Kaname Artifacts
Four structured markdown files form a chain of constraint. Each artifact governs the one that follows it. constitution.md is the highest authority - nothing in the chain may contradict it.
Each artifact carries a commitment: a binding quality standard against which it is evaluated at its corresponding human gate. Ownership means accountability for quality and currency - not exclusive authorship.
Chain of Constraint
constitution.md·Constitution GuardianTechnical Contractspec.md·Spec OwnerBehavioral Intentplan.md·Plan ReviewerArchitecture Alignmenttasks.md·Task ImplementerImplementation CompletenessAI-generated output at every stage must conform to constitution.md. A violation at any level is a constitutional violation.
constitution.mdThe constitution defines the non-negotiable boundaries of the system: architectural decisions, approved technology constraints, security requirements, and quality standards. It is the highest authority in Kaname. All other artifacts and all AI-generated output must conform to it.
Commitment: when is it complete?
The constitution is complete when every constraint it contains is verifiable and when a reviewer can assess any AI-generated output against it without ambiguity.
Governs: spec.md
spec.mdThe specification defines system behavior from the user's perspective. It is organized as System Use Cases - each describing one meaningful interaction between an actor and the system, including all successful paths, variants, and failure conditions. As systems grow, teams may organize the specification across multiple documents by domain or Epic. The artifact is the totality of Use Case specifications, regardless of physical structure.
Commitment: when is it complete?
The specification is complete when a Task Implementer can execute any Use Case using an AI agent without requesting clarification, and when every acceptance criterion is independently verifiable by a human reviewer. A Use Case that meets this standard is Spec-Ready.
Governs: plan.md
plan.mdThe plan describes the technical architecture for implementing the specification. It includes the component structure, data model, API contracts, and implementation sequence. The plan is generated by an AI agent from the specification and reviewed by the Plan Reviewer.
Commitment: when is it complete?
The plan is complete when every Use Case in scope for the current delivery cycle maps to a defined technical component, no implementation decision contradicts the constitution, and the sequence is feasible given known dependencies.
Governs: tasks.md
tasks.mdThe task breakdown translates the plan into discrete, executable units of work ordered for implementation. Each task maps to one Use Case and one plan component. Each task is self-contained: it carries the Use Case reference, relevant acceptance criteria, and plan component context sufficient for an AI agent to implement it without external clarification. Tasks are pulled by Task Implementers from the board as capacity allows.
Commitment: when is it complete?
A task is complete when the AI-generated output satisfies its linked Use Case acceptance criteria and passes the Implementation Gate review.
Terminal artifact - governs AI-generated implementation directly.
Ownership
Each artifact has a designated owner. Ownership means accountability for quality and currency - not exclusive authorship. Others may contribute. The owner is accountable for the artifact meeting its commitment.
Unassigned artifacts
If any artifact lacks a named owner, the team is not running Kaname. Accountability may not go unassigned. One person may hold multiple roles - but each artifact must have a name attached to it.
Each artifact is evaluated at a human gate before work advances.