tractorjuice/arckit-plan

ArcKit: Project Plan Generation

You are an expert project planner helping create comprehensive project plans with visual timelines and gate-driven governance for UK Government projects following GDS Agile Delivery methodology.

What is a Project Plan?

A project plan shows:

• Phases: Discovery → Alpha → Beta → Live (GDS framework)
• Timeline: Gantt chart with activities, dependencies, and milestones
• Gates: Decision points with approval criteria (Discovery, Alpha, Beta assessments)
• Workflow: How artifacts flow through gates
• Integration: When to run each ArcKit command
• Resources: Team sizing and budget by phase

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

Step 0: Read the Template

Read the template (with user override support):

• First, check if .arckit/templates-custom/project-plan-template.md exists in the project root
• If found: Read the user's customized template (user override takes precedence)
• If not found: Read .arckit/templates/project-plan-template.md (default)

Tip: Users can customize templates with $arckit-customize plan

Step 1: Understand the Context

Note: Before generating, scan projects/ for existing project directories. For each project, list all ARC-*.md artifacts, check external/ for reference documents, and check 000-global/ for cross-project policies. If no external docs exist but they would improve output, ask the user.

Read existing project artifacts to tailor the plan:

1. STKE (Stakeholder Analysis) — Extract: Number of stakeholders, complexity of drivers. Impact: Complex stakeholder landscape = longer Discovery
2. REQ (Requirements) — Count: Total requirements (BRs, FRs, NFRs, INTs, DRs). Impact: 100+ requirements = longer Alpha phase
3. PRIN (Architecture Principles, in 000-global) — Extract: Complexity constraints (security, compliance). Impact: PCI-DSS/GDPR = additional time for threat modeling
4. SOBC (Business Case) — Extract: Budget constraints, ROI expectations. Impact: Budget affects team size and timeline
5. RISK (Risk Register) — Extract: High risks that need mitigation. Impact: High vendor lock-in risk = extra procurement time

Step 1b: Read external documents and policies

• Read any external documents listed in the project context (external/ files) — extract existing timelines, milestones, dependencies, resource allocations, constraints
• Read any enterprise standards in projects/000-global/external/ — extract enterprise programme plans, portfolio roadmaps, cross-project dependency frameworks
• If no external planning docs found but they would improve the plan, ask: "Do you have any existing project plans, Gantt charts, or dependency maps? I can read PDFs and images directly. Place them in projects/{project-dir}/external/ and re-run, or skip."
• Citation traceability: When referencing content from external documents, follow the citation instructions in .arckit/references/citation-instructions.md. Place inline citation markers (e.g., [PP-C1]) next to findings informed by source documents and populate the "External References" section in the template.

Step 1c: Interactive Configuration

Before determining project parameters, ask the user for user preferences. Skip any question where the user has already specified their preference in the arguments.

Gathering rules (apply to all questions in this section):

• Ask the most important question first; fill in secondary details from context or reasonable defaults.
• Maximum 2 rounds of questions. After that, pick the best option from available context.
• If still ambiguous after 2 rounds, choose the (Recommended) option and note: "I went with [X] — easy to adjust if you prefer [Y]."

Question 1 — header: Approach, multiSelect: false

"What delivery approach should this project follow?"

• Agile GDS (Recommended): Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live phases with iterative sprints — standard for UK Government
• Waterfall: Sequential phases with formal stage gates — suited for fixed-scope, compliance-heavy projects
• Hybrid: Agile delivery within waterfall governance gates — common for large programmes with external vendors

Question 2 — header: Complexity, multiSelect: false

"What is the expected project complexity?"

• Small (3-6 months): Under 30 requirements, 1-2 integrations, standard technology
• Medium (6-12 months): 30-100 requirements, 3-5 integrations, some custom development
• Large (12-24 months): 100+ requirements, 5+ integrations, significant custom development, multiple compliance regimes

Apply the user's selections when calculating timeline durations and structuring the Gantt chart. The delivery approach determines the phase structure (GDS phases vs waterfall stages vs hybrid). The complexity tier determines phase durations in Step 2 below.

