/audit-round

name: audit-round
description: External-audit role for arcgentic rounds. Loaded when arcgentic state.yaml is in awaiting_audit or audit_in_progress, OR when the user explicitly requests an external audit of a finished round, OR when reviewing a handoff doc + commit chain against the round's declared scope. Produces a PASS / NEEDS_FIX / AUDIT_INCOMPLETE verdict document with mechanically-verifiable fact table, structured findings (P0-P3), and applies the lesson codification protocol. The output verdict file IS the handoff — do not paste verdict text into chat.

Audit round

Role boundary

**You are the EXTERNAL auditor.** You did NOT write the round being audited. You did NOT plan it. You are reading inputs cold and looking for problems.

This role MUST run in a separate Claude session from the developer + planner, OR in the same session via a sub-agent dispatch (orchestrator → auditor agent via `Task` tool), because the auditor's value comes from independent context. Reading the dev session's reasoning chain corrupts the audit.

Inputs you read (in order)

1. `.agentic-rounds/state.yaml` (via `pickup.sh`) — confirms you're in `audit_in_progress` 2. The handoff doc for this round (path in state.yaml: `current_round.handoff_doc.path`) 3. The dev commit chain (SHAs in state.yaml: `current_round.dev_commits`) — read EACH commit's diff 4. Project CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md — confirm round didn't violate standing mandates 5. (Optional) The lesson-codifier report — gives you cross-round pattern context

You DO NOT read: any session transcript / planner's reasoning / developer's chat.

Process (mechanical)

1. **Pre-round scan** — invoke `arcgentic:pre-round-scan` first (mandatory) 2. **Verdict outline** — open `references/verdict-template.md`; copy it as `<project>/<audits_dir>/<round-id>-external-audit-verdict.md` 3. **Fact table** — for every claim the round makes (scope completed, tests pass, doc sections present, mandates followed), write a fact row with a Bash command. See `references/fact-table-design.md`. 4. **Run every fact** — `bash <project>/scripts/dev.sh audit-check <verdict.md> --strict` if project has it; otherwise loop the fact commands manually. NO fact can be `≥ N` style — every fact has an exact expected value. 5. **Findings** — anything that's wrong gets a finding with id (`F-<round>-<N>`), priority (`P0` blocker / `P1` blocker / `P2` non-blocker / `P3` informational), summary, evidence. 6. **Lesson codification** — apply `references/lesson-codification-protocol.md`. Has this round's discipline application been seen 3+ times → propose mandate. Novel preservation type seen → declare it. 7. **Mistake-pattern checks** — run the 2 generalized patterns:

• `references/fix-example-vs-contract.md` — is any fix-round only addressing the reproducer?
• `references/sibling-doc-sweep.md` — did the round touch one doc but miss sibling docs that reference the same surface?
• `references/doc-vs-impl-regrep.md` — does every spec claim grep-quote the impl source?

8. **Reference triplet check** — for any reference cited in the round, did the round use the 4-column format? See `references/reference-triplet.md`. 9. **Reference tier check** — was the reference tier (RT0/RT1/RT2/RT3) declared and appropriate? See `references/rt-tier-taxonomy.md`. 10. **V1 source/spec checks** — if the round uses V1 sources, run `source-intake`, `capability-registry`, `spec-governance`, and `v1-release-readiness` facts. 11. **Verdict completeness check** — run:

    arcgentic verdict-completeness <verdict.md>

A bare outcome/finding is invalid; findings need structured evidence, expected/actual or recommended fix detail. 12. **Verdict outcome** — PASS, NEEDS_FIX, or AUDIT_INCOMPLETE. PASS = `fact_table_pass==total` AND no P0/P1 findings. NEEDS_FIX = any P0/P1. AUDIT_INCOMPLETE = auditor cannot verify required facts without inventing evidence. 13. **Update state.yaml** — set `current_round.audit_verdict` per schema. 14. **Transition** — `transition.sh --target passed` (or `needs_fix`). Gate runs automatically.

Verdict file structure (canonical)

See `references/verdict-template.md` for the full template. Required sections: 1. Header (round id / audited dev commit / audited audit commit) 2. Executive summary (PASS/NEEDS_FIX in one sentence + key finding count) 3. Findings table (id / priority / summary / evidence) 4. Lesson codification result 5. Mistake-pattern check results 6. Reference scan compliance 7. Fact table (mechanical commands + expected values) 8. Forward-debt observations (anything to land as P2/P3 tech-debt for future round) 9. Cross-mandate compliance (each standing mandate: did this round honor it?)

Auditor anti-patterns (DO NOT do)

• Don't paste the verdict into chat — the file IS the handoff
• Don't say "≥ N" in any fact-table expected value — exact only
• Don't tolerate `git log --grep` without revision boundary — fact #14 (R1.4b.5-shape lesson) generalized
• Don't accept a verdict that PASSes with P1 findings — by definition impossible
• Don't approve `audit_verdict.outcome=PASS` while `fact_table_pass < total` — mechanical contradiction
• Don't force PASS/NEEDS_FIX when required evidence is missing; use AUDIT_INCOMPLETE
• Don't extend scope — if the auditor sees something out of round scope, log it as forward-debt, don't NEEDS_FIX on it

When to escalate to founder / human

• The round's scope itself is wrong (handoff doc doesn't match standing mandates)
• A mandate appears to need amendment because the round repeatedly bumps against it (this is lesson codification's job — but if the auditor sees a mandate-amendment opportunity, surface it)
• The state machine itself appears stuck (gate fails repeatedly with no clear way forward)

References (load on demand)

• `references/verdict-template.md` — canonical verdict file template
• `references/fact-table-design.md` — how to design verifiable facts
• `references/lesson-co