step-v-04-brief-coverage-validation.md 7.2 KB


name: 'step-v-04-brief-coverage-validation' description: 'Product Brief Coverage Check - Validate PRD covers all content from Product Brief (if used as input)'

File references (ONLY variables used in this step)

nextStepFile: './step-v-05-measurability-validation.md' prdFile: '{prd_file_path}' productBrief: '{product_brief_path}'

validationReportPath: '{validation_report_path}'

Step 4: Product Brief Coverage Validation

STEP GOAL:

Validate that PRD covers all content from Product Brief (if brief was used as input), mapping brief content to PRD sections and identifying gaps.

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

Universal Rules:

  • 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input
  • 📖 CRITICAL: Read the complete step file before taking any action
  • 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure entire file is read
  • 📋 YOU ARE A FACILITATOR, not a content generator
  • ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the config {communication_language}

Role Reinforcement:

  • ✅ You are a Validation Architect and Quality Assurance Specialist
  • ✅ If you already have been given communication or persona patterns, continue to use those while playing this new role
  • ✅ We engage in systematic validation, not collaborative dialogue
  • ✅ You bring analytical rigor and traceability expertise
  • ✅ This step runs autonomously - no user input needed

Step-Specific Rules:

  • 🎯 Focus ONLY on Product Brief coverage (conditional on brief existence)
  • 🚫 FORBIDDEN to validate other aspects in this step
  • 💬 Approach: Systematic mapping and gap analysis
  • 🚪 This is a validation sequence step - auto-proceeds when complete

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

  • 🎯 Check if Product Brief exists in input documents
  • 💬 If no brief: Skip this check and report "N/A - No Product Brief"
  • 🎯 If brief exists: Map brief content to PRD sections
  • 💾 Append coverage findings to validation report
  • 📖 Display "Proceeding to next check..." and load next step
  • 🚫 FORBIDDEN to pause or request user input

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

  • Available context: PRD file, input documents from step 1, validation report
  • Focus: Product Brief coverage only (conditional)
  • Limits: Don't validate other aspects, conditional execution
  • Dependencies: Step 1 completed - input documents loaded

MANDATORY SEQUENCE

CRITICAL: Follow this sequence exactly. Do not skip, reorder, or improvise unless user explicitly requests a change.

1. Check for Product Brief

Check if Product Brief was loaded in step 1's inputDocuments:

IF no Product Brief found: Append to validation report:

## Product Brief Coverage

**Status:** N/A - No Product Brief was provided as input

Display: "Product Brief Coverage: Skipped (No Product Brief provided)

Proceeding to next validation check..."

Immediately load and execute {nextStepFile}

IF Product Brief exists: Continue to step 2 below

2. Attempt Sub-Process Validation

Try to use Task tool to spawn a subprocess:

"Perform Product Brief coverage validation:

  1. Load the Product Brief
  2. Extract key content:
    • Vision statement
    • Target users/personas
    • Problem statement
    • Key features
    • Goals/objectives
    • Differentiators
    • Constraints
  3. For each item, search PRD for corresponding coverage
  4. Classify coverage: Fully Covered / Partially Covered / Not Found / Intentionally Excluded
  5. Note any gaps with severity: Critical / Moderate / Informational

Return structured coverage map with classifications."

3. Graceful Degradation (if Task tool unavailable)

If Task tool unavailable, perform analysis directly:

Extract from Product Brief:

  • Vision: What is this product?
  • Users: Who is it for?
  • Problem: What problem does it solve?
  • Features: What are the key capabilities?
  • Goals: What are the success criteria?
  • Differentiators: What makes it unique?

For each item, search PRD:

  • Scan Executive Summary for vision
  • Check User Journeys or user personas
  • Look for problem statement
  • Review Functional Requirements for features
  • Check Success Criteria section
  • Search for differentiators

Classify coverage:

  • Fully Covered: Content present and complete
  • Partially Covered: Content present but incomplete
  • Not Found: Content missing from PRD
  • Intentionally Excluded: Content explicitly out of scope

4. Assess Coverage and Severity

For each gap (Partially Covered or Not Found):

  • Is this Critical? (Core vision, primary users, main features)
  • Is this Moderate? (Secondary features, some goals)
  • Is this Informational? (Nice-to-have features, minor details)

Note: Some exclusions may be intentional (valid scoping decisions)

5. Report Coverage Findings to Validation Report

Append to validation report:

## Product Brief Coverage

**Product Brief:** {brief_file_name}

### Coverage Map

**Vision Statement:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: Note severity and specific missing content]

**Target Users:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: Note severity and specific missing content]

**Problem Statement:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: Note severity and specific missing content]

**Key Features:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: List specific features with severity]

**Goals/Objectives:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: Note severity and specific missing content]

**Differentiators:** [Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded]
[If gap: Note severity and specific missing content]

### Coverage Summary

**Overall Coverage:** [percentage or qualitative assessment]
**Critical Gaps:** [count] [list if any]
**Moderate Gaps:** [count] [list if any]
**Informational Gaps:** [count] [list if any]

**Recommendation:**
[If critical gaps exist] "PRD should be revised to cover critical Product Brief content."
[If moderate gaps] "Consider addressing moderate gaps for complete coverage."
[If minimal gaps] "PRD provides good coverage of Product Brief content."

6. Display Progress and Auto-Proceed

Display: "Product Brief Coverage Validation Complete

Overall Coverage: {assessment}

Proceeding to next validation check..."

Immediately load and execute {nextStepFile} (step-v-05-measurability-validation.md)


🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS

✅ SUCCESS:

  • Checked for Product Brief existence correctly
  • If no brief: Reported "N/A" and skipped gracefully
  • If brief exists: Mapped all key brief content to PRD sections
  • Coverage classified appropriately (Fully/Partially/Not Found/Intentionally Excluded)
  • Severity assessed for gaps (Critical/Moderate/Informational)
  • Findings reported to validation report
  • Auto-proceeds to next validation step
  • Subprocess attempted with graceful degradation

❌ SYSTEM FAILURE:

  • Not checking for brief existence before attempting validation
  • If brief exists: not mapping all key content areas
  • Missing coverage classifications
  • Not reporting findings to validation report
  • Not auto-proceeding

Master Rule: Product Brief coverage is conditional - skip if no brief, validate thoroughly if brief exists. Always auto-proceed.