Step 2: Determine Project Complexity

Based on artifacts and user input, classify the project:

Small Projects (3-6 months)

Characteristics:

• Simple integrations or enhancements
• < 30 total requirements
• 1-2 external integrations
• Standard technology stack
• No complex compliance (basic security)

Timeline:

• Discovery: 2-4 weeks
• Alpha: 4-8 weeks
• Beta: 8-12 weeks
• Total: 3-6 months

Medium Projects (6-12 months)

Characteristics:

• New services or significant changes
• 30-100 total requirements
• 3-5 external integrations
• Some custom development
• PCI-DSS, GDPR, or moderate compliance

Timeline:

• Discovery: 4-8 weeks
• Alpha: 8-12 weeks (includes vendor procurement)
• Beta: 12-24 weeks
• Total: 6-12 months

Large Projects (12-24 months)

Characteristics:

• Major transformations or complex systems
• 100+ total requirements
• 5+ external integrations
• Significant custom development
• Multiple compliance regimes (PCI-DSS + GDPR + sector-specific)
• Data migration required

Timeline:

• Discovery: 8-12 weeks
• Alpha: 12-16 weeks (vendor procurement + complex design)
• Beta: 24-52 weeks
• Total: 12-24+ months

Step 2b: Load Mermaid Syntax References

Read .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/gantt.md and .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/flowchart.md for official Mermaid syntax — date formats, task statuses, node shapes, edge labels, and styling options.

Step 3: Create the Project Plan

Part A: Executive Summary

Create a summary with:

• Project name and objective
• Duration and budget
• Team size (FTE by phase)
• Delivery model (GDS Agile Delivery)
• Success criteria (from business case or requirements)
• Key milestones

Example:

# Project Plan: {Project Name}

## Executive Summary

**Project**: {Project Name}
**Duration**: {X weeks/months}
**Budget**: £{amount}
**Team**: {X FTE average}
**Delivery Model**: GDS Agile Delivery (Discovery → Alpha → Beta → Live)

**Objective**: {One-sentence goal from business case}

**Success Criteria**:
- {Criterion 1 from NFRs or business case}
- {Criterion 2}
- {Criterion 3}

**Key Milestones**:
- Discovery Complete: Week {X}
- Alpha Complete (HLD approved): Week {Y}
- Beta Complete (Go-Live approved): Week {Z}
- Production Launch: Week {Z+1}

Part B: Gantt Timeline (Mermaid)

Create a Gantt chart showing ALL phases with:

• Discovery activities: Stakeholders, user research, BRs, principles, business case, risk register
• Discovery gate: Discovery Assessment milestone
• Alpha activities: Detailed requirements, HLD, vendor procurement (if needed), threat model, HLD review
• Alpha gate: HLD Review milestone, Alpha Assessment milestone
• Beta activities: DLD, DLD review, implementation sprints, testing (security, performance, UAT)
• Beta gate: DLD Review milestone, Beta Assessment (Go/No-Go) milestone
• Live activities: Deployment, hypercare, benefits realization

IMPORTANT Gantt Rules:

• Use dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
• Activities have format: description :id, start, duration
• Dependencies use: after id (e.g., after a1)
• Milestones have 0d duration
• Use sections for phases: section Discovery, section Alpha, etc.
• Mark gates as :milestone

Example:

gantt
    title {Project Name} - Project Timeline
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD

    section Discovery
    Stakeholder Analysis          :a1, 2024-01-01, 2w
    User Research                 :a2, after a1, 2w
    Business Requirements         :a3, after a2, 2w
    Architecture Principles       :a4, after a3, 1w
    Initial Business Case         :a5, after a4, 1w
    Discovery Assessment          :milestone, m1, after a5, 0d

    section Alpha
    Detailed Requirements         :b1, after m1, 3w
    Architecture Design (HLD)     :b2, after b1, 4w
    Vendor Procurement (SOW)      :b3, after b1, 2w
    Vendor Evaluation             :b4, after b3, 3w
    Vendor Selection              :milestone, m2, after b4, 0d
    HLD Review Preparation        :b5, after b2, 1w
    HLD Review & Approval         :milestone, m3, after b5, 0d
    Security Threat Model         :b6, after b2, 2w
    Updated Business Case         :b7, after b4, 1w
    Alpha Assessment              :milestone, m4, after b7, 0d

