# 0027 — Cross-cutting skills: session-handoff, governance-check, git-commit-message, improve-codebase-architecture, triage, zoom-out, caveman

**Type:** HITL
**Parent PRD:** `docs/prd/chunk-3-skills-library.md`

## What to build

The 7 cross-cutting skills (no single phase home). Three are new; four are preserved Pocock placeholders upgraded to the authoring standard. Authored via `write-skill` (0018), evals via `write-eval` (0017). `caveman` is kept as-is (no eval required — it is a formatting-only utility, not a content skill).

**Skills, origins, and trigger descriptions:**

| Flat name | Origin | Trigger description |
|---|---|---|
| `session-handoff` | New | Session handoff, save context, pausing work |
| `governance-check` | New | Check this against governance rules, is this allowed |
| `git-commit-message` | New | Write commit message, conventional commit, git message |
| `improve-codebase-architecture` | Preserved; frontmatter + standard added | Improve architecture, refactor structure, codebase improvement |
| `triage` | Preserved; fix dead references; frontmatter + standard added | Triage this issue, categorise, prioritise |
| `zoom-out` | Preserved; frontmatter + standard added | Zoom out, big picture, what are we doing |
| `caveman` | Kept as-is | (token compression utility — no trigger change) |

**Key constraints per skill:**
- `session-handoff`: captures current state, next steps, decisions with rationale, and linked issue reference; prompts LESSONS.md extraction before closing; does NOT manage `docs/spec/` — spec is updated in-PR, not at handoff
- `governance-check`: validates proposed action against `AGENTS.md` (must reference AGENTS.md, not governance.md, now that AGENTS.md is the primary entry point post-0015)
- `git-commit-message`: conventional commits format; derives from diff; does not invent scope or type
- `triage`: remove dead references (`AGENT-BRIEF.md`, `OUT-OF-SCOPE.md`); add frontmatter and authoring standard sections
- `zoom-out`: add frontmatter and authoring standard; merge into architect role revisited at Chunk 5 grill (this note should appear in the SKILL.md as a `when-not:` constraint or a note in failure handling)
- `caveman`: no changes; no eval needed (not a content-generating skill)

## Implementation notes

Follow the per-skill workflow defined in `docs/notes/skill-implementation-workflow.md`.

**Known upstream sources to review:**
- `mattpocock/skills` — original `improve-codebase-architecture`, `triage`, `zoom-out`, `caveman` placeholders; record SHAs for adopted content
- For new skills (`session-handoff`, `governance-check`, `git-commit-message`): search for prior art before writing from scratch

## Acceptance criteria

- [ ] All 7 SKILL.md files exist at `.agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`; `metadata.category: cross-cutting`; authoring standard met (except `caveman` — kept as-is)
- [ ] Dead references removed from `triage` and any other affected skills
- [ ] `governance-check` references `AGENTS.md` as the governance source (not `governance.md`); requires AGENTS.md refactor (0015) to be complete
- [ ] `session-handoff` explicitly excludes `docs/spec/` management from its scope
- [ ] `zoom-out` SKILL.md notes the Chunk 5 grill revisit for potential merge into architect role
- [ ] `source:` fields populated for all Pocock-derived skills and any adopted upstream content
- [ ] Each new or refactored skill has a co-located eval at `.agents/evals/cross-cutting/<skill-name>/eval.yaml` via `write-eval`; `caveman` exempt
- [ ] `install.sh` deploys all 7 to `~/.agents/skills/`
- [ ] **HITL:** human runs behavioral test for each new/refactored skill
- [ ] **HITL:** human reviews each SKILL.md and eval before committing
- [ ] Per-skill process followed for all new/refactored skills: source discovery (sub-agent) → source review with licence/security check (sub-agent) → conflict check against constitution + factory principles (sub-agent) → synthesis grill → co-write iteratively
- [ ] Trigger description for each skill tested against explicit, implicit, and negative queries before body written
- [ ] `when:` frontmatter field present in all new/refactored SKILL.md files (`caveman` exempt)
- [ ] `source:` and `references:` fields correctly populated or absent
- [ ] eval.yaml for each new/refactored skill contains all 5 required test types (`caveman` exempt)
- [ ] Body ≤500 lines for each skill
- [ ] `docs/spec/overview.md` updated to reflect all skills deployed

## Blocked by

- 0015 (AGENTS.md must exist before `governance-check` can reference it correctly)
- 0016 (per-skill workflow)
- 0017 (`write-eval`)
- 0018 (`write-skill`)