convoke-agents 3.2.0 → 3.3.0

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,74 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ---
 
+## [3.3.0] - 2026-04-19
+
+### Added
+
+- **Convoke Operator Covenant** (P21 Epic 1) — New architectural contract governing operator experience across all Convoke skills. Axiom *"the operator is the resolver"* + 7 Operator Rights (default, full universe, rationale, completeness, pause, next action, pacing). Compliance Checklist (OC-R0..OC-R7) with 3-layer audit scope, 6 status values, reproducibility-gate methodology. New `covenant` artifact type in taxonomy. Artifacts: `convoke-covenant-operator.md`, `convoke-spec-covenant-compliance-checklist.md`, Epic 1 story set `oc-1-1`..`oc-1-5` + retro.
+- **User agent exclusions** (U8) — `excluded_agents: []` field in `_bmad/bme/_vortex/config.yaml` and `_bmad/bme/_gyre/config.yaml`. `mergeConfig`, `refresh-installation`, `validator`, and `convoke-doctor` all honor exclusions — agent files, user guides, skill wrappers, and manifest rows skip excluded agents. 14 new tests.
+- **Update-time changelog display** (U7) — `convoke-update` now surfaces a "What's New" block from `CHANGELOG.md` before confirming refresh/upgrade. New `scripts/update/lib/changelog-reader.js` with Keep-a-Changelog header parsing (incl. pre-release semver). 15 new tests.
+- **`convoke-export --quiet`** (I50) — `-q` / `--quiet` flag suppresses per-skill stdout in batch mode; failures (stderr) and single-line summary always emit. Batch dry-run output drops 50 → 1 lines. 6 new integration tests.
+- **Capability Evaluation Framework** (P10) + **Friction Log Template** (P11) — Operationalized from archive to `_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/`. Referenced from initiative-lifecycle §1.2 as the qualifying gate for capability-type intakes.
+- **Staleness pre-flight rule** (A27, Phase 1) — `staleness-preflight-for-backlog-pickup` rule in `project-context.md` with four checks (existence, dependency, code-anchor validity, semantic-anchor) + GREEN/YELLOW/RED verdict semantics + four exemption classes.
+- **Review convergence rule** (A7) — R1 mandatory, R2 only if HIGH, R3 only if structural changes, no R4. Encoded in `project-context.md` and `bmad-code-review` skill's `step-04-present.md`.
+- **Mechanical research protocol** (A5) — New `mechanical-research-enumeration` rule: catalog/audit/inventory deliverables must enumerate via `grep`/`glob` with raw output as evidence.
+- **Reproducibility gate for multi-skill audits** (A10) — v2+ Covenant audits cover ≥3 cells (expected-PASS + expected-FAIL + borderline) at 100% agreement at N=3-4 / ≥80% at N≥5. Four-path failure-mode handling (revise / DISPUTED-exclude with N-recomputation / methodology-invalid / shrink-scope).
+- **OC-R6 external-declared escape hatch** (A15) — 6th Compliance Status value `N/A — external-declared (<tool>)` for skills wrapping external CLIs (git, npm, docker) whose stderr they can't rewrite. Required evidence-note template `Layers: L1 PASS (<ref>), L2 PASS (<ref>), L3 external-declared (<tool>)`.
+- **4 new `project-context.md` rules** (I49) — `derive-counts-from-source` (no hardcoded counts), `shared-test-constants` (import from shared files), `catch-all-phase-review` (review fallback matcher output before shipping), `spec-verify-referenced-files` (existence-check file paths in specs).
+
+### Changed
+
+- **`generateGovernanceADR`** (BUG-1) — Platform-initiative and artifact-type counts/lists now derived from `taxonomy.yaml` (was hardcoded `(8)` / `(21)`; taxonomy now carries 23 types and any number of initiatives). Call site `scripts/migrate-artifacts.js` passes the loaded taxonomy through.
+- **OC-R7 doc-mapping clarified** (A12) — Compliance Checklist doc rule now uses cumulative vocabulary (concepts introduced in earlier Covenant sections are pre-existing for later sections); example/anti-pattern illustrations don't count as novel when they illustrate an already-introduced concept.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **`runScript` test helper hardened** (I64) — `tests/helpers.js` timeout handling: `exitCode` is now always a finite integer (was `null` on `execFile` timeout, surfacing as opaque `null !== 0` in any CLI-integration test hitting a timeout). New `timedOut` and `signal` fields surface distinct timeout semantics. Pre-existing helper bug surfaced by T4 code-review warning guard. 4 new tests in `tests/unit/helpers.test.js` lock the contract. First application of A27 staleness pre-flight (all 4 checks GREEN).
