# Self-Audit Checklist > A reflection layer that makes the Definition of Done actionable. ## Description The self-audit checklist defines how work should be self-reviewed before claiming completion. It covers ten areas: intended outcome, constraints applied, decision rules followed, verification performed, evidence produced, document structure validation, UX and behavior check, tradeoffs and risks, maintainability check, and confidence level. Minimum acceptable completion requires a stated outcome, at least one verification step, at least one piece of evidence, and acknowledgment of tradeoffs or unknowns. This replaces repeated back-and-forth questions about whether work was actually run and verified. ## Content **Canon v0.1** > This is the reflection and enforcement layer that makes the Definition of Done actionable without turning you into a QA manager. This checklist defines how I expect work to be self-reviewed before it is considered complete. The purpose is not bureaucracy. The purpose is to catch obvious failures before someone else does. Every completed task must include a filled version of this checklist. --- ## 📌 Core Principle I expect builders—human or AI—to audit their own work against stated outcomes, constraints, and evidence. If an item cannot be answered, that is a signal—not a failure. --- ## 📋 Self-Audit Checklist ### 1. Intended Outcome • What outcome was this work intended to achieve? • How will someone know if that outcome was achieved? --- ### 2. Constraints Applied - Which constraints were relevant to this task? - (e.g., offline-first, maintainability, interoperability) - Were any default constraints intentionally overridden? - If yes, why? --- ### 3. Decision Rules Followed - Which decision rules guided the approach? - (e.g., Borrow→Bend→Break→Beget→Build (`canon/methods/borrow-bend-break-beget-build.md`), KISS, explicit tradeoffs) - Were there moments where a different rule could have been applied? - Why was it not? --- ### 4. Verification Performed - What was run or exercised to verify the work? - What behavior was directly observed? --- ### 5. Evidence Produced - What evidence proves the behavior occurred? - screenshots - recordings - logs - rendered output - Where can this evidence be found? --- ### 5b. Document Structure Check (If Applicable) If the deliverable is a document targeting `canon/`, `odd/`, or `docs/`: • Does it pass the Writing Canon checklist (`canon/meta/writing-canon.md`)? • Does the blockquote contain the full compressed argument? • Is the Summary section self-contained? • Do headers tell the story when read in sequence? • Could an agent act on title + blockquote alone? --- ### 6. UX & Behavior Check (If Applicable) - Does the UI or interaction behave as expected? - Is the behavior understandable without explanation? - If explanation is required, is that a UX smell? --- ### 7. Tradeoffs & Risks - What tradeoffs were made? - What risks remain? - What assumptions could be wrong? --- ### 8. Maintainability Check - Would someone else understand this in six months? - What would be the hardest part to maintain or change? --- ### 9. Confidence Level - How confident am I that this works as intended? - What would increase confidence further? --- ## ⚠️ Minimum Acceptable Completion At a minimum, a completed task must include: • a stated outcome • at least one verification step • at least one piece of evidence • acknowledgment of tradeoffs or unknowns If these are missing, the task is not complete. --- ## 🚫 What This Checklist Is Not This checklist is not: • a justification exercise • a sales pitch • a guarantee of correctness It is a thinking aid designed to surface problems early. --- ## 🤖 Agent Expectations Agents and collaborators are expected to: • fill this checklist before claiming completion • be concise (one sentence per item is often enough) • explicitly state uncertainty instead of hiding it If an agent cannot complete the checklist honestly, the correct action is to continue working or mark the task incomplete. --- ## 📦 Canon Document Preflight — Six Checks Before Done When the deliverable is a canon document, six checks must pass before it is considered done. This preflight supplements the self-audit — it does not replace it. 1. **Progressive disclosure** — Writing Canon checklist (`canon/meta/writing-canon.md`): blockquote with complete compressed argument, self-contained summary, descriptive headers, no buried claims. 2. **Drift audit** — What existing documents does this create tension with? For each: amend, acknowledge, or investigate. See `canon/values/drift.md`. 3. **Cross-reference integrity** — Bidirectional links verified. `derives_from`, `complements`, and `governs` fields are accurate and reciprocated where appropriate. 4. **Downstream amendments** — Existing documents that should now reference the new document have been updated. 5. **Frontmatter completeness** — YAML metadata includes URI, title, audience, exposure, tier, voice, stability, tags, epoch, date, and relationship fields as applicable. 6. **Self-audit** — This ten-item checklist, completed honestly. --- ## 💡 Closing Note This checklist exists to replace repeated back-and-forth questions like: • “Did you actually run it?” • “Did you verify this visually?” • “Why did you choose this approach?” Those questions should already be answered here. --- ## ✅ Status - Canon v0.1 — Self-Audit Checklist complete - Ready to proceed to Canon v0.1 — Visual Proof Standards