/pair-capability-assess-methodology — Methodology Assessment

Evaluate and decide on the development methodology: Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Waterfall, SAFe, LeSS, or hybrid. Follows the resolution cascade.

Arguments

Argument	Required	Description
$choice	No	Override: skip assessment, use this methodology directly (e.g. kanban, scrum)

Composed Skills

Skill	Type	Required
/pair-capability-record-decision	Capability	Yes — records methodology decision as ADL

Proposal Target

The rendered adoption content is destined for this section — the caller writes it via /pair-capability-record-decision:

• Target: adoption/tech/way-of-working.md — methodology section
• Ownership: Methodology section (shared file — /pair-capability-assess-pm owns PM tool section)

Adoption File

• Target: adoption/tech/way-of-working.md — methodology section
• Ownership: Methodology section (shared file — /pair-capability-assess-pm owns PM tool section)

Algorithm

Step 1: Resolution Cascade

Path A — Argument Override

1. Check: Is $choice provided?
2. Skip: If not provided, go to Path B.
3. Act: Confirm the choice. Check for conflicts with existing adoption.
4. Verify: Developer confirms. Proceed to Step 3.

Path B — Adoption Exists

1. Check: Does adoption/tech/way-of-working.md exist and contain a methodology reference (e.g. "Kanban", "Scrum", or similar)?
2. Skip: If no methodology defined, go to Path C.
3. Act: Read current adoption. Confirm it's valid.
4. Check: Does a corresponding decision record exist?
5. Act: If decision record missing, compose /pair-capability-record-decision to backfill.
6. Verify: Done — exit skill.

Path C — Full Assessment

1. Act: Proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Read Guidelines

1. Act: Read methodology guidelines:
   • Methodology README — decision framework, comparison matrix, decision tree, cost-benefit analysis
   • Individual methodology files as needed for detail:
     • Kanban
     • Scrum
     • Lean
     • Waterfall
     • SAFe
     • LeSS
2. Act: Read project context:
   • adoption/product/PRD.md — team size, timeline, requirements stability
   • adoption/tech/architecture.md — system complexity
3. Verify: Guidelines and context loaded.

Step 3: Evaluate Options

1. Act: Apply the Methodology Comparison Matrix from guidelines:

   • Score each methodology on: Requirements Stability, Change Tolerance, Team Size/Complexity, Time to Market, Predictability Needs, Quality Focus, Learning/Innovation.
   • Weight criteria based on project type.

2. Act: Apply the Methodology Selection Decision Tree for quick validation.

3. Act: Present recommendation:

   Methodology Recommendation: [Name]

   • Score: [weighted total]
   • Rationale: [evidence from project context and matrix]
   • Key ceremonies: [list main ceremonies/practices]
   • Trade-offs: [acknowledged limitations]

4. Act: If two methodologies score within 10%, present both with trade-off analysis.

5. Verify: Developer approves.

Step 4: Write Adoption File

1. Act: Write or update methodology-related content in way-of-working.md:
   • Methodology name and key practices
   • Development cycle description (iterations, flow, etc.)
   • Preserve all other sections (quality gates, PM tool, etc.)
2. Verify: Methodology section written. Other sections preserved.

Step 5: Record Decision

1. Act: Compose /pair-capability-record-decision:
   • $type: non-architectural
   • $topic: methodology-choice
   • $summary: "[Methodology] adopted for development workflow"
2. Verify: ADL created. Adoption consistent.

Output Format

ASSESSMENT COMPLETE:
├── Domain:    Methodology
├── Path:      [Argument Override | Adoption Exists | Full Assessment]
├── Decision:  [methodology name]
├── Adoption:  [way-of-working.md methodology section — written | confirmed | updated]
├── Record:    [ADL path — created | exists | backfilled]
└── Status:    [Complete | Confirmed existing]

Composition Interface

When composed by /pair-process-bootstrap:

• Input: /pair-process-bootstrap invokes during Phase 2.
• Output: Returns decision summary and adoption file path.

When invoked independently:

• Full interactive flow. Developer commits changes.

Edge Cases

• way-of-working.md exists but no methodology section: Add methodology content, preserve all other sections.
• Team uses hybrid approach: Document the hybrid: which elements from which methodology, how they combine.
• Methodology change mid-project: Update adoption, create new decision record referencing the old one.

Graceful Degradation

• If methodology guidelines not found, use minimal assessment: ask developer for methodology preference based on team size and requirements stability.
• If /pair-capability-record-decision not installed, warn and skip recording.
• If way-of-working.md doesn't exist, create it with methodology section. Warn: "Created way-of-working.md — other sections should be populated."

Notes

• Methodology decisions are non-architectural → produce ADL.
• Section ownership: this skill writes ONLY methodology-related content in way-of-working.md. /pair-capability-assess-pm owns PM tool section. Quality gates section is managed by /pair-process-bootstrap.
• Educational content (methodology descriptions, ceremonies, WHY each works) stays in guidelines.