+
+### Documentation
+
+- **`_bmad/bme/README.md`** (D8) — New `## Files at _bmad/bme/ root` section listing `config.yaml` with a one-line description. Placed between the Submodules table (directories) and the "When to add here vs upstream" guidance.
+- **`docs/README.md`** (D9) — New docs index with Covenant pointer as the featured callout. Contents table enumerates the 6 contributor-facing docs; cross-refs to repo README, bme README, and `project-context.md`.
+
+### Infrastructure / Tests
+
+- **Python CI + linting + PEP 723** (T6, T7, T8) — New `python-test` GitHub Actions job running 116+ Python tests across 5 files; `ruff` linter added with `ruff.toml` (40 auto-fixes + 3 manual); PEP 723 inline metadata standardized with `pyyaml>=6.0` pinning and `>=3.9` version floors (24/24 files covered). Publish gate updated. Resolves Gyre DL-001 blocker.
+- **Migration idempotency CLI test** (T4) — New `tests/integration/migrate-artifacts-idempotency.test.js` with hermetic `git()` helper (timeout + inline `-c core.hooksPath=/dev/null` / `commit.gpgsign=false` / `GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0`). 3 tests cover first-run rename + commits, second-run no-op (exit 0 + zero new commits), third-run resume on added ungoverned file.
+- **Upgrade CLI end-to-end test** (T3) — New `tests/integration/upgrade-cli-e2e.test.js` exercises real `convoke-update --yes` child-process flow against a v1.7.x fixture (spans 1.7 → 2.0 rename + 2.0 → 3.1 migrations). 4 tests cover fresh-upgrade exit-0, full post-state verification (AGENT_FILES + WORKFLOW_NAMES + skill wrappers + agent-manifest.csv + deprecated-agent cleanup), and second-run refresh-only behavior.
+- **Doctor BME skill-wrapper validation** (I43) — `checkAgentSkillWrappers()` validates all 12 bme agent skill wrappers.
+- **Test count:** 1,253+ green (≈1,173 unit + 82 integration), up from 1,123 at 3.2.0.
+
+### Governance evidence (for Covenant adopters)
+
+- **oc-1-1 baseline audit** — 8 skills × 7 rights = 56 cells. Overall compliance 82%. Migration and Portfolio calibration cases correctly identify scar-era violations; Portfolio is remediated.
+- **A24 Vortex audit expansion** — 3 additional Vortex workflows scored at step-01 (`assumption-mapping`, `empathy-map`, `hypothesis-engineering`). **T1 FIRES for Vortex × Right to pacing** at 25% compliance (1/4 PASS, N=4). A10 reproducibility gate cleared 3/3 = 100% with 2 independent LLM reviewers. Two new Epic 2 Story 2.1 retrofit cells identified (assumption-mapping step-01 + hypothesis-engineering step-01), pending Epic 2 ratification.
+
+### Note
+
+- v3.2.1 (2026-04-12) was a patch bump that was not documented in the changelog at the time. A retroactive entry is included below for audit completeness.
+
+---
+
+## [3.2.1] - 2026-04-12
+
+Patch bump: portability-system hardening + bme agent coverage in catalog manifest + integration-test isolation fixes.
+
+### Added
+
+- **bme agent rows in `_bmad/_config/skill-manifest.csv`** — 12 new rows (7 Vortex agents: Emma, Isla, Mila, Liam, Wade, Noah, Max; 4 Gyre agents; 1 team-factory agent) so `convoke-export` and the decision-tree catalog surface bme agents as portable skills. Required for v3.2.0 Portability System to cover discovery-side personas.
+
+### Changed
+
+- **Portability Export Engine** (`scripts/portability/export-engine.js`) — Minor refinements to discovery-workflow export output.
+- **Catalog Generator** (`scripts/portability/catalog-generator.js`) — Minor fix.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Integration test isolation** — `tests/integration/cli-entry-points.test.js`, `convoke-doctor.test.js`, `postinstall.test.js`, and `tests/unit/docs-audit.test.js` refactored to use per-test `cliTmpDir` cwd instead of polluting repo root. `tests/helpers.js` supports the refactored pattern.
