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Migration Plan: Embedded Tasks to Discrete Task Documents

Purpose: Comprehensive migration plan to convert all embedded tasks (delimited sections in Story documents) to discrete Task documents (separate files)
Status: DRAFT
Version: 1.0.0
Part of: E4:S11:T07 – Migrate Embedded Tasks to Discrete Task Documents
Related: FR-016: Kanban Granularity & Discrete Task Docs (3-Tier Structure)


Executive Summary

This document provides a comprehensive migration plan to convert 784 embedded task references in Story documents to discrete Task documents (separate files), fully implementing the 3-tier Kanban structure as mandated by FR-016.

Current State:

  • 784 embedded task references in Story documents
  • 43 discrete Task documents exist (examples)
  • Policy mandates discrete Task documents (recommended format)

Target State:

  • All tasks have discrete Task documents
  • Story documents reference discrete Task documents
  • Full FR-016 compliance
  • RW Step 1 can reliably locate all Task documents

Migration Approach:

  • Hybrid: Automated extraction with manual review and refinement
  • Phased: Rollout by Epic priority
  • Validated: Comprehensive validation at each phase

1. Current State Analysis

1.1 Task Distribution

Embedded Tasks by Epic:

  • Epic 1: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 2: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 3: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 4: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 5: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 6: [TBD - to be analyzed]
  • Epic 7+: [TBD - to be analyzed]

Total: 784 embedded task references across all Epics

Discrete Task Documents:

  • 43 discrete Task documents exist (examples)
  • Located in various Story directories
  • Follow canonical template structure

1.2 Task Patterns

Naming Patterns:

  • Full context: E\{epic\}:S\{story\}:T\{task\} (e.g., E4:S11:T01)
  • Abbreviated: T\{task\} (e.g., T01)
  • Variants: Task \{task\}, T\{task\}-\{description\}

Structure Patterns:

  • Well-structured: Full task details (Input, Deliverable, Acceptance Criteria, etc.)
  • Minimal: Task ID and brief description only
  • Incomplete: Missing required fields

Location Patterns:

  • Embedded in Story document as delimited sections
  • Format: ### E\{epic\}:S\{story\}:T\{task\} – Task Name followed by task content
  • Some tasks have associated files in Story directory

1.3 Completeness Analysis

Tasks with Full Details:

  • Include: Task ID, Scope, Input, Deliverable, Acceptance Criteria, Approach, Dependencies
  • Estimated: [TBD - to be analyzed]

Tasks with Minimal Details:

  • Include: Task ID, brief description, status
  • Estimated: [TBD - to be analyzed]

Tasks with Missing Required Fields:

  • Missing: Required fields per FR-016 (Task ID, Scope, Acceptance Criteria, Status, Version Anchor)
  • Estimated: [TBD - to be analyzed]

2. Migration Strategy

2.1 Approach Selection

Option 1: Fully Automated

  • Pros: Fast, consistent, scalable
  • Cons: Requires robust parsing, may miss edge cases, less control
  • Risk: High (parsing errors, information loss)

Option 2: Fully Manual

  • Pros: Complete control, high quality, handles edge cases
  • Cons: Time-consuming (784 tasks), inconsistent, error-prone
  • Risk: Medium (human error, inconsistency)

Option 3: Hybrid (Recommended)

  • Pros: Balance of speed and quality, automated extraction with manual review
  • Cons: Requires both script development and manual work
  • Risk: Low (validation at each step)

Decision: Hybrid Approach

  • Automated script for extraction and initial generation
  • Manual review and refinement for complex tasks
  • Automated validation and verification

2.2 Phased Rollout Strategy

Phase 1: Pilot (1-2 Stories)

  • Select representative Stories (different complexities)
  • Execute migration
  • Validate results
  • Refine approach

Phase 2: High-Priority Epics

  • Epic 1 (Project Foundation)
  • Epic 2 (Workflow Management)
  • Epic 4 (Kanban Framework)
  • Validate after each Epic

Phase 3: Remaining Core Epics

  • Epic 3 (FR/BR/UXR Management)
  • Epic 5 (Data Management)
  • Epic 6 (Testing)
  • Epic 7 (Implementation)
  • Epic 8 (Documentation)
  • Epic 9 (CI/CD)
  • Epic 10 (Security)

