---
name: donchitos/scope-check
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/donchitos-scope-check@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 562eb2429d90
---

# Scope Check

This skill is read-only — it reports findings but writes no files.

Compares original planned scope against current state to detect, quantify, and triage
scope creep.

**Argument:** `$ARGUMENTS[0]` — feature name, sprint number, or milestone name.

---

## Phase 1: Find the Original Plan

Locate the baseline scope document for the given argument:

- **Feature name** → read `design/gdd/[feature].md` or matching file in `design/`
- **Sprint number** (e.g., `sprint-3`) → read `production/sprints/sprint-03.md` or similar
- **Milestone** → read `production/milestones/[name].md`

If the document is not found, report the missing file and stop. Do not proceed without
a baseline to compare against.

---

## Phase 2: Read the Current State

Check what has actually been implemented or is in progress:

- Scan the codebase for files related to the feature/sprint
- Read git log for commits related to this work (`git log --oneline --since=[start-date]`)
- Check for TODO/FIXME comments that indicate unfinished scope additions
- Check active sprint plan if the feature is mid-sprint

---

## Phase 3: Compare Original vs Current Scope

Produce the comparison report:

```markdown
## Scope Check: [Feature/Sprint Name]
Generated: [Date]

### Original Scope
[List of items from the original plan]

### Current Scope
[List of items currently implemented or in progress]

### Scope Additions (not in original plan)
| Addition | Source | When | Justified? | Effort |
|----------|--------|------|------------|--------|
| [item] | [commit/person] | [date] | [Yes/No/Unclear] | [S/M/L] |

### Scope Removals (in original but dropped)
| Removed Item | Reason | Impact |
|-------------|--------|--------|
| [item] | [why removed] | [what's affected] |

### Bloat Score
- Original items: [N]
- Current items: [N]
- Items added: [N] (+[X]%)
- Items removed: [N]
- Net scope change: [+/-N] ([X]%)

### Risk Assessment
- **Schedule Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]
- **Quality Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]
- **Integration Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]

### Recommendations
1. **Cut**: [Items that should be removed to stay on schedule]
2. **Defer**: [Items that can move to a future sprint/version]
3. **Keep**: [Additions that are genuinely necessary]
4. **Flag**: [Items that need a decision from producer/creative-director]
```

---

## Phase 4: Verdict

Assign a canonical verdict based on net scope change:

| Net Change | Verdict | Meaning |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| ≤10% | **PASS** | On Track — within acceptable variance |
| 10–25% | **CONCERNS** | Minor Creep — manageable with targeted cuts |
| 25–50% | **FAIL** | Significant Creep — must cut or formally extend timeline |
| >50% | **FAIL** | Out of Control — stop, re-plan, escalate to producer |

Output the verdict prominently:

```
**Scope Verdict: [PASS / CONCERNS / FAIL]**
Net change: [+X%] — [On Track / Minor Creep / Significant Creep / Out of Control]
```

---

## Phase 5: Next Steps

After presenting the report, offer concrete follow-up:

- **PASS** → no action required. Suggest re-running before next milestone.
- **CONCERNS** → offer to identify the 2–3 additions with best cut ratio. Reference `/sprint-plan update` to formally re-scope.
- **FAIL** → recommend escalating to producer. Reference `/sprint-plan update` for re-planning or `/estimate` to re-baseline timeline.

Always end with:
> "Run `/scope-check [name]` again after cuts are made to verify the verdict improves."

---

### Rules

- Scope creep is additions without corresponding cuts or timeline extensions
- Not all additions are bad — some are discovered requirements. But they must be acknowledged and accounted for
- When recommending cuts, prioritize preserving the core player experience over nice-to-haves
- Always quantify scope changes — "it feels bigger" is not actionable, "+35% items" is