+
+---
+
 ## [3.2.0] - 2026-04-11
 
 ### Added

package/README.md

@@ -10,23 +10,25 @@
                 Agent teams for complex systems
 ```
 
-[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-3.1.0-blue)](https://github.com/amalik/convoke-agents)
+[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-3.2.0-blue)](https://github.com/amalik/convoke-agents)
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue)](LICENSE)
 
 </div>
 
 Convoke extends AI agents with two types of installable modules: **Teams** bring new agents for a domain, **Skills** add new capabilities to existing agents. Install them independently or combine them.
 
+> **Authoring a Convoke skill?** Required reading first: [The Convoke Operator Covenant](_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-covenant-operator.md) — one axiom and seven Operator Rights every Convoke skill must honor. The Covenant exists because operator-facing UX is an architectural concern in agent systems, not a styling concern; skills that violate it erode operator trust across the skill ecosystem, not just on their own surface.
+
 | Team | Agents | Domain |
 |------|--------|--------|
 | **Vortex** | 7 agents, 22 workflows | Product discovery — from user insight to evidence-based decisions |
 | **Gyre** | 4 agents, 7 workflows | Production readiness — from stack detection to gap analysis |
 
-### What's New
+### What's New in 3.2
 
-- **Gyre team** — 4 agents analyze your project's production readiness: detect your stack, model what "ready" looks like, find what's missing, and help you act on it
-- **Team Factory** — guided workflow for creating new BMAD-compliant teams from scratch (`/bmad-team-factory`)
-- **Skill Validator** — new `validateSkill()` quality gate in the update system for factory-generated skills ([development docs](docs/development.md))
+- **Portable skills** — export any BMAD skill to a standalone format with platform adapters for Claude, Copilot, and Cursor (`npx convoke-export <skill>`)
+- **Team Factory ships** — the module for creating new BMAD-compliant teams is now included in the npm package
+- **1,123 tests** — test infrastructure recovery resolved a phantom-test bug class; test gate tripled from 320+ to 1,123 verified-passing tests
 - See the [CHANGELOG](CHANGELOG.md) for the full release details
 
 ---
@@ -221,6 +223,26 @@ Three capabilities:
 - **Add Agent** — extend an existing team with a new agent
 - **Add Skill** — give an existing agent a new workflow
 
+### Portability — Export Skills Anywhere
+
+Take any BMAD skill and export it to a standalone, LLM-agnostic format that works outside Claude Code:
+
+```bash
+npx convoke-export bmad-brainstorming --output ./exported
+```
+
+The export engine transforms skill workflows into self-contained instruction documents, then generates platform-specific adapter files:
+
+| Platform | Adapter output (written inside the export target) |
+|----------|---------------|
+| Claude | `{target}/CLAUDE.md` commands |
+| GitHub Copilot | `{target}/.github/copilot-instructions.md` |
+| Cursor | `{target}/.cursor/rules/` |
+
+Skills are classified by tier: **standalone** skills export cleanly, **light-deps** skills include dependency notes, and **pipeline** skills (multi-step orchestration) are flagged as non-portable.
+
+Four skills support the workflow: `bmad-export-skill` (export), `bmad-validate-exports` (validate), `bmad-generate-catalog` (catalog README), `bmad-seed-catalog` (full catalog repo).
+
 ### Enhance — Agent Skills
 
 Skills give existing agents new workflows — installed via menu patching, not agent modification. The first skill adds RICE-scored backlog management to the PM agent:
@@ -349,11 +371,17 @@ your-project/
 │   │   ├── contracts/        # Artifact contract schemas (GC1-GC4)
 │   │   ├── guides/           # User guides (all 4 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
+│   ├── _enhance/             # Skill: Agent Capability Upgrades
+│   │   ├── workflows/        # Skill workflows (initiatives-backlog)
+│   │   ├── extensions/       # Agent menu patch descriptors
+│   │   ├── guides/           # Module author guide
+│   │   └── config.yaml       # Configuration
+│   ├── _portability/         # Skill: Export skills to other platforms
+│   │   └── skills/           # Export, validate, catalog, seed workflows
+│   ├── _team-factory/        # Skill: Create new BMAD-compliant teams
+│   │   └── lib/              # Factory generators and validators
+│   └── _artifacts/           # Skill: Artifact governance & portfolio
+│       └── workflows/        # Migrate artifacts, portfolio status
 └── _bmad-output/
     ├── vortex-artifacts/     # Vortex generated artifacts
     └── gyre-artifacts/       # Gyre generated artifacts
@@ -419,6 +447,7 @@ See [UPDATE-GUIDE.md](UPDATE-GUIDE.md) for migration paths and troubleshooting.