Phase 4: Ancillary Epics

  • Epic 11+ (Project-specific epics)
  • Final validation

2.3 Task Document Naming Convention

Canonical Format:

  • T\{task\}-\{description\}.md (e.g., T01-update-kanban-policy.md)
  • Location: docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-\{N\}/Story-{NNN}-\{description\}/T\{task\}-\{description\}.md

Naming Rules:

  • Use 2-digit padding for task number (T01, T02, not T1, T2)
  • Use kebab-case for description
  • Keep description concise but descriptive
  • Match Story document naming pattern

Examples:

  • T01-update-kanban-policy.md
  • T02-create-task-template.md
  • T06-cross-project-meta-analysis.md

2.4 Story Document Update Pattern

Before (Embedded):

## Tasks

### E4:S11:T01 – Update Kanban Governance Policy

**Input:** Current Kanban governance policy
**Deliverable:** Updated policy
...

After (Reference):

## Task Checklist

- [x] **E4:S11:T01 – Update Kanban Governance Policy** ✅ COMPLETE (v0.4.11.1+0)
- Task: [`T01-update-kanban-policy.md`](T01-update-kanban-policy.md)

Update Rules:

  • Replace embedded task section with checklist item
  • Add link to discrete Task document
  • Preserve status and version marker
  • Maintain Story document structure

3. Migration Script Design

3.1 Task Extraction

Input: Story document with embedded tasks
Output: Extracted task data structure

Extraction Logic:

  1. Find task section markers: ### E\{epic\}:S\{story\}:T\{task\}
  2. Extract task header (Task ID, name)
  3. Extract task content (until next task or section)
  4. Parse task fields (Input, Deliverable, Acceptance Criteria, etc.)
  5. Handle edge cases (nested sections, incomplete tasks)

Edge Cases:

  • Tasks without clear boundaries
  • Tasks with nested markdown
  • Tasks with incomplete information
  • Tasks spanning multiple sections

3.2 Task Document Generation

Input: Extracted task data
Output: Task document following canonical template

Generation Logic:

  1. Apply Task document template
  2. Populate required fields from extracted data
  3. Generate file name following naming convention
  4. Handle missing fields (mark as TODO or infer from context)
  5. Preserve original formatting where possible

Required Fields:

  • Task ID (E\{epic\}:S\{story\}:T\{task\})
  • Scope
  • Input
  • Deliverable
  • Acceptance Criteria
  • Status
  • Version Anchor (if task is complete)
  • Related BR/FR Links

3.3 Story Document Update

Input: Story document, generated Task documents
Output: Updated Story document with references

Update Logic:

  1. Replace embedded task sections with checklist items
  2. Add links to discrete Task documents
  3. Preserve task status and version markers
  4. Maintain Story document structure
  5. Update task checklist format

4. Validation Strategy

4.1 Pre-Migration Validation

  • Verify Story document structure
  • Verify task extraction accuracy
  • Verify task completeness
  • Identify high-risk tasks

4.2 Post-Migration Validation

Task Document Validation:

  • Required fields present
  • Task ID format correct
  • File naming convention followed
  • Template structure followed
  • Content completeness

Story Document Validation:

  • References to Task documents correct
  • Checklist format correct
  • No broken links
  • Structure maintained

Integration Validation:

  • RW Step 1 can locate Task documents
  • Validators pass
  • Cross-references updated
  • No information loss

4.3 Validation Script

Checks:

  1. All embedded tasks extracted
  2. All Task documents created
  3. All Story documents updated
  4. All required fields present
  5. All references valid
  6. Naming conventions followed
  7. RW Step 1 compatibility
  8. Validator compatibility

5. Risk Assessment and Mitigation

5.1 Risks

Risk 1: Information Loss

  • Probability: Medium
  • Impact: High
  • Mitigation: Comprehensive extraction, manual review, validation

Risk 2: Parsing Errors

  • Probability: Medium
  • Impact: Medium
  • Mitigation: Robust parsing logic, edge case handling, manual review

Risk 3: Incomplete Migration

  • Probability: Low
  • Impact: High
  • Mitigation: Comprehensive validation, phased rollout, checkpoints

Risk 4: Broken References

  • Probability: Low
  • Impact: Medium
  • Mitigation: Automated reference validation, link checking

Risk 5: Inconsistent Structure

  • Probability: Medium
  • Impact: Low
  • Mitigation: Template enforcement, validation, review

