---
name: refine-scope
description: Iteratively refine Discovery artefacts (plans, epics, stories) when feedback, ambiguity, or uncertainty is detected. Activate when artefacts are incomplete, acceptance criteria are missing, or human feedback highlights gaps.
license: ELv2
compatibility: Works with any filesystem-based AI coding agent
metadata:
author: gaai-framework
version: "1.0"
category: discovery
track: discovery
id: SKILL-REFINE-SCOPE-001
updated_at: 2026-01-28
status: stable
inputs:
- discovery_action_plan
- contexts/artefacts/** (partially completed)
- contexts/memory/** (selective)
- human_feedback: numbered list of feedback items provided by the Discovery Agent, sourced from human input in the current session
outputs:
- refined_discovery_plan
- refined artefacts
---
# Refine Scope
## Purpose / When to Activate
Activate when:
- Artefacts are ambiguous or incomplete
- Acceptance criteria are missing or unclear
- Human or peer feedback highlights gaps
- New information alters original intent
- Discovery action plan indicates unresolved risks
This skill is **not** for first-draft creation — it deepens clarity and reduces uncertainty in existing artefacts.
---
## Process
1. Load relevant context (artefacts + partial plan + memory)
2. Identify gaps, contradictions, or missing acceptance criteria
3. For each numbered feedback item: (a) identify the target artefact field or section, (b) apply the feedback as a direct modification to that field, (c) record what was changed and why in the refinement log.
4. Adjust scope, acceptance criteria, or artefact structure
5. Produce a refined Discovery plan or refined artefacts
6. Verify that all modified fields still comply with the Quality Checks below. If a field fails, mark it for re-refinement in the next iteration. Do NOT invoke `validate-artefacts` — that is the agent's responsibility after this skill completes.
7. Stop when all feedback items from Step 3 have been applied and all modified fields pass the Quality Checks. If any feedback item cannot be applied without changing product intent, flag it as requiring human escalation.
---
## Outputs
**Written outputs:**
- `contexts/artefacts/` — refined artefacts written back to their original locations
**Inline outputs:**
- `refined_discovery_plan` — returned inline to the invoking agent
```
Refined Discovery Action Plan
Goal:
<clarified objective based on feedback>
Steps:
1. <updated skill step> — improved focus
2. <updated skill step> — adjusted checkpoint
Artefact Updates:
- <Epic ID> — updated outcome wording
- <Story ID> — acceptance criteria strengthened
Validation:
- all gates passed: yes | no
- blockers: <if any>
```
---
## Quality Checks
- Acceptance criteria are present and testable
- Artefact scope is clear and bounded
- Cross-dependencies are explicit
- Risks and assumptions are documented
- All governance rules are satisfied
---
## Non-Goals
This skill must NOT:
- Invent new product direction
- Override human intent
- Generate completely new artefacts unconnected to context
- Bypass governance rules
**It enhances, not replaces, existing outputs. Quality drives clarity — refinement reduces ambiguity before execution.**