 - **v1.x** — Vortex foundation: 7 agents, 22 workflows, update system, CI/CD
 - **v2.0** — Product renamed to Convoke. CLI commands: `convoke-*`. Package: `convoke-agents`
 - **v2.x** — Enhance module (Skills architecture, RICE initiatives-backlog), Gyre team (production readiness, 4 agents), Team Factory
+- **v3.x** — Artifact governance, portfolio intelligence, portability system (export to Claude/Copilot/Cursor), 1,123 tests
 - **Next** — Forge (domain knowledge extraction for enterprise brownfield engagements)
 - **Future** — Additional teams, Forge-Gyre integration, cross-team workflows
 
@@ -445,7 +474,7 @@ MIT License — see [LICENSE](LICENSE)
 
 ## Acknowledgments
 
-- [BMAD Method v6.0.0](https://github.com/bmadhub/bmad) — Foundation for agent architecture
+- [BMAD Method v6.0.0](https://github.com/bmad-code-org) — Foundation for agent architecture
 - [Innovation Vortex](https://unfix.com/innovation-vortex) — Pattern from the [unFIX model](https://unfix.com/) by [Jurgen Appelo](https://jurgenappelo.com/)
 - Claude (Anthropic) — AI reasoning and agent development
 

package/_bmad/bme/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# `_bmad/bme/` — Convoke-Owned Modules
+
+This directory is Convoke's owned namespace — everything under `_bmad/bme/` is authored and maintained by the Convoke project, distinct from upstream BMAD Method modules (`_bmad/core/`, `_bmad/bmm/`, `_bmad/bmb/`, etc.).
+
+> **Authoring a new skill, workflow, or agent in `_bmad/bme/`?** Required reading first: [The Convoke Operator Covenant](../../_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-covenant-operator.md) — one axiom and seven Operator Rights every Convoke skill must honor. The Covenant is what makes a `_bmad/bme/` skill a *Convoke* skill rather than a generic one; authoring without consulting it produces skills that may look structurally correct but violate the operator experience standard the rest of the ecosystem relies on.
+
+## Submodules
+
+| Submodule | Purpose |
+|-----------|---------|
+| [`_artifacts/`](./_artifacts/) | Artifact governance — migration + portfolio |
+| [`_enhance/`](./_enhance/) | Skill extensions — initiatives backlog, RICE scoring |
+| [`_gyre/`](./_gyre/) | Gyre team — production readiness agents |
+| [`_portability/`](./_portability/) | Skill export + catalog generation |
+| [`_team-factory/`](./_team-factory/) | Loom — guided team creation |
+| [`_vortex/`](./_vortex/) | Vortex team — 7-stream product discovery |
+| `_config/` | Scaffolding (currently empty; reserved) |
+
+## Files at `_bmad/bme/` root
+
+Alongside this README:
+
+- [`config.yaml`](./config.yaml) — BME-level module configuration (operator name, languages, output folder). Each submodule in the table above carries its own `config.yaml` with submodule-specific values; the root file is a **sibling, not a parent** — it is not merged into or inherited by the submodules at runtime (verify: `scripts/convoke-doctor.js` and `scripts/update/lib/refresh-installation.js` only read submodule configs). Generated by the BMAD installer; preserved across `convoke-update`.
+
+## When to add here vs upstream
+
+- **Add to `_bmad/bme/`** when the capability is Convoke-specific (operator-experience patterns, team-of-teams orchestration, Convoke's artifact governance).
+- **Contribute upstream to BMAD Method** when the capability is generally useful across BMAD users (a new core agent pattern, a workflow primitive, a framework-level improvement).
+
+Every story that adds or modifies a `_bmad/bme/` skill or workflow must include a **Namespace decision** note explaining why it belongs here rather than upstream (per `project-context.md` rule `namespace-decision-for-new-skills`).