5.2 Rollback Strategy

If Migration Fails:

  1. Preserve original Story documents (backup)
  2. Document migration state
  3. Rollback to original state
  4. Analyze failures
  5. Refine approach
  6. Retry migration

Partial Rollback:

  • If specific Epic/Story migration fails
  • Rollback that Epic/Story only
  • Continue with other Epics/Stories
  • Fix and retry failed Epic/Story

6. Implementation Plan

6.1 Phase 1: Preparation (Week 1)

Tasks:

  • Complete current state analysis (catalog all embedded tasks)
  • Design migration script
  • Create task extraction logic
  • Create task document generator
  • Create story document updater
  • Create validation script
  • Test scripts on sample Story documents

Deliverables:

  • Current state analysis report
  • Migration scripts (extraction, generation, update, validation)
  • Test results

6.2 Phase 2: Pilot Migration (Week 2)

Tasks:

  • Select 1-2 representative Stories
  • Execute migration on pilot Stories
  • Manual review and refinement
  • Validate results
  • Document learnings
  • Refine scripts based on learnings

Deliverables:

  • Migrated pilot Stories
  • Migration learnings document
  • Refined scripts

6.3 Phase 3: Phased Rollout (Weeks 3-6)

Tasks:

  • Migrate Epic 1 (Project Foundation)
  • Validate Epic 1 migration
  • Migrate Epic 2 (Workflow Management)
  • Validate Epic 2 migration
  • Migrate Epic 4 (Kanban Framework)
  • Validate Epic 4 migration
  • Continue with remaining Epics
  • Validate after each Epic

Deliverables:

  • Migrated Epics
  • Validation reports
  • Progress tracking

6.4 Phase 4: Final Validation and Cleanup (Week 7)

Tasks:

  • Comprehensive validation
  • Fix any issues
  • Update documentation
  • Update examples
  • Archive migration artifacts
  • Final report

Deliverables:

  • Migration completion report
  • Updated documentation
  • Validation report

7. Success Criteria

7.1 Migration Completeness

  • ✅ All embedded tasks extracted
  • ✅ All Task documents created
  • ✅ All Story documents updated
  • ✅ Zero embedded tasks remaining (or clearly documented exceptions)

7.2 Quality Criteria

  • ✅ All Task documents follow canonical template
  • ✅ All required fields present
  • ✅ All references valid
  • ✅ No information loss
  • ✅ Consistent structure

7.3 Integration Criteria

  • ✅ RW Step 1 can locate all Task documents
  • ✅ Validators pass for all tasks
  • ✅ Cross-references updated
  • ✅ Documentation updated

8. Timeline Estimate

Total Duration: 6-8 weeks

  • Week 1: Preparation and script development
  • Week 2: Pilot migration and refinement
  • Weeks 3-6: Phased rollout (1-2 Epics per week)
  • Week 7: Final validation and cleanup
  • Week 8: Buffer for issues and refinements

Effort Estimate:

  • Script development: 1-2 weeks
  • Pilot migration: 1 week
  • Phased rollout: 3-4 weeks (depending on automation level)
  • Validation and cleanup: 1 week

9. Next Steps

  1. Approve Migration Plan

    • Review and approve this migration plan
    • Allocate resources
    • Set timeline
  2. Start Phase 1: Preparation

    • Complete current state analysis
    • Develop migration scripts
    • Test on sample documents
  3. Execute Pilot Migration

    • Select pilot Stories
    • Execute migration
    • Validate and refine
  4. Execute Phased Rollout

    • Migrate Epics in priority order
    • Validate after each phase
    • Document progress
  5. Final Validation

    • Comprehensive validation
    • Fix issues
    • Complete migration

10. References

  • docs/project-management/kanban/fr-br/FR-016-kanban-granularity-discrete-task-docs.md - FR-016 requirements
  • packages/frameworks/kanban/templates/TASK_TEMPLATE.md - Task document template
  • docs/project-management/rituals/policy/kanban-governance-policy.md - Kanban governance policy
  • docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-4/Story-011-kanban-granularity-discrete-task-docs.md - Parent story
  • docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-6/Story-006-adk-implementation-analysis-and-package-management/T06-cross-project-meta-analysis-and-canonical-framework-design.md - Example discrete Task document

Last Updated: 2025-12-18
Version: 1.0.0
Status: DRAFT