description: Create or update project-specific principles that define technical standards and governance for this project.

The user input to you can be provided directly by the agent or as a command argument - you MUST consider it before proceeding with the prompt (if not empty).

User input:

$ARGUMENTS

Define project-specific principles and constraints that will guide all development within this project.

When to use this command:

•Regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government)
•Projects with strict performance/security requirements
•Multi-team coordination with clear boundaries needed
•High-stakes projects where failure has serious consequences

When to skip:

•Prototypes or MVPs
•Internal tools with flexible requirements
•Well-understood domains with standard practices
•Small projects with single team

•
Load project context:
- •Find active project directory
- •Load project.md to understand project nature and goals
- •Load context.md if exists (constraints and requirements)
- •Check if constitution.md already exists
Note: Constitution runs BEFORE planning, so PRD.md doesn't exist yet. Use project.md and context.md for guidance.
•
Just-In-Time Research (if needed):

Reference: Follow the just-in-time research pattern (.cursor/skills/just-in-time-research/SKILL.md)

Research Areas for Constitution:
- •Security Best Practices: Web search for industry-standard security patterns
- •Technical Principles: Web search for framework-specific best practices
- •Domain Standards: Web search for industry-specific development standards
- •Case Studies: Deep research (if needed) for lessons learned from similar projects
Document findings in "Research Informing This Constitution" section of output.
•
Analyze project needs for specific principles:

Domain-Specific Requirements
- •Industry regulations (healthcare, finance, etc.)
- •User safety requirements
- •Data privacy constraints
- •Accessibility standards
Technical Constraints
- •Performance requirements
- •Platform limitations
- •Integration requirements
- •Security standards
Business Constraints
- •Time-to-market pressures
- •Budget limitations
- •Team capabilities
- •Stakeholder requirements
User Experience Principles
- •Target user needs
- •Interaction patterns
- •Brand requirements
- •Localization needs
•
Generate project constitution using the template:

CRITICAL: Load and follow the template exactly:
code
```
.speck/templates/project/constitution-template.md
```
Create/update: specs/projects/[PROJECT_ID]/constitution.md

Notes:
- •Use normative language (MUST/SHALL/SHOULD/MAY) in all principles and standards.
- •Embed any research findings in the template’s "Research Informing This Constitution" section.
- •If updating an existing constitution, preserve unchanged principles and add a short changelog entry.
•
Interactive principle development:

If no specific requirements provided, ask:
- •"What unique constraints does this project have?"
- •"Are there industry-specific requirements?"
- •"What quality attributes are non-negotiable?"
- •"What would constitute failure for this project?"
•
Principle categories to consider:

Regulatory Compliance
- •GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, etc.
- •Industry standards
- •Certification requirements
Quality Attributes
- •Performance (specific metrics)
- •Reliability (uptime requirements)
- •Scalability (growth targets)
- •Maintainability (team constraints)
User Experience
- •Accessibility (WCAG level)
- •Responsiveness requirements
- •Offline capabilities
- •Cross-platform needs
Development Process
- •Review requirements
- •Testing standards
- •Documentation needs
- •Deployment constraints
•
Generate validation checklists:
- •Per-story checklist items
- •Per-epic validation gates
- •Project-level success criteria
•
Save as specs/projects/[PROJECT_ID]/constitution.md
•
Update references:
- •Add to project.md references section
- •Note in PRD.md compliance section
- •Reference in epic templates
•
Output summary:

code

✅ Project Constitution Created!

Project: [Name]
Version: 1.0.0

Principles Defined:
1. [Principle Name]: [Focus area]
2. [Principle Name]: [Focus area]
[...]

Validation Points:
- Story level: [X] checks
- Epic level: [Y] gates
- Project level: [Z] criteria

Key Constraints:
- [Constraint type]: [Requirement]
- [Constraint type]: [Requirement]

Next Steps:
1. Review with stakeholders
2. Distribute to team
3. Run /project-plan to create PRD (will incorporate these principles)
4. Configure automated validation (in CI/CD)
5. Principles will be enforced in epic/story development

Note: Constitution provides essential principle inputs for PRD creation.
These principles will guide all technical decisions in /project-architecture
and be enforced throughout epic and story development.

Note: Project constitutions are living documents. Update as new requirements emerge or constraints change.