# Self-Coherence Report — Issue #355

## Gap

**Issue #355**: cdd(enforcement): structural compliance gates — make protocol bypass impossible, not merely discouraged

**Version/Mode**: CDD protocol enforcement gap — agents can bypass γ coordination and ship cycles without triadic review.

**Problem**: Wave 3 issues #354 and #349 were dispatched α→β directly by δ, skipping γ entirely. No gamma-closeout.md, no PRA, no iteration findings. Advisory protocols fail under time pressure when structural gates don't exist.

**Gap Class**: Meta-protocol enforcement — CDD cannot self-improve if agents bypass the γ/ε improvement surface.

## Skills

**Tier 1**: CDD lifecycle + alpha role
- `CDD.md` — canonical lifecycle and role contracts
- `alpha/SKILL.md` — α role surface and algorithm

**Tier 2**: Engineering fundamentals  
- `eng/` bundle — always-applicable engineering skills

**Tier 3**: Issue-specific skills
- `cdd/review/SKILL.md` — β review orchestrator (primary modification target)
- `cdd/beta/SKILL.md` — β role pre-merge gate (secondary modification target)
- `cdd/` parent skill — CDD protocol understanding for enforcement design

## ACs

**AC1**: At least one structural gate exists that blocks merge without γ artifacts
✅ **Evidence**: Added rule 3.11b to `review/SKILL.md` requiring `.cdd/unreleased/{N}/gamma-closeout.md` exists before APPROVED verdict. Added row 4 to `beta/SKILL.md` pre-merge gate for γ artifact verification.

**AC2**: The gate is mechanical (CI check or β rule), not advisory  
✅ **Evidence**: Rule 3.11b is binding with D-severity finding if violated. Row 4 of pre-merge gate makes it a mandatory check before merge execution. Not advisory guidance.

**AC3**: The failure mode "δ dispatches α→β directly" produces a blocked merge, not a successful one
✅ **Evidence**: When δ skips γ, no `gamma-closeout.md` exists. β's pre-merge gate row 4 detects missing file → verdict becomes RC → merge blocked. Structural prevention achieved.

**AC4**: Design doc for cn dispatch as enforcement architecture (can be separate issue)
⭕ **Deferred**: Scope limited to immediate structural gate. CN dispatch architecture is substantial design work warranting separate issue. Current implementation provides immediate protection while design work proceeds.

## §Self-check

**Did α's work push ambiguity onto β?** No. The structural gates are precisely specified with clear enforcement mechanics. β has concrete checks to perform and clear consequences for failure.

**Is every claim backed by evidence in the diff?** Yes. All AC claims map to specific additions in the skill files:
- AC1 structural gate: rule 3.11b in review/SKILL.md + row 4 in beta/SKILL.md  
- AC2 mechanical enforcement: D-severity finding specification, binding nature explicit
- AC3 bypass prevention: missing gamma-closeout.md → RC verdict → blocked merge

**Role boundary compliance?** Yes. α modified only review and beta skills as appropriate for enforcement mechanics. No scope creep into unrelated surfaces. Changes enhance existing β review/merge protocols.

## §Debt

**Known debt**: AC4 deferred to separate issue by scope boundary. CN dispatch architecture design is substantial work requiring dedicated issue/design cycle.

**Process observations**: This addresses the meta-problem that prevents CDD self-improvement when agents bypass γ/ε surfaces. The structural approach (impossible at merge time) is more robust than advisory approaches (discouraged at dispatch time) which fail under time pressure.

**Implementation note**: The γ artifact check complements existing CI-green gate (rule 3.10) with protocol-compliance gate (rule 3.11b). Both are binding D-level blockers.

## §CDD-Trace

**Step 1 — Issue selection**: Issue #355 selected by wave dispatcher δ for CDD enforcement wave.

**Step 2 — Gap identification**: Protocol bypass possible — agents can skip γ coordination without structural prevention.

**Step 3 — Active skills loaded**: 
- Tier 1: CDD.md + alpha/SKILL.md
- Tier 2: eng/ bundle  
- Tier 3: review/SKILL.md + beta/SKILL.md (primary targets)

**Step 4 — Design (not required)**: Adding enforcement gates to existing review protocol, no separate design artifact needed.

**Step 5 — Plan (not required)**: Straightforward addition of γ artifact verification to existing β gates.

**Step 6 — Implementation artifacts**:
- `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/review/SKILL.md` — added rule 3.11b γ artifact completeness gate
- `src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/beta/SKILL.md` — added row 4 to pre-merge gate for artifact verification
- `.cdd/unreleased/355/self-coherence.md` — this self-coherence report

**Step 7 — Self-coherence**: AC1-3 met with structural enforcement, AC4 appropriately deferred, no remaining debt for this scope.

## Review-readiness | round 1

**Base SHA**: 183b61b7 (origin/main at observation time)
**Implementation SHA**: a64b0743 (feat(cdd/enforcement): structural compliance gates)
**Head SHA**: 28d3b7d6 (self-coherence §CDD-Trace complete through step 7)

**Pre-review gate status**:
1. ✅ Cycle branch rebased onto current main
2. ✅ CDD Trace through step 7 complete  
3. ✅ Tests: Not applicable (skill documentation change, no executable code)
4. ✅ Every AC has evidence (AC1-3 met, AC4 appropriately deferred)
5. ✅ Known debt explicit (AC4 deferred by scope)
6. ✅ Schema/shape audit: Not applicable (no schema changes)
7. ✅ Peer enumeration: Not applicable (enforcement gate addition)
8. ✅ Harness audit: Not applicable (no schema-bearing contracts)
9. ✅ Post-patch re-audit: Not applicable (no patches)
10. ✅ Branch CI: Skill change only, no CI breaking risk
11. ✅ Artifact enumeration matches diff: review/SKILL.md + beta/SKILL.md + self-coherence.md
12. ✅ Caller-path trace: Not applicable (no new modules)
13. ✅ Test assertion count: Not applicable (no tests)
14. ✅ α's commit author email: alpha@cdd.cnos (canonical pattern confirmed)

**Ready for β** at 2026-05-12 22:05 UTC