/project-planning

name: project-planning
description: Converts a specification into a phased, dependency-ordered implementation plan. Use after specification is complete and before execution begins.
alwaysApply: false
# Custom metadata (not used by Claude for matching):
category: workflow
tags: [planning, architecture, task-breakdown, dependencies, estimation]
complexity: intermediate
estimated_tokens: 900
role: library

Delegation

For detailed task planning workflows, this skill delegates to `spec-kit:task-planning` as the canonical implementation. Use this skill for quick planning needs; use spec-kit for thorough project plans.

When To Use

• After specification phase completes
• Need to design system architecture
• Need task breakdown for implementation
• Planning sprints and resource allocation
• Converting requirements into concrete tasks
• Defining component interfaces and dependencies

When NOT To Use

• No specification exists yet (use `Skill(attune:project-specification)` first)
• Still exploring problem space (use `Skill(attune:project-brainstorming)` instead)
• Ready to execute existing plan (use `Skill(attune:project-execution)` instead)
• Need to adjust running project (update plan incrementally, don't restart)

Integration

**With superpowers**:

• Uses `Skill(superpowers:writing-plans)` for structured planning
• Applies checkpoint-based execution patterns
• Uses dependency analysis framework

**Without superpowers**:

• Standalone planning methodology
• Task breakdown templates
• Dependency tracking patterns

Quality Checks

Before completing plan:

• ✅ All architecture components documented
• ✅ File Structure section present before tasks
• ✅ All task files appear in File Structure table
• ✅ All FRs mapped to tasks
• ✅ All tasks have acceptance criteria
• ✅ Dependencies are acyclic
• ✅ Effort estimates provided
• ✅ Critical path identified
• ✅ Risks assessed with mitigations
• ✅ Sprints balanced by capacity

Record the Tradeoff (decision journal)

Planning is where architecture and scope decisions get made: the pattern chosen, the dependency accepted, the work deferred. Record each decision that had real alternatives to `docs/tradeoffs.md` (draft and confirm):

• If leyline is installed, invoke `Skill(leyline:decision-journal)` and append

a tradeoff entry (the decision, the options weighed, and what was sacrificed; set `phase` to `plan`). Show the draft; append on confirmation.

• Fallback (leyline absent): append to `docs/tradeoffs.md` using the in-file

ENTRY TEMPLATE; assign the next `TR-NNN` id.

Post-Completion: Workflow Continuation (REQUIRED)

**Automatic Trigger**: After Quality Checks pass and `docs/implementation-plan.md` is saved, MUST auto-invoke the next phase.

**When continuation is invoked**: 1. Verify `docs/implementation-plan.md` exists and is non-empty 2. Display checkpoint message to user:

   Implementation plan complete. Saved to docs/implementation-plan.md.
   Proceeding to execution phase...

3. Invoke next phase:

   Skill(attune:project-execution)

**Bypass Conditions** (ONLY skip continuation if ANY true):

• `--standalone` flag was provided by the user
• `docs/implementation-plan.md` does not exist or is empty (phase failed)
• User explicitly requests to stop after planning

**Do NOT prompt the user for confirmation**: this is a lightweight checkpoint, not an interactive gate. The user can always interrupt if needed.

Exit Criteria

• [ ] `docs/implementation-plan.md` exists, is non-empty, and passes Quality

Checks (acyclic dependencies, FRs mapped, critical path identified).

• [ ] Architecture and scope decisions with alternatives are recorded to

`docs/tradeoffs.md`.

• [ ] The execution phase is auto-invoked unless a bypass condition holds.

Related Skills

• `Skill(superpowers:writing-plans)` - Planning methodology (if available)
• `Skill(spec-kit:task-planning)` - Task breakdown (if available)
• `Skill(attune:project-specification)` - Previous phase
• `Skill(attune:project-execution)` - **AUTO-INVOKED** next phase after planning
• `Skill(attune:mission-orchestrator)` - Full lifecycle orchestration

Related Commands

• `/attune:blueprint` - Invoke this skill
• `/attune:execute` - Next step in workflow

Examples

See `/attune:blueprint` command documentation for complete examples.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

If you find circular dependencies in your task graph, break one of the tasks into smaller sub-tasks. If sprint capacity is consistently exceeded, re-estimate tasks using the Fibonacci scale or reduce sprint scope.