iic-core-engine {Metacognition} (v1.0)

"I know where you are. I know where you should go next."

Purpose

Central state machine. Computes project stage from artifact existence. Suggests the next skill/workflow to invoke. Single source of truth for workflow progression. [EXPLICIT]

When to use:

• Session start (cold-start priming)
• When /jm:status is invoked
• After any phase completion

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Core Principles

1. Law of State: context.json is the single source of truth. [EXPLICIT]
2. Law of Stages: specified → planned → testified → tasks-ready → implementing-NN% → complete. [EXPLICIT]
3. Law of Suggestion: Always recommend next action based on current stage. [EXPLICIT]

Core Process

Phase 1: Compute Stage

1. Check artifact existence:
   • spec.md exists → specified
   • plan-*.md exists → planned
   • *.feature files exist → testified
   • tasks.md exists → tasks-ready
   • Implementation progress → implementing-NN%
   • All tasks complete → complete

Phase 2: Suggest Next

Stage	Next Action
(none)	/jm:write-spec → create spec.md
specified	/jm:design-architecture → create plan
planned	iic-testify → create .feature files
testified	iic-task-decomposer → create tasks.md
tasks-ready	iic-implement → start coding
implementing	Continue tasks, run tests
complete	/jm:deploy-firebase or /jm:deploy-hostinger

Phase 3: Update State

1. Update context.json stage field. [EXPLICIT]
2. Log transition in score-history.json. [EXPLICIT]

3. Inputs / Outputs

Input	Type	Required	Description
context.json	JSON	Yes	Current state
Project artifacts	Files	Yes	For stage computation

Output	Type	Description
Status report	Text	Stage + next action
context.json update	JSON	Updated stage

Validation Gate

• Stage computed from actual artifact existence
• Next action maps to valid skill/workflow
• context.json updated after state change

Usage

Example invocations:

• "/iic-core-engine" — Run the full iic core engine workflow
• "iic core engine on this project" — Apply to current context

Assumptions & Limits

• Assumes access to project artifacts (code, docs, configs) [EXPLICIT]
• Requires English-language output unless otherwise specified [EXPLICIT]
• Does not replace domain expert judgment for final decisions [EXPLICIT]

Edge Cases

Scenario	Handling
Empty or minimal input	Request clarification before proceeding
Conflicting requirements	Flag conflicts explicitly, propose resolution
Out-of-scope request	Redirect to appropriate skill or escalate