/interview-framework-codex

name: interview-framework-codex
description: Internal Ralph Specum contract for Codex phase interviews, skill manifests, approval, and delegation gates. Phase coordinators load this skill directly; users do not invoke it as a workflow phase.
metadata:
  surface: internal

Codex interview framework

Run every normal-mode `start`, `triage`, `research`, `requirements`, `design`, and `tasks` phase through `references/algorithm.md` and `references/domain-modeling.md`.

Completion criterion

Delegate only after all of these conditions hold for one identity tuple:

• `phase`, `interviewId`, `discoveryRevision`, and `contextDigest` match in state and in the delegation packet.
• The selected skill manifest has status `complete` or `partial_warned`.
• The phase interview has status `complete` or `skipped` after explicit final approval.
• `phase_gate.py check-delegation` succeeds.

Hard-transition invariant

Run the current `check-delegation` immediately before each affected phase transition or child dispatch. A failed `check-delegation` in either mode stops this invocation before state transition, child dispatch, or target-artifact write. After a normal-mode failure, the next explicit invocation uses a fresh manifest/interview identity. After an exact `--quick` delegation failure, the next explicit invocation reruns discovery, records a fresh `phaseSkillLoad` and interview identity, and does not reuse a terminal `bypassed_quick` interview or its discovery revision. Only a matching in-progress `collecting` or `awaiting_confirmation` interview is resumable. A matching in-progress interview that has not reached a failed delegation boundary remains valid for resume.

Exact `--quick` preserves discovery, manifest, parent-delegation provenance, `check-delegation`, receipt recording, and `check-agent-write`. Quick mode bypasses interview questions only. Exact `--quick` separately bypasses final approval. It still runs `check-delegation` immediately before dispatch, uses the same identity tuple, requires a current `complete` or `partial_warned` manifest plus an interview receipt with status `bypassed_quick` and `quickAuthorization.source: "--quick"`, and has no other bypass.

Hard boundaries

• Ask only critical user decisions that can change phase scope, externally visible behavior, acceptance, architecture, sequencing, or material risk.
• Inspect code, configuration, state, prior artifacts, and selected skill contracts for facts. Do not ask the user for discoverable facts or setup and administration choices.
• Ask the whole currently unblocked critical frontier. Split a frontier only when Codex's native user-input tool limit requires another batch. The current limit is three questions per call.
• Put the recommended option first and state its tradeoff. Offer only viable alternatives.
• Persist each partial answer before asking the next frontier.
• Treat control-only replies such as `apply the changes`, `continue`, `proceed`, and `go ahead` as no answer to an active interview question.
• Treat bare `skip` during an active question as an instruction to finish the remaining interview with stated defaults and assumptions. Present the final approval gate before delegation.
• Delegate in the same turn after the user explicitly chooses `approve and delegate`.
• During artifact review, treat `apply the changes` as a revision request. Delegate the revision and remain at the artifact approval gate.
• Apply domain-language modeling during the grill. Challenge conflicting or vague terms, use concrete boundary scenarios, and record resolved domain terms without creating an ADR.

Preload boundary

Load selected skill bodies and required current-work references as contracts. During preload, collect constraints, vocabulary, checks, and conflicts. Start no task action prescribed by a loaded domain skill until the phase interview is approved and the delegation gate passes.

If this core skill, its algorithm reference, or its domain-modeling reference cannot be read and hashed, record `phaseSkillLoad.status: "core_failed"`, report the failure, and stop. Record domain-skill load failures in `warnings` and `failures`, use `partial_warned`, and continue. Turn unresolved material conflicts between loaded contracts into first-layer interview decisions.