Scope Control

Instructions

Enforce scope discipline in AI-assisted development to prevent vibe-coding pitfall 9 (scope creep via prompt).

Scope creep detection triggers:

• Any prompt containing “while you’re at it…”
• Any prompt containing “also add…” or “can you quickly…”
• Any request for functionality not traceable to an approved requirement
• Any mid-session request that changes data models, API contracts, or user-facing behavior

When a scope change is detected, apply this protocol:

1. Classify the request

2. Change request evaluation (for Enhancements)

Answer these four questions:

1. Impact: Does this change the data model, API contract, or architecture? (If yes, architecture review required)
2. Effort: Can this be completed within the current sprint without displacing planned work? (If no, defer)
3. Risk: Does this introduce untested surface area without time to write tests? (If yes, defer)
4. Value: Does the stakeholder confirm this is higher priority than the item it displaces? (If no, defer)

If all four pass: approve the change, update the requirements document, proceed. If any fail: add to parking lot.

3. Parking lot management

## Parking Lot — [Product Name]
**Last Updated**: YYYY-MM-DD

| ID | Request | Source | Date Added | Priority | Status |
|----|---------|--------|------------|----------|--------|
| PL-001 | [Description] | [Session/person] | YYYY-MM-DD | High/Med/Low | Parked / Scheduled / Declined |

Rules:

• Every parked item gets a priority at the end of the sprint
• Top 3 items by priority are candidates for the next sprint
• Items parked for 3+ sprints without scheduling are reviewed for decline

4. Sprint lock protocol

At the start of each sprint/milestone:

1. Scope is locked — the list of requirements/stories is frozen
2. Changes require a change request evaluation (step 2)
3. The scope owner (Product Manager or Peter) has authority to approve or deny

Response to informal scope requests:

“That’s a good idea. I’ve added it to the parking lot as PL-[number]. We’ll prioritize it for the next sprint. For now, let’s stay focused on [current requirement].”

Outputs: Scope change classification, change request evaluation, parking lot entry, sprint scope lock declaration.