baseline

To establish a canonical baseline, define a lifecycle across analysis, setup, execution, and verification stages. This creates a trustworthy reference point that downstream workflows can attach to, import, reproduce, or repair.

Planning artifacts like PLAN.md and CHECKLIST.md are used to ensure baselines remain auditable. They define the setup and execution gates, keeping provenance and metric contracts explicit throughout the lifecycle.

Run a minimal baseline plan to create and verify a local baseline by applying a simple, auditable check. This validates your setup and execution gates against clear input and output contracts.

Yes, explicit input and output contracts are required to establish a trustworthy baseline. They keep metric contracts and provenance clear, enabling downstream comparability and structural metrics surface evaluation.

The best way to enforce verification gates is by defining the baseline lifecycle across analysis, setup, execution, and verification stages. Durable plan and checklist files ensure every gate is auditable.

Avoid using a structured baseline when your quest outcomes lack clear input/output contracts or measurable metrics. Without explicit provenance, the analysis, setup, execution, and verification gates cannot be audited.