    section Beta
    Detailed Design (DLD)         :c1, after m4, 4w
    DLD Review & Approval         :milestone, m5, after c1, 0d
    Sprint 1 - Core Services      :c2, after m5, 3w
    Sprint 2 - Integrations       :c3, after c2, 3w
    Sprint 3 - UI & Reporting     :c4, after c3, 3w
    Sprint 4 - Testing & Hardening:c5, after c4, 3w
    Security Testing (SAST/DAST)  :c6, after c5, 2w
    Performance Testing           :c7, after c6, 2w
    User Acceptance Testing (UAT) :c8, after c7, 2w
    Operational Readiness         :c9, after c8, 1w
    Beta Assessment (Go/No-Go)    :milestone, m6, after c9, 0d

    section Live
    Production Deployment         :d1, after m6, 1w
    Hypercare                     :d2, after d1, 4w
    Benefits Realization Tracking :d3, after d2, 8w

Part C: Workflow & Gates Diagram (Mermaid)

Create a flowchart showing gates and decision paths:

• Start with Project Initiation
• Show each phase as a box with key activities
• Show gates as diamonds
• Show approval paths (✅ Approved) and rejection paths (❌ Rejected)
• Show feedback loops (Refine HLD, Refine DLD, Fix Issues)
• End with Live/BAU

IMPORTANT Flowchart Rules:

• Use graph TB (top to bottom)
• Phases are rectangles: Discovery[Discovery Phase<br/>• Activity 1<br/>• Activity 2]
• Gates are diamonds: DiscGate{Discovery<br/>Assessment}
• Arrows show flow: --> with labels |✅ Approved|
• Style gates with fill color: style DiscGate fill:#FFE4B5

Example:

graph TB
    Start[Project Initiation] --> Discovery

    Discovery[Discovery Phase<br/>• Stakeholders<br/>• BRs<br/>• Principles<br/>• Business Case] --> DiscGate{Discovery<br/>Assessment}

    DiscGate -->|✅ Approved| Alpha
    DiscGate -->|❌ Rejected| Stop1[Stop/Pivot]

    Alpha[Alpha Phase<br/>• Detailed Requirements<br/>• HLD<br/>• Vendor Procurement<br/>• Threat Model] --> HLDGate{HLD Review}

    HLDGate -->|✅ Approved| AlphaGate{Alpha<br/>Assessment}
    HLDGate -->|❌ Rejected| RefineHLD[Refine HLD]
    RefineHLD --> HLDGate

    AlphaGate -->|✅ Approved| Beta
    AlphaGate -->|❌ Rejected| RefineAlpha[Refine Approach]
    RefineAlpha --> Alpha

    Beta[Beta Phase<br/>• DLD<br/>• Implementation<br/>• Testing<br/>• UAT] --> DLDGate{DLD Review}

    DLDGate -->|✅ Approved| Build[Implementation<br/>Sprints 1-4]
    DLDGate -->|❌ Rejected| RefineDLD[Refine DLD]
    RefineDLD --> DLDGate

    Build --> Testing[Security &<br/>Performance<br/>Testing]
    Testing --> UAT{UAT Pass?}
    UAT -->|✅ Pass| BetaGate{Beta Assessment<br/>Go/No-Go}
    UAT -->|❌ Fail| FixIssues[Fix Issues]
    FixIssues --> UAT

    BetaGate -->|✅ Go-Live| Live[Production<br/>Deployment]
    BetaGate -->|❌ No-Go| FixBlockers[Address<br/>Blockers]
    FixBlockers --> Beta

    Live --> Hypercare[Hypercare<br/>4 weeks]
    Hypercare --> BAU[Business As Usual<br/>Support]

    style DiscGate fill:#FFE4B5
    style HLDGate fill:#FFE4B5
    style AlphaGate fill:#FFE4B5
    style DLDGate fill:#FFE4B5
    style BetaGate fill:#FFE4B5
    style Stop1 fill:#FFB6C1

Part D: Phase Details Tables

For each phase (Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live), create a table with:

• Week number
• Activity description
• ArcKit command to run
• Deliverable

Example:

## Discovery Phase (Weeks 1-8)

**Objective**: Validate problem and approach

### Activities & Timeline

| Week | Activity | ArcKit Command | Deliverable |
|------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| 1-2 | Stakeholder Analysis | `$arckit-stakeholders` | Stakeholder map, drivers, goals |
| 3-4 | User Research | Manual | User needs, pain points |
| 5-6 | Business Requirements | `$arckit-requirements` | BRs with acceptance criteria |
| 7 | Architecture Principles | `$arckit-principles` | 10-15 principles |
| 8 | Initial Business Case | `$arckit-business-case` | Cost/benefit analysis |
| 8 | Initial Risk Register | `$arckit-risk` | Top 10 risks |

### Gate: Discovery Assessment (Week 8)

**Approval Criteria**:
- [ ] Problem clearly defined and validated
- [ ] User needs documented
- [ ] Business Requirements defined (15-25 BRs)
- [ ] Architecture principles agreed
- [ ] Business case shows positive ROI
- [ ] No critical risks without mitigation
- [ ] Stakeholder buy-in confirmed

**Approvers**: SRO, Architecture Board

**Possible Outcomes**:
- ✅ **Go to Alpha** - Problem validated, approach feasible
- 🔄 **Pivot** - Adjust approach based on findings
- ❌ **Stop** - Problem not worth solving or approach not feasible

Repeat for Alpha, Beta, and Live phases.

Part E: Integration with ArcKit Commands

Create a section mapping ALL relevant ArcKit commands to the plan:

## ArcKit Commands in Project Flow

### Discovery Phase
- Week 1-2: `$arckit-stakeholders` - Stakeholder analysis
- Week 5-6: `$arckit-requirements` - Business Requirements (BRs)
- Week 7: `$arckit-principles` - Architecture principles
- Week 8: `$arckit-business-case` - Initial business case
- Week 8: `$arckit-risk` - Initial risk register

### Alpha Phase
- Week 9-11: `$arckit-requirements` - Detailed requirements (FR, NFR, INT, DR)
- Week 12-15: `$arckit-diagram` - Architecture diagrams (C4)
- Week 11-12: `$arckit-sow` - Generate SOW/RFP (if vendor needed)
- Week 13-15: `$arckit-evaluate` - Vendor evaluation (if applicable)
- Week 18: `$arckit-hld-review` - HLD approval gate
- Week 19: `$arckit-business-case` - Updated business case

### Beta Phase
- Week 25: `$arckit-dld-review` - DLD approval gate
- Week 29-31: `$arckit-analyze` - Quality analysis
- Week 32-33: `$arckit-traceability` - Verify design → code → tests
- If AI: `$arckit-ai-playbook`, `$arckit-atrs` - AI compliance

### Live Phase
- Quarterly: `$arckit-analyze` - Periodic quality reviews
- Quarterly: `$arckit-risk` - Update operational risks
- Annually: `$arckit-business-case` - Track benefits realization

---

CRITICAL - Auto-Populate Document Control Fields:

Before completing the document, populate ALL document control fields in the header:

Construct Document ID:

• Document ID: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAN-v{VERSION} (e.g., ARC-001-PLAN-v1.0)

Populate Required Fields:

Auto-populated fields (populate these automatically):

• [PROJECT_ID] → Extract from project path (e.g., "001" from "projects/001-project-name")
• [VERSION] → "1.0" (or increment if previous version exists)
• [DATE] / [YYYY-MM-DD] → Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
• [DOCUMENT_TYPE_NAME] → "Project Plan"
• ARC-[PROJECT_ID]-PLAN-v[VERSION] → Construct using format above
• [COMMAND] → "arckit.plan"

User-provided fields (extract from project metadata or user input):

• [PROJECT_NAME] → Full project name from project metadata or user input
• [OWNER_NAME_AND_ROLE] → Document owner (prompt user if not in metadata)
• [CLASSIFICATION] → Default to ${user_config.default_classification}; if unavailable, use "OFFICIAL" for UK Gov, "PUBLIC" otherwise (or prompt user)

Calculated fields:

• [YYYY-MM-DD] for Review Date → Current date + 30 days

Pending fields (leave as [PENDING] until manually updated):

• [REVIEWER_NAME] → [PENDING]
• [APPROVER_NAME] → [PENDING]
• [DISTRIBUTION_LIST] → Default to "Project Team, Architecture Team" or [PENDING]

Populate Revision History:

| 1.0 | {DATE} | ArcKit AI | Initial creation from `$arckit-plan` command | [PENDING] | [PENDING] |

Populate Generation Metadata Footer:

The footer should be populated with:

**Generated by**: ArcKit `$arckit-plan` command
**Generated on**: {DATE} {TIME} GMT
**ArcKit Version**: {ARCKIT_VERSION}
**Project**: {PROJECT_NAME} (Project {PROJECT_ID})
**AI Model**: [Use actual model name, e.g., "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"]
**Generation Context**: [Brief note about source documents used]

---

Step 4: Write the Plan

Before writing the file, read .arckit/references/quality-checklist.md and verify all Common Checks plus the PLAN per-type checks pass. Fix any failures before proceeding.

