Skip to main content

​
SpecKit Process Enforcement & Feature 049 Remediation Guide

​
Overview

SpecKit Process Enforcement blocks your team from building features on unvalidated requirements. The system prevents skipped quality steps, detects missing specifications, and forces validation at every workflow transition. This feature exists because Feature 049 cost 4 weeks and $45,000 by ignoring process warnings - now those warnings are hard blocks that cannot be bypassed.

​
Step-by-Step Guide

​
Using SpecKit with Enforcement Active

  1. Write your specification
    • Navigate to your job in the platform
    • Run /speckit.specify to generate your spec.md document
    • The system automatically runs hybrid validation and writes spec-certificate.json
    • You cannot proceed without a Grade B+ certificate (score 80+)
  2. Check your quality certificate
    • Open spec-certificate.json in your project directory
    • Verify overallScore is 80 or higher
    • Confirm criticalIssues shows zero issues
    • If you fail validation, fix the spec and regenerate
  3. Move to planning phase
    • Run /speckit.plan to start implementation planning
    • The command checks for spec-certificate.json before proceeding
    • If blocked, you see “Run /speckit.specify first” - no override option exists
    • System also blocks if you have legacy TSD/FSD documents without spec.md
  4. Complete quality checklists
    • During implementation, complete all checklist items in /speckit.implement
    • System blocks incomplete checklists with NO “proceed anyway” option
    • Each checklist item must be verified before moving forward
  5. Review audit trail
    • Project managers query violations via /api/v1/speckit/audit/violations
    • Filter by date range to see which teams skipped process steps
    • Use this data to identify teams needing additional SpecKit training

​
Converting Legacy Documents

  1. Convert TSD to spec.md
    • If you have legacy BRS/FRS/TRS/FSD/TSD documents, run the conversion tool
    • System extracts requirements and excludes design details (tech stack, APIs, architecture)
    • Generated spec.md contains only what belongs in requirements
    • Original legacy documents remain unchanged in Requirements/ or Solution Design/ directories

​
Validating Feature 049 Retroactively

  1. Apply SpecKit to Feature 049
    • Use the retroactive validation tool to prove Feature 049 requirements were strong
    • System demonstrates the issue was lack of validation, not bad requirements
    • Review quantified costs ($45,000 lost, 30% test failure rate) in the case study
    • Share SPECKIT_ENFORCEMENT.md with stakeholders to justify process investment

​
Common Questions

Q: What happens if I try to skip validation?
A: You cannot skip validation. /speckit.plan exits with status code 1 and displays “Run /speckit.specify first” if no certificate exists. No override option exists in the system. Q: Can I override enforcement if I’m on a tight deadline?
A: No. The system removes all override options. Feature 049 proved that “just this once” leads to 4-week delays and $45,000 in wasted productivity. Doing it right the first time is faster. Q: What if my spec scores 79 instead of 80?
A: Fix your spec. The system blocks progression when overallScore < 80. Address the issues flagged in spec-certificate.json, regenerate, and validate again. Q: How do I know if I have legacy documents without spec.md?
A: Run /speckit.plan - the system detects Requirements/ or Solution Design/ directories and blocks if spec.md is missing. Use the TSD conversion tool to migrate. Q: Will this slow down our development process?
A: No. Feature 049 lost 4 weeks by skipping validation. Writing a Grade B+ spec upfront takes 2 hours and prevents weeks of rework. The enforcement saves time.

​
Troubleshooting

Issue: /speckit.plan says “Run /speckit.specify first” but I already did
Solution: Check that spec-certificate.json exists in your project directory. If missing, /speckit.specify failed silently - rerun it and watch for errors. Verify the certificate file was written before trying to plan again. Issue: My spec scored Grade B+ but planning still blocks
Solution: Check verificationSummary.criticalIssues in spec-certificate.json. Even with score 80+, any critical issues block progression. Fix critical issues, regenerate certificate, then proceed. Issue: Legacy document conversion included tech stack details
Solution: This indicates a bug - conversion should extract requirements only. Delete the generated spec.md, report the issue, and manually write your spec until the tool is fixed. Never include architecture, API endpoints, or tech choices in spec.md. Issue: Audit trail shows violations but no one remembers skipping steps
Solution: AI assistants ignored soft warnings 45+ times during Feature 049. Hard blocks prevent this now. Use violation data to train teams on why enforcement exists - share the $45,000 cost example. Specification Generation (/speckit.specify)
This command creates your spec.md and runs automatic validation. Process enforcement depends on certificates from this feature - you must generate a valid spec before planning or implementation starts. Contract Testing & Quality Certification (/api/v1/quality-certification)
SpecKit enforcement prevents the 30% contract test failure rate seen in Feature 049. Quality certification verifies your implementation matches the validated spec, closing the loop on requirements traceability. Planning Review (/planningreview, /api/v1/planning-review)
After enforcement validates your spec, planning review ensures customers and sherpas approve before development starts. Together, these features prevent building the wrong thing or building it wrong.