spec_driven_development.constitution

Project governance establishes foundational principles and development guidelines before starting work. A governance constitution codifies project priorities, technology choices, quality standards, and governance rules to align stakeholders and ensure consistent standards across specifications.

You create a project constitution by answering structured questions to capture development priorities, technology preferences, and governance rules. The workflow outputs a constitution.md file documenting objectives, sections, and measurable criteria to guide future work.

You should define project standards and governance rules when starting a new project or undergoing a major refactor. Establishing a governance constitution before starting work ensures consistent standards across specifications and implementations.

A governance constitution should include project priorities, technology preferences, quality standards, and governance rules. It provides a structured framework that documents objectives, sections, and measurable criteria to align stakeholder decision-making and guide future work.

Writing a project constitution requires no specific dependencies or frameworks. The workflow operates independently to generate a constitution.md file by capturing your development priorities and technology preferences through structured questions.

A governance constitution applies to both new projects and major refactors. It helps teams establish foundational governance principles and development guidelines to ensure consistent standards across specifications and implementations during either scenario.