+
+## Adjacent references
+
+- [`../../project-context.md`](../../project-context.md) — project-wide rules AI agents must follow when editing this repo
+- [`../../_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-covenant-operator.md`](../../_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-covenant-operator.md) — the operator-experience standard all `_bmad/bme/` skills must honor
+- [`../../_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-spec-covenant-compliance-checklist.md`](../../_bmad-output/planning-artifacts/convoke-spec-covenant-compliance-checklist.md) — the auditable form of the Covenant

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

@@ -1,6 +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.'
+description: 'Manage lane-aware initiative lifecycle backlog — triage findings into intakes and qualify into Bug/Fast/Initiative lanes, rescore lane items, or bootstrap a new lifecycle backlog. Use when the user says triage findings, qualify intakes, 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

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 ---
 name: 'step-c-01-init'
-description: 'Check for existing backlog, warn on overwrite, initialize new backlog using format spec'
+description: 'Check for existing lifecycle backlog, warn on overwrite, initialize new session using format spec + lifecycle process spec'
 nextStepFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-02-gather.md'
-outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/initiatives-backlog.md'
+outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/convoke-note-initiative-lifecycle-backlog.md'
 templateFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/templates/backlog-format-spec.md'
+processFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/templates/lifecycle-process-spec.md'
 workflowFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/workflow.md'
 ---
 
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ workflowFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/w
 
 ## 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.
+Check whether a lifecycle backlog file already exists at the output location, warn the user if so, and initialize a new session by loading the backlog format specification and the canonical lifecycle process spec (Part 1 source).
 
 ## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):
 
@@ -19,28 +20,30 @@ Check whether a backlog file already exists at the output location, warn the use
 - 🛑 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
+- 📋 YOU ARE AN INITIALIZATION SPECIALIST setting up a new lifecycle 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
+- ✅ Do not gather intakes, qualify items, or write the backlog file — those are later steps
 - ✅ The user must explicitly confirm before any existing file is overwritten
+- ✅ Load both the **format spec** (structure) and the **lifecycle process spec** (Part 1 verbatim content)
 
 ### 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)
+- 🎯 Focus ONLY on existing file detection, overwrite confirmation, and template loading
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to gather intakes (that is step-c-02's job)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to qualify 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
+- 📖 Load `{templateFile}` (backlog-format-spec.md) — file structure and table formats
+- 📖 Load `{processFile}` (lifecycle-process-spec.md) — canonical Part 1 verbatim text for emission in step-c-04
 
 ## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:
-- Available context: Enhance config (loaded by workflow.md), existing backlog file (if present), backlog format spec template
+- Available context: Enhance config (loaded by workflow.md), existing backlog file (if present), both template files
 - Focus: File existence check and session initialization only
-- Limits: Do NOT gather, score, or write anything
+- Limits: Do NOT gather, qualify, or write anything
 - Dependencies: workflow.md C dispatch (Create mode selected)
 
 ## MANDATORY SEQUENCE
@@ -53,11 +56,13 @@ Check if a backlog file exists at `{outputFile}`.
 
 - **If found:** Display:
 
-  > **⚠️ Existing backlog detected at `{outputFile}`.**
+  > **⚠️ Existing lifecycle backlog detected at `{outputFile}`.**
   >
-  > Create mode will generate a **new** backlog file, replacing the existing one. All current backlog data will be lost.
+  > Create mode will generate a **new** backlog file, replacing the existing one. All current data — including Part 2 lanes, Intakes, Absorbed records, and Change Log — will be **lost**.
   >
-  > **[Y] Yes, overwrite and create new backlog**
+  > Consider using **Triage (T)** or **Review (R)** mode instead if you want to preserve existing data.
+  >
+  > **[Y] Yes, overwrite and create new lifecycle backlog**
   > **[X] Cancel and return to mode selection**
 
   **ALWAYS halt and wait for user input.**
@@ -68,39 +73,57 @@ Check if a backlog file exists at `{outputFile}`.
 
 - **If NOT found:** Continue to step 1 silently.
 
-### 1. Load Backlog Format Specification
+### 1. Load 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
+- **Frontmatter schema**
+- **Section hierarchy** — Part 1 (semi-static), Part 2 (lanes), Appendix, Change Log
+- **Table formats** per lane
+- **Insertion rules** and **Pre-Write Validation** requirements
+
+### 2. Load Lifecycle Process Spec
+
+Load `{processFile}` (lifecycle-process-spec.md) and internalize:
+- The **verbatim Part 1 content** (§1.1 through §1.6) — this is the canonical process definition that step-c-04 will emit exactly
+- Step-c-04 will copy this text verbatim into `## Part 1: Lifecycle Process` of the new backlog file
 
-### 2. Confirm Session Ready
+### 3. Confirm Session Ready
 
 Display:
 
-> **Create Mode — New Backlog Initialized**
+> **Create Mode — New Lifecycle Backlog Initialized**
 >
-> A new RICE-scored backlog will be created at `{outputFile}`.
