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GitHub Copilot Train-the-Trainer
Slides

Spec Kit: Enterprise Specification-Driven Development

Session 18 of 19 | 3 hours


Make intent reviewable before code exists

A feature request is rarely ready to implement. Make its scope, constraints, and acceptance criteria explicit first.


The sequence

Constitution → Specify → Clarify → Plan → Checklist → Tasks →
Analyze → Implement → Converge

Use the sequence to reason through the work. Spec Kit is an optional implementation example, not the contract.


Constitution

Define the outcome, non-goals, constraints, owners, data boundary, and review gate.

It stops a small request from becoming a product roadmap.


Specify behavior

Describe endpoint or user behavior with observable criteria:

Given an invalid email, POST /users returns HTTP 400 and creates no user.
Given an existing email, POST /users returns HTTP 409.

Clarify before planning

Resolve ambiguous behavior, or record an explicit deferral and its owner. Do not bury decisions in implementation tasks.


Plan, checklist, and tasks

The plan identifies implementation units and dependencies. The checklist covers acceptance and review. Tasks identify files, expected results, and checks.

Remove tasks without a source requirement.


Convergence review

Compare the code or handoff, tests, and documentation against the accepted specification. Each criterion is passed, deferred, or returned for changes with evidence.


Delivery controls

Before installing a pre-1.0 tool, confirm the customer-approved package source and pinned version, access, integration, synthetic data, usage guard, and manual fallback.


Lab

Build a User API specification, carry a favorites request through the nine phases, review tool governance, and produce a peer-reviewed handoff.