`):
+
+| # | Check | What It Validates |
+|---|---|---|
+| 1 | Directory exists | `_bmad/bme/_enhance/` is present |
+| 2 | Entry point resolves | Each `workflows[].entry` file exists on disk |
+| 3 | Menu patch present | Target agent file contains `<item>` with matching `name` attribute |
+| 4 | Config valid | `config.yaml` has required fields (`name`, `version`, `workflows[]`) |
+| 5 | Filesystem consistency | Workflow directory exists for each registered workflow name |
+| 6 | Skill wrapper exists | `.claude/skills/bmad-enhance-{name}/SKILL.md` is present |
+
+If the Enhance directory doesn't exist, all checks pass (Enhance is optional). If it exists, all 6 checks must pass.
+
+### Skill Wrapper
+
+The installer generates a skill wrapper at `.claude/skills/bmad-enhance-{workflow-name}/SKILL.md`:
+
+```yaml
+---
+name: bmad-enhance-{workflow-name}
+description: '[One-line description of what the workflow does]'
+---
+
+IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THIS COMMAND: LOAD the FULL {project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/{workflow-name}/workflow.md, READ its entire contents and follow its directions exactly!
+```
+
+The installer also appends entries to `workflow-manifest.csv` and `skill-manifest.csv` (using `canonicalId` column for dedup).
+
+---
+
+## Quick Verification Checklist
+
+Minimum files to create/update for a valid new workflow:
+
+- [ ] `_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/{name}/workflow.md` — entry point
+- [ ] `_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/{name}/steps-*/step-*-*.md` — step files
+- [ ] `_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/{name}/templates/*.md` — templates (if needed)
+- [ ] `_bmad/bme/_enhance/config.yaml` — add workflow entry
+- [ ] `_bmad/bme/_enhance/extensions/bmm-{agent}.yaml` — extension descriptor
+- [ ] `.claude/skills/bmad-enhance-{name}/SKILL.md` — skill wrapper (installer creates this)
+- [ ] `workflow-manifest.csv` + `skill-manifest.csv` — manifest entries (installer creates these)
+
+Run `verifyInstallation()` after setup — all 6 checks should pass.

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+name: bmad-enhance-initiatives-backlog
+description: 'Manage RICE initiatives backlog — triage review findings, rescore existing items, or bootstrap new backlogs. Use when the user says triage findings or manage backlog.'
+---
+
+IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THIS COMMAND: LOAD the FULL {project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md, READ its entire contents and follow its directions exactly!

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-01-init.md

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+---
+name: 'step-c-01-init'
+description: 'Check for existing backlog, warn on overwrite, initialize new backlog using format spec'
+nextStepFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-02-gather.md'
+outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/initiatives-backlog.md'
+templateFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/templates/backlog-format-spec.md'
+workflowFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md'
+---
+
+# Step 1: Initialization & Existing File Guard
+
+## STEP GOAL:
+
+Check whether a backlog file already exists at the output location, warn the user if so, and initialize a new backlog session using the backlog format specification.
+
+## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):
+
+### Universal Rules:
+- 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input at overwrite prompt
+- 📖 CRITICAL: Read this complete step file before taking action
+- 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', read the entire file
+- 📋 YOU ARE AN INITIALIZATION SPECIALIST setting up a new backlog
+
+### Role Reinforcement:
+- ✅ You are an **initialization specialist** — your job is to guard against accidental overwrites and prepare the session
+- ✅ Do not gather initiatives, score items, or write the backlog file — those are later steps
+- ✅ The user must explicitly confirm before any existing file is overwritten
+
+### Step-Specific Rules:
+- 🎯 Focus ONLY on existing file detection, overwrite confirmation, and session setup
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to gather initiatives (that is step-c-02's job)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to score items (that is step-c-03's job)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to write the backlog file (that is step-c-04's job)
+- 💬 Approach: check file, warn if needed, confirm readiness, move on
+
+## EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:
+- 🎯 Follow the MANDATORY SEQUENCE exactly
+- 📖 Load `{templateFile}` (backlog-format-spec.md) for structural reference — the format spec defines the file structure that step-c-04 will generate
+
+## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:
+- Available context: Enhance config (loaded by workflow.md), existing backlog file (if present), backlog format spec template
+- Focus: File existence check and session initialization only
+- Limits: Do NOT gather, score, or write anything
+- Dependencies: workflow.md C dispatch (Create mode selected)
+
+## MANDATORY SEQUENCE
+
+**CRITICAL:** Follow this sequence exactly. Do not skip, reorder, or improvise.
+
+### 0. Check for Existing Backlog File
+
+Check if a backlog file exists at `{outputFile}`.
+
+- **If found:** Display:
+
+  > **⚠️ Existing backlog detected at `{outputFile}`.**
+  >
+  > Create mode will generate a **new** backlog file, replacing the existing one. All current backlog data will be lost.
+  >
+  > **[Y] Yes, overwrite and create new backlog**
+  > **[X] Cancel and return to mode selection**
+
+  **ALWAYS halt and wait for user input.**
+
+  - IF Y: Continue to step 1.
+  - IF X: Display "Cancelling Create mode." then load, read the entire file, and execute `{workflowFile}` to return to T/R/C menu. **Do NOT proceed further.**
+  - IF any other input: Display "Please select **Y** or **X**." then redisplay the prompt.
+
+- **If NOT found:** Continue to step 1 silently.
+
+### 1. Load Backlog Format Specification
+
+Load `{templateFile}` (backlog-format-spec.md) and internalize:
+- **Section hierarchy** — All 7 required H2 sections and their order
+- **Table formats** — Category table (10 columns), Prioritized View (6 columns), Exploration Candidates (4 columns)
+- **Category names** — Existing convention (Documentation & Onboarding, Update & Migration System, etc.)
+- **Item ID format** — Category prefix letter + sequential number
+- **Provenance format** — "Added from Create mode, [date]"
+- **Changelog format** — Table with Date and Change columns, newest first
+
+### 2. Confirm Session Ready
+
+Display:
+
+> **Create Mode — New Backlog Initialized**
+>
+> A new RICE-scored backlog will be created at `{outputFile}`.
+>
+> **Next:** You'll describe your initiatives one at a time — title, description, and category. Then we'll score them using RICE methodology and generate your prioritized backlog.
+
+### 3. Present MENU OPTIONS
+
+Display: "**Select:** [C] Continue to initiative gathering"
+
+#### Menu Handling Logic:
+- IF C: Load, read the entire file, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-02-gather.md`
+- IF any other input: Display "Enter **C** to continue to initiative gathering." then redisplay menu
+
+#### EXECUTION RULES:
+- ALWAYS halt and wait for user input after presenting the menu
+- ONLY proceed to next step when user selects 'C'
+
+## 🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS:
+### ✅ SUCCESS: Existing file check performed, overwrite warning shown if needed, format spec loaded, session initialized, proceeding to step-c-02
+### ❌ SYSTEM FAILURE: Existing file overwritten without warning, format spec not loaded, initiatives gathered prematurely, user not given overwrite choice
+**Master Rule:** Skipping steps is FORBIDDEN.