+> A new lifecycle backlog will be generated 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.
+> **What will be created:**
+> - Frontmatter (initiative: convoke, artifact_type: note, ...)
+> - Part 1: Lifecycle Process (semi-static, from lifecycle-process-spec.md)
+> - Part 2: Backlog (empty lane tables — §2.1 Intakes, §2.2 Bug, §2.3 Fast, §2.4 Initiative, §2.5 Absorbed/Archived)
+> - Appendix: Initiative Details (empty)
+> - Change Log (initial creation entry)
+>
+> **Next:** Optionally gather initial intakes and run them through the qualifying gate. You can also create an empty backlog and populate later via Triage mode.
+
+### 4. Present MENU OPTIONS
 
-### 3. Present MENU OPTIONS
+Display:
 
-Display: "**Select:** [C] Continue to initiative gathering"
+> **Select:**
+> - **[C] Continue** — gather initial intakes now
+> - **[E] Empty create** — generate empty backlog and skip intake gathering / qualification (go directly to step-c-04)
+> - **[X] Cancel** — return to T/R/C menu
 
 #### 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
+- 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 E: Skip gathering and qualification. Load, read the entire file, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-04-generate.md` with empty `gathered_items` and empty `qualified_items`.
+- IF X: Display "Cancelling Create mode." then load, read, and execute `{workflowFile}`.
+- IF any other input: Display "Unknown option. Use **C**, **E**, or **X**." 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'
+- ONLY proceed to next step when user selects C, E, or X
 
 ## 🚨 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
+### ✅ SUCCESS: Existing file check performed, overwrite warning shown if needed, both templates loaded (format spec + process spec), session initialized, user chose gather/empty/cancel, proceeding appropriately
+### ❌ SYSTEM FAILURE: Existing file overwritten without warning, templates not loaded, intakes gathered prematurely, user not given overwrite choice, empty-create path missing
 **Master Rule:** Skipping steps is FORBIDDEN.

package/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-02-gather.md

@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 ---
 name: 'step-c-02-gather'
-description: 'Interactively gather initiatives from the Product Owner with title, description, and category'
-nextStepFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-03-score.md'
-outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/initiatives-backlog.md'
+description: 'Interactively gather initial intakes (unqualified findings) for the new lifecycle backlog'
+nextStepFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-03-qualify.md'
+outputFile: '{planning_artifacts}/convoke-note-initiative-lifecycle-backlog.md'
 templateFile: '{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/templates/backlog-format-spec.md'
 advancedElicitationTask: '{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/advanced-elicitation/workflow.md'
 partyModeWorkflow: '{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/bmad-party-mode/workflow.md'
 ---
 
-# Step 2: Interactive Initiative Gathering
+# Step 2: Interactive Intake Gathering
 
 ## STEP GOAL:
 
-Interactively gather initiatives from the Product Owner — each with a title, description, and category — building a list for RICE scoring in the next step.
+Gather initial intakes from the user — each with a description and source — building a list that will pass through the qualifying gate in step-c-03. These items become Intake rows in §2.1 of the new lifecycle backlog; lane assignment happens only if the user runs qualification.
