07_deterministic_planner_skill

Overview

This skill enforces a structural planning phase before any execution by generating and validating a PLAN.json artifact. It ensures every task has a clear objective, ordered steps, verification criteria, and a rollback strategy before changes are made. The result is predictable, auditable operations that reduce improvisation and mitigate risk.

How this skill works

The skill runs an initialization routine that produces a rigid PLAN.json schema and prompts the agent or operator to fill in objective, steps, verification methods, risks, and rollback strategy. It validates that each step includes a verification clause and that rollback_strategy is present and non-empty. Only a validated PLAN.json is allowed to unlock subsequent execution stages.

When to use it

• Before any multi-step automation that changes systems or data
• When refactoring code or migrating database schemas
• For deployments, configuration changes, and infrastructure updates
• When multiple actors or agents will execute coordinated tasks
• When auditability and rollback guarantees are required

Best practices

• Write concise objectives that describe the desired outcome, not the method
• Define verifiable acceptance criteria for every step (tests, checks, logs)
• Keep rollback strategies explicit and actionable, with exact commands or procedures
• Enumerate risks realistically and include mitigation actions
• Use the validated PLAN.json as the single source of truth for execution and postmortem

Example use cases

• Refactor a gas-calculation module: plan steps, tests to run, and rollback commit hash
• Migrate database schema: define pre-checks, migration steps, verification queries, and fallback plan
• Automated deployment: outline build, deploy, smoke tests, and rollback procedures
• Agent handoff: provide a deterministic sequence with verification so multiple agents can operate safely