Close-Task 150 Protocol

Core Principle: One task, one status, one location. Status matches reality. Artifacts prove completion. No duplicates anywhere.

What This Skill Does

When you invoke this skill, you're asking AI to:

Track status accurately — Status reflects real state
Align artifacts — Deliverables match status claims
Prevent duplicates — No task in multiple places
Enforce lifecycle — Proper state progression
Maintain integrity — Cross-system consistency

The 150% Tracking Rule

| Dimension | 100% Core | +50% Enhancement | |-----------|-----------|------------------| | Status | Correct state | + Transition reason documented | | Artifacts | Match status | + Quality verified | | Duplicates | None found | + Cross-system check | | Audit | Changes logged | + Full history preserved |

Task Lifecycle States

🔥 ACTIVE WORKFLOW
├── Pending: Task defined but not started
├── In Progress: Currently being worked on
├── Blocked: Waiting for dependencies
└── Review: Ready for verification

✅ COMPLETION WORKFLOW
├── Completed: Successfully finished
├── Verified: Quality checks passed
├── Archived: Moved to long-term storage
└── Cancelled: No longer needed

State Transition Rules

Valid Transitions:

Pending → In Progress (work started)
Pending → Cancelled (no longer needed)

In Progress → Blocked (waiting on dependency)
In Progress → Review (ready for check)
In Progress → Cancelled (abandoned)

Blocked → In Progress (blocker resolved)
Blocked → Cancelled (no longer needed)

Review → In Progress (changes requested)
Review → Completed (approved)
Review → Cancelled (rejected entirely)

Completed → Verified (quality confirmed)
Completed → In Progress (issues found)

Verified → Archived (stored long-term)

When to Use This Skill

Updating task status — Any state change
Claiming completion — Before marking done
Checking integrity — Audit task systems
Preventing confusion — Multiple tracking systems
Progress reporting — Accurate status needed

Execution Protocol

Step 1: CURRENT STATE VERIFICATION

📋 **TASK STATE CHECK**

**Task:** [Task ID and title]
**Current Status:** [What system says]
**Actual State:** [What reality shows]
**Match:** ✅ Aligned | ❌ Mismatch

Step 2: ARTIFACT VALIDATION

📦 **ARTIFACT CHECK**

**Status Claimed:** [e.g., Completed]
**Artifacts Required:** [What should exist]
**Artifacts Found:**
- [ ] [Artifact 1]: [Exists/Missing]
- [ ] [Artifact 2]: [Exists/Missing]

**Alignment:** ✅ Match | ❌ Gap