 
 ## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):
 
@@ -20,30 +20,29 @@ Interactively gather initiatives from the Product Owner — each with a title, d
 - 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input
 - 📖 CRITICAL: Read this complete step file before taking action
 - 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', read the entire file
-- 📋 YOU ARE A GATHERING FACILITATOR collecting initiative descriptions
+- 📋 YOU ARE A GATHERING FACILITATOR collecting intake descriptions
 
 ### Role Reinforcement:
-- ✅ You are a **gathering facilitator** — your job is to collect and organize, not to score or write
-- ✅ Accept the user's descriptions faithfully — do not rewrite, editorialize, or merge initiatives
-- ✅ Suggest existing category names from the format spec but allow new categories
-- ✅ The user decides how many initiatives to add — you prompt until they say done
+- ✅ You are a **gathering facilitator** — collect and organize, do not qualify or score
+- ✅ Accept the user's descriptions faithfully — do not rewrite, editorialize, or merge intakes
+- ✅ Every gathered item becomes an Intake (§2.1) — lane assignment is step-c-03's job
+- ✅ The user decides how many intakes to add — you prompt until they say done
 
 ### Step-Specific Rules:
-- 🎯 Focus ONLY on gathering initiative details (title, description, category)
-- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to propose RICE scores (that is step-c-03's job)
-- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to write the backlog file (that is step-c-04's job)
-- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to reorder, merge, or drop initiatives without user instruction
-- 💬 Approach: prompt for one initiative at a time, confirm capture, ask for next or done
+- 🎯 Focus ONLY on gathering intake details (description, source)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to assign lane, portfolio, or RICE (step-c-03's job)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to write the backlog file (step-c-04's job)
+- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to reorder, merge, or drop intakes without user instruction
+- 💬 Approach: prompt for one intake at a time, confirm capture, ask for next or done
 
 ## EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:
 - 🎯 Follow the MANDATORY SEQUENCE exactly
-- 📖 Reference `{templateFile}` (backlog-format-spec.md) for category name suggestions
-- 💾 Track all gathered initiatives in a running list
+- 💾 Track all gathered intakes in a running list
 
 ## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:
-- Available context: Backlog format spec (for category names), session state from step-c-01
-- Focus: Initiative gathering only
-- Limits: Do NOT score, write to file, or analyze initiatives
+- Available context: Session state from step-c-01, loaded templates
+- Focus: Intake gathering only
+- Limits: Do NOT qualify, write, or analyze
 - Dependencies: step-c-01-init.md (session initialized)
 
 ## MANDATORY SEQUENCE
@@ -53,84 +52,88 @@ Interactively gather initiatives from the Product Owner — each with a title, d
 ### 1. Initialize Gathering State
 
 Set up tracking:
-- `gathered_items` = []
+- `gathered_intakes` = []
 - `item_count` = 0
 
-### 2. Prompt for Initiative
+### 2. Prompt for Intake
 
 Display:
 
-> **Initiative #[item_count + 1]**
+> **Intake #[item_count + 1]**
 >
-> Describe your initiative:
-> - **Title:** A short name for this initiative
-> - **Description:** What it does and why it matters
-> - **Category:** Suggested categories: Documentation & Onboarding, Update & Migration System, Testing & CI, Infrastructure, Agent Quality & Consistency, Platform & Product Vision — or name a new one
+> Describe this intake:
+> - **Description:** A one-line summary of the problem, idea, observation, or improvement
+> - **Source:** Where it came from (e.g., "code review 2026-04-15", "retrospective", "user feedback", "party mode session", "audit finding")
 >
-> *You can provide all three in one message, or just describe the initiative and I'll help structure it.*
+> *You can provide both fields in one message, or just describe the intake and I'll ask for the source.*
 
 **ALWAYS halt and wait for user input.**
 
 ### 3. Capture and Confirm
 
 Parse the user's input to extract:
-- **Title** — short, bold-formatted name
-- **Description** — one-line explanation
-- **Category** — one of the suggested categories or a new one
+- **Description** — one-line summary
+- **Source** — origin reference (required for audit trail)
 
-If any field is unclear, ask the user to clarify before confirming.
+If Source is missing, prompt: "What's the source of this intake?" and wait.
 
-Display the captured initiative:
+Display the captured intake:
 
 > **Captured:**
-> - **Title:** [title]
 > - **Description:** [description]
-> - **Category:** [category]
+> - **Source:** [source]
+> - **Date:** [current session date YYYY-MM-DD]
+> - **Raiser:** [user identity — default to John if invoked via PM agent, otherwise ask]
 
-Add to `gathered_items` with: title, description, category, source = "Create mode".
-Increment `item_count`.
+Add to `gathered_intakes` with all four fields. Increment `item_count`.
