research-driven-planning

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LIBRARY-FIRST PROTOCOL (MANDATORY)

Before writing ANY code, you MUST check:

Step 1: Library Catalog

• Location: .claude/library/catalog.json
• If match >70%: REUSE or ADAPT

Step 2: Patterns Guide

• Location: .claude/docs/inventories/LIBRARY-PATTERNS-GUIDE.md
• If pattern exists: FOLLOW documented approach

Step 3: Existing Projects

• Location: D:\Projects\*
• If found: EXTRACT and adapt

Decision Matrix

Match	Action
Library >90%	REUSE directly
Library 70-90%	ADAPT minimally
Pattern exists	FOLLOW pattern
In project	EXTRACT
No match	BUILD (add to library after)

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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Purpose

• Create actionable plans whose milestones and decisions are backed by research evidence.
• Surface constraints explicitly and enforce confidence ceilings on recommendations.
• Maintain structure-first documentation for traceability.

Trigger Conditions

• Positive: planning product/research work that must be evidence-based; prioritization aligned to findings.
• Negative: purely operational project planning (route to delivery skills) or ad-hoc brainstorming (rapid-idea-generator).

Guardrails

• HARD / SOFT / INFERRED constraints captured with sources and ownership.
• Two-pass plan refinement: structure/milestones → epistemic validation against evidence and risks.
• Recommendations carry confidence ceilings; assumptions documented.

Inputs

• Goal and desired outcomes; available evidence and gaps.
• Constraints (budget, time, compliance) and stakeholders.

Workflow

1. Frame & Evidence Audit: Capture objectives, constraint buckets, and existing evidence; flag gaps.
2. Plan Draft: Define milestones, owners, dependencies, and validation checkpoints linked to evidence.
3. Validation Pass: Stress-test against constraints, risks, and evidence strength; adjust sequencing.
4. Finalize & Communicate: Produce plan summary, risks, and next steps; store in references/examples.

Validation & Quality Gates

• Evidence mapped to milestones; gaps highlighted with follow-ups.
• Constraints addressed; INFERRED items assigned for confirmation.
• Confidence ceilings attached to recommendations.

Response Template

**Goal & Constraints**
- HARD / SOFT / INFERRED.

**Plan**
- Milestones → evidence link → owner/checkpoint.

**Risks & Gaps**
- ...

**Next Steps**
- ...

Confidence: 0.80 (ceiling: inference 0.70) - based on evidence-backed planning.

Confidence: 0.80 (ceiling: inference 0.70) - reflects validated plan tied to evidence and constraints.