Work Item Writer
Write work items with clear descriptions and actionable acceptance criteria.
Quick Reference
bash
govctl work new --active "<title>" govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "<category>: <description>" govctl work add <WI-ID> refs RFC-NNNN govctl work tick <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "<pattern>" -s done govctl work move <WI-ID> done
Work Item Structure
Title
Concise, action-oriented. Describes what will be done.
- •Good: "Add validation for clause cross-references"
- •Bad: "Fix stuff" or "Work on the thing"
Description
Replace the placeholder immediately. One paragraph explaining:
- •What the work accomplishes
- •Why it's needed
- •Any relevant context
Acceptance Criteria
Every criterion MUST have a category prefix for changelog generation:
| Prefix | Changelog Section | Use for |
|---|---|---|
add: | Added | New features, capabilities |
changed: | Changed | Modifications to existing behavior |
deprecated: | Deprecated | Features marked for removal |
removed: | Removed | Deleted features |
fix: | Fixed | Bug fixes |
security: | Security | Security-related changes |
chore: | (excluded) | Internal tasks, tests, maintenance |
bash
# Feature work govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "add: Implement clause validation" govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "add: Error messages include clause ID" # Bug fix govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "fix: Duplicate clause detection" # Internal govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "chore: All tests pass" govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "chore: govctl check passes"
References
Link to governing artifacts:
bash
govctl work add <WI-ID> refs RFC-0001 govctl work add <WI-ID> refs ADR-0023
Writing Rules
Acceptance Criteria Quality
Each criterion should be:
- •Specific — "Add
validate_refs()function" not "Add validation" - •Testable — Can be verified as done/not-done with no ambiguity
- •Independent — Each criterion stands alone
- •Categorized — Always include the category prefix
Completion Flow
Work items cannot be marked done without ticking all criteria:
bash
# Tick criteria as you complete them govctl work tick <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "<pattern>" -s done # When all criteria are done, close the work item govctl work move <WI-ID> done
The chore: Pattern
Always add at least one chore: criterion for validation:
bash
govctl work add <WI-ID> acceptance_criteria "chore: govctl check passes"
This ensures validation is an explicit gate, not an afterthought.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Missing category prefix | Always use add:, fix:, chore:, etc. |
| Placeholder description left in | Replace immediately with real description |
| Vague criteria: "Feature works" | Specific: "add: CLI returns exit code 0 on success" |
No chore: criterion | Add "chore: govctl check passes" or "chore: all tests pass" |
| No refs to governing artifacts | Link RFCs/ADRs with work add <WI-ID> refs |