 
-### 4. Present Per-Initiative Menu
+### 4. Present Per-Intake Menu
 
 Display:
 
-> **Initiatives gathered so far: [item_count]**
+> **Intakes gathered so far: [item_count]**
 >
-> **[N] Next** — Add another initiative
-> **[D] Done** — Finish gathering and proceed to scoring
-> **[A] Advanced Elicitation** — Deeper analysis to surface more initiatives
-> **[P] Party Mode** — Multi-perspective brainstorming for initiatives
+> - **[N] Next** — Add another intake
+> - **[D] Done** — Finish gathering and proceed to qualifying gate (step-c-03)
+> - **[SKIP] Skip qualification** — Finish gathering and go directly to file generation (step-c-04); all intakes remain raw in §2.1
+> - **[A] Advanced Elicitation** — Deeper analysis to surface more intakes
+> - **[P] Party Mode** — Multi-perspective brainstorming
 
 #### Menu Handling Logic:
-- IF N: Go to step 2 (prompt for next initiative).
+- IF N: Go to step 2 (prompt for next intake).
 - IF D:
-  - **If `item_count` >= 1:** Display gathered items summary table, then go to step 5.
-  - **If `item_count` == 0:** Display "You must add at least one initiative before proceeding." then redisplay this menu.
-- IF A: Execute `{advancedElicitationTask}` for deeper initiative discovery. When finished, redisplay this menu.
-- IF P: Execute `{partyModeWorkflow}` for multi-perspective brainstorming. When finished, redisplay this menu.
-- IF any other input: Display "Unknown command. Use **N**, **D**, **A**, or **P**." then redisplay menu.
+  - **If `item_count` >= 1:** Display gathered intakes summary table, then advance to step-c-03.
+  - **If `item_count` == 0:** Display "No intakes gathered. Either add at least one (**N**), skip to empty generation (**SKIP**), or return to the T/R/C menu via [X]." Redisplay this menu.
+- IF SKIP:
+  - **If `item_count` >= 1:** Pass `gathered_intakes` with no qualification (all remain raw) to step-c-04. Display summary, then load, read, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-04-generate.md`.
+  - **If `item_count` == 0:** Display "No intakes to skip qualification for. Either add at least one or use Empty create from step-c-01." Redisplay this menu.
+- IF A: Execute `{advancedElicitationTask}`. When finished, redisplay menu.
+- IF P: Execute `{partyModeWorkflow}`. When finished, redisplay menu.
+- IF any other input: Display "Unknown command. Use **N**, **D**, **SKIP**, **A**, or **P**." then redisplay menu.
 
 #### EXECUTION RULES:
 - ALWAYS halt and wait for user input after presenting the menu
 - After A or P execution, return to this menu (not to the prompt)
-- The user may add as many initiatives as they want — no upper limit
-- Do NOT auto-continue — the user must explicitly select D to finish gathering
+- The user may add as many intakes as they want — no upper limit
+- Do NOT auto-continue — the user must explicitly select D, SKIP, or exit
 
 ### 5. Gathering Complete — Summary and Advance
 
 Display the complete gathered list:
 
-> **Gathering Complete — [item_count] initiatives collected**
+> **Gathering Complete — [item_count] intakes collected**
 >
-> | # | Title | Category |
-> |---|-------|----------|
-> | 1 | [title] | [category] |
-> | 2 | [title] | [category] |
+> | # | Description | Source |
+> |---|-------------|--------|
+> | 1 | [description] | [source] |
+> | 2 | [description] | [source] |
 > | ... | ... | ... |
 
-Then load, read the entire file, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-03-score.md`, passing the `gathered_items` list.
+Then advance based on the user's choice:
+- **D (qualify):** Load, read the entire file, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-03-qualify.md`, passing `gathered_intakes`.
+- **SKIP (no qualify):** Load, read, and execute `{project-root}/_bmad/bme/_enhance/workflows/initiatives-backlog/steps-c/step-c-04-generate.md`, passing `gathered_intakes` and empty `qualified_items`.
 
 ## 🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS:
-### ✅ SUCCESS: Each initiative captured with title, description, and category, user prompted for next or done, at least 1 initiative gathered, complete list passed to step-c-03
-### ❌ SYSTEM FAILURE: Initiatives scored prematurely, descriptions rewritten without user approval, zero initiatives accepted, user forced to use specific format, gathered items not passed to next step
+### ✅ SUCCESS: Each intake captured with description and source, user offered qualify-now or skip paths, at least 1 intake gathered when D or SKIP chosen, complete list passed to next step
+### ❌ SYSTEM FAILURE: Intakes qualified prematurely, descriptions rewritten without approval, source missing, zero intakes accepted for D/SKIP paths, gathered items lost
 **Master Rule:** Skipping steps is FORBIDDEN.