aiwg/plugins/utils/skills/project-awareness/references/phase-guide.md

Cognitive architecture for AI-augmented software development with structured memory, ensemble validation, and closed-loop correction. FAIR-aligned artifacts, 84% cost reduction via human-in-the-loop, standards adopted by 100+ organizations.

# SDLC Phase Quick Reference

## Phase Overview

| Phase | Duration | Key Milestone | Gate Criteria |
|-------|----------|---------------|---------------|
| Inception | 4-6 weeks | Lifecycle Objective (LO) | Vision, risks, feasibility validated |
| Elaboration | 4-8 weeks | Lifecycle Architecture (LA) | Architecture baseline, risks retired |
| Construction | 8-16 weeks | Initial Operational Capability (IOC) | Features complete, tested |
| Transition | 2-4 weeks | Product Release (PR) | Deployed, UAT passed, handover complete |

## Phase Artifacts

### Inception
- project-intake.md
- solution-profile.md
- business-case.md
- risk-list.md (initial)
- phase-plan-inception.md

### Elaboration
- software-architecture-doc.md
- architecture-decision-records/
- master-test-plan.md
- risk-list.md (updated)
- phase-plan-elaboration.md

### Construction
- implementation code
- unit/integration tests
- code-review-reports/
- iteration-assessments/
- phase-plan-construction.md

### Transition
- deployment-runbook.md
- release-notes.md
- training-materials/
- support-handover.md
- hypercare-plan.md

## Status Indicators

- **On Track**: All gate criteria progressing
- **At Risk**: 1-2 blockers, mitigation in progress
- **Blocked**: Critical blocker preventing progress
- **Gate Ready**: All criteria met, ready for review