govctl
Governance-as-code for AI-assisted software development.
Enforce spec-first discipline. Every feature starts with an RFC, not a prompt.
The Problem
AI-assisted coding is powerful but undisciplined:
- Phase skipping -- Jumping from idea to implementation without specification
- Documentation drift -- Specs and code diverge silently
- No enforceable governance -- "Best practices" become optional suggestions
The result: faster typing, slower thinking, unmaintainable systems.
Without govctl
Day 1: "Let's add caching!"
Day 2: AI generates 500 lines of Redis integration
Day 7: "Wait, did we agree on Redis or Memcached?"
Day 14: Half the team implements one, half the other
Day 30: Two incompatible caching layers, no spec, nobody knows why
With govctl
Day 1: govctl rfc new "Caching Strategy"
Day 2: RFC-0015 defines: Redis, TTL policy, invalidation rules
Day 3: govctl rfc advance RFC-0015 impl
Day 7: Implementation complete, traceable to spec
Day 14: Tests pass, govctl rfc advance RFC-0015 stable
How It Works
govctl enforces phase discipline on software development:
┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ SPEC │ ──► │ IMPL │ ──► │ TEST │ ──► │ STABLE │
└─────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
RFC must Code must Tests must Bug fixes
be normative match spec pass gates only
Three artifact types, one lifecycle:
- RFCs -- Specifications that must exist before implementation
- ADRs -- Architectural decisions with explicit trade-offs
- Work Items -- Tracked tasks with acceptance criteria and verification guards
All artifacts are TOML files in gov/, validated by JSON schemas, and rendered to markdown in docs/. govctl governs itself by its own rules -- this repository is the first proof.
Quick Start
Claude Code Plugin
/plugin marketplace add govctl-org/govctl
/plugin install govctl@govctl
/govctl:init
The plugin provides workflow skills, reviewer agents, and enforcement hooks out of the box.
CLI
cargo install govctl
govctl init
govctl init creates the governance structure and installs AI agent skills into .claude/.
For complete documentation, see the User Guide.
AI Agent Integration
govctl is built for AI-native development. Install the Claude Code plugin or run govctl init to get workflow skills that any Claude Code / Cursor / Codex agent can invoke:
| Skill | Purpose |
|---|---|
/gov <task> | Complete governed workflow: work item, RFC/ADR, implement, test, done |
/migrate | Adopt govctl in an existing project: discover decisions, backfill ADRs, annotate source |
/discuss <topic> | Design discussion: explore options, draft RFC or ADR |
/commit | Smart commit: VCS detection, govctl checks, work item journal updates |
/quick <task> | Fast path for trivial changes (skip governance ceremony) |
/guard-writer | Create and edit verification guards |
The plugin also includes enforcement hooks: govctl status runs at session start for context, govctl check runs at session end as a gate.
Every govctl operation is a single CLI call. No MCP server needed -- the CLI is the universal interface. Every shell-capable agent already speaks it.