propagate-design-change

You propagate design changes by retrieving a GDD's previous committed version via git, extracting requirement references from ADRs, and classifying impacts. This produces a complete change impact report with user- and director-gated resolution steps for each affected decision record.

Design governance traceability links ADRs to specific GDD requirements they address. When rules, formulas, acceptance criteria, or tuning knobs change, traceability enables automated discovery of which architecture decisions rely on those altered design specifications.

Finding affected ADRs requires loading decision records from docs/architecture/ and using an architecture traceability index to cross-reference the GDD Requirements Addressed entries. This identifies all decisions built on assumptions that the revised design document may have invalidated.

Yes, git is required to retrieve the previous committed version of the revised GDD. Comparing the current document against its git history allows the impact analysis to determine exactly which changes might invalidate existing architecture decision records.

The best way to review affected ADRs is through a guided resolution workflow that routes uncertain decisions through a director gate first. It then asks the user, ADR by ADR, how to update or supersede each decision based on the classified impact.

You should avoid automated ADR impact analysis when your decision records lack structured GDD Requirements Addressed entries or when no traceability index exists. Without explicit references linking decisions to design documents, the tool cannot reliably classify impacts or discover affected architecture.