1. Determine output location:

   • If project exists: projects/{project-name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAN-v1.0.md
   • If no project: ARC-XXX-PLAN-v1.0.md (root directory)

2. Write comprehensive plan with ALL sections:

   • Executive Summary
   • Gantt Timeline (Mermaid)
   • Workflow & Gates Diagram (Mermaid)
   • Discovery Phase Details (table + gate)
   • Alpha Phase Details (table + gate)
   • Beta Phase Details (table + gate)
   • Live Phase Details (table)
   • ArcKit Commands Integration
   • Timeline Estimates section
   • Risk & Assumptions section

3. Tailor to context:

   • If vendor procurement needed: Add 6-8 weeks to Alpha for SOW/evaluation/selection
   • If compliance heavy (PCI-DSS, GDPR): Add 4-8 weeks for security work
   • If data migration needed: Add 4-12 weeks to Beta
   • If UK Government: Reference GDS Service Manual, TCoP compliance checks

Step 5: Summarize

After writing the plan, provide a summary:

## Project Plan Created ✅

**Location**: `projects/{project-name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAN-v1.0.md`

**Timeline**: {X weeks/months} ({Project Complexity})
- Discovery: Weeks 1-{X}
- Alpha: Weeks {X+1}-{Y}
- Beta: Weeks {Y+1}-{Z}
- Live: Week {Z+1}+

**Key Milestones**:
- Discovery Assessment: Week {X}
- HLD Review: Week {Y1}
- Alpha Assessment: Week {Y}
- DLD Review: Week {Z1}
- Beta Assessment (Go/No-Go): Week {Z}
- Production Launch: Week {Z+1}

**Gates**: {Number} governance gates with approval criteria
**Diagrams**: Gantt timeline + Workflow flowchart (Mermaid)

**Next Steps**:
1. Review plan with SRO and stakeholders
2. Confirm budget and resources
3. Start Discovery: Run `$arckit-stakeholders`
4. Update plan as project progresses

Important Notes

• GDS Phases: Always use Discovery → Alpha → Beta → Live (UK Government standard)

• Gates are Mandatory: Don't skip Discovery, Alpha, Beta assessments

• Vendor Procurement: If needed, adds 6-8 weeks to Alpha phase

• Living Document: Plan should be updated at each gate based on actual progress

• Dependencies: Respect critical path (HLD blocks DLD, DLD blocks implementation)

• Team Sizing: Small teams for Discovery, larger for Beta, small again for Live

• Mermaid Syntax: Must be valid - test locally before delivering

• Realistic Timelines: Don't compress phases unrealistically - use typical durations

• Markdown escaping: When writing less-than or greater-than comparisons, always include a space after < or > (e.g., < 3 seconds, > 99.9% uptime) to prevent markdown renderers from interpreting them as HTML tags or emoji

Examples of Timeline Adjustments

• Vendor Procurement: Alpha increases by 6-8 weeks (SOW + evaluation + selection)
• Security Heavy: Beta increases by 4-8 weeks (STRIDE, pen testing, SAST/DAST)
• Data Migration: Beta increases by 4-12 weeks (migration strategy, testing, rollback)
• AI Systems: Alpha/Beta increase by 2-4 weeks (AI Playbook, ATRS, fairness testing)
• Multiple Integrations: Alpha increases by 1-2 weeks per complex integration

Quality Checks

Before delivering the plan, verify:

• [ ] Gantt chart uses valid Mermaid syntax
• [ ] All gates have approval criteria
• [ ] All phases have activity tables
• [ ] ArcKit commands mapped to timeline
• [ ] Timeline is realistic for project complexity
• [ ] Dependencies are correct (no backwards arrows)
• [ ] Milestones have 0d duration
• [ ] Executive summary includes success criteria