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Quality Gates

The FCC framework defines 25 quality gates that validate persona outputs against defined criteria. Each gate is associated with a specific persona and contains a set of checks that must pass before artifacts can be handed off downstream.

Purpose

Quality gates are the enforcement mechanism for R.I.S.C.E.A.R. expected outputs and workflow handoffs. They ensure that:

  • Artifacts meet completeness requirements before leaving a persona's scope.
  • Downstream personas receive validated inputs they can depend on.
  • Governance and compliance requirements are verified at each stage.
  • Quality is measurable and auditable across the entire workflow.

Gate Structure

Each quality gate has the following fields:

Field Type Description
id string Unique identifier (e.g., QG-RC-001)
name string Human-readable gate name
persona_id string The persona this gate validates (or ALL for universal gates)
threshold float Minimum pass score (0.0 to 1.0). A threshold of 1.0 means all checks must pass.
checks list Specific items to validate

All 25 Quality Gates

Core Persona Gates (6)

ID Name Persona Threshold Checks
QG-RC-001 Research Inventory Completeness RC 1.0 capability_matrix, annotated_references, traceability_matrix, capability_tags
QG-BC-001 Blueprint Completeness BC 0.75 architecture_diagrams, api_specifications, data_models, workflow_definitions
QG-DE-001 Documentation Quality DE 1.0 style_guide_compliance, version_controlled, review_report
QG-RB-001 Runbook Readiness RB 1.0 step_by_step_procedures, automation_scripts, troubleshooting_guide
QG-UG-001 User Guide Accessibility UG 1.0 quick_start_guide, detailed_steps, troubleshooting_section
QG-RISCEAR-001 R.I.S.C.E.A.R. Extended Completeness ALL 1.0 role_skills_defined, role_collaborators_defined, adoption_checklist_defined

The Blueprint Completeness gate (QG-BC-001) uses a 0.75 threshold, meaning 3 of 4 checks must pass. This allows blueprints to proceed without workflow definitions in early design phases.

Integration Persona Gates (7)

ID Name Persona Threshold Checks
QG-CIA-001 Catalog Index Completeness CIA 1.0 index_schema_defined, api_connectors_tested, coverage_report_generated
QG-UMC-001 UI Mockup Quality UMC 0.75 mockups_annotated, accessibility_verified, brand_compliance_checked, responsive_layouts
QG-STE-001 Taxonomy Consistency STE 1.0 taxonomy_schema_complete, triplet_logic_validated, consistency_report_generated
QG-TS-001 Traceability Coverage TS 1.0 bidirectional_links_verified, impact_analysis_complete, coverage_report_generated
QG-BV-001 Blueprint Validation Thoroughness BV 1.0 validation_report_complete, quality_scores_calculated, remediation_recommendations
QG-RIC-001 Research Inventory Automation RIC 1.0 capability_matrices_populated, machine_parseable_format, source_attribution_verified
QG-GCA-001 Governance Compliance Audit GCA 1.0 audit_report_complete, evidence_logs_maintained, remediation_timelines_set

Like QG-BC-001, the UI Mockup Quality gate (QG-UMC-001) uses a 0.75 threshold, allowing 3 of 4 checks to pass.

Governance Persona Gates (3)

ID Name Persona Threshold Checks
QG-DGS-001 Data Governance Integration DGS 1.0 api_contracts_documented, data_flows_compliant, service_configs_versioned
QG-PTE-001 Privacy Classification Coverage PTE 1.0 data_types_classified, privacy_regulations_mapped, handling_guidelines_documented
QG-AMS-001 Anti-fact Mitigation Rigor AMS 1.0 confidence_thresholds_applied, source_verification_complete, audit_trail_maintained

Stakeholder Persona Gates (5)

ID Name Persona Threshold Checks
QG-CO-001 Coordination Completeness CO 1.0 handoff_reports_documented, dependency_matrix_current, blocker_dashboard_operational
QG-SMC-001 Metrics Dashboard Accuracy SMC 0.75 velocity_metrics_current, quality_metrics_tracked, flow_metrics_visualized
QG-EC-001 Executive Communication Quality EC 1.0 executive_summary_complete, insights_extracted, audience_appropriate_tone
QG-RS-001 Roadmap Synchronization RS 1.0 sources_synchronized, dependencies_mapped, conflicts_resolved
QG-SCP-001 Content Distribution Coverage SCP 1.0 channels_configured, access_controls_enforced, version_history_maintained

Champion Persona Gates (4)

ID Name Persona Threshold Checks
QG-RCHM-001 Research Orchestration Completeness RCHM 1.0 unified_research_package, cross_artifact_consistency, research_readiness_assessment
QG-BCHM-001 Blueprint Orchestration Completeness BCHM 1.0 orchestrated_blueprint_package, cross_reference_index, quality_validation_summary
QG-UGCH-001 User Experience Orchestration Completeness UGCH 1.0 multi_channel_package, content_strategy_report, channel_coordination_report
QG-RBCH-001 Operations Orchestration Completeness RBCH 1.0 validated_operational_package, governance_clearance_report, operational_readiness_assessment

Threshold Summary

Most gates require a perfect score (1.0), meaning all checks must pass. Three gates use a 0.75 threshold to allow partial completion:

Gate Threshold Rationale
QG-BC-001 0.75 Allows iterative blueprint development
QG-UMC-001 0.75 Allows mockup refinement across iterations
QG-SMC-001 0.75 Allows partial metrics during initial measurement setup

Configuration

Quality gates are defined in data/governance/quality_gates.yaml. To customize gates for a downstream project:

  1. Adjust thresholds -- Lower thresholds for iterative workflows, raise them for regulated environments.
  2. Add checks -- Append new check items to existing gates.
  3. Add gates -- Define new gates for custom personas.
  4. Disable gates -- Remove or comment out gates that do not apply.

The gate validation logic lives in src/fcc/governance/quality_gates.py and is invoked during workflow simulation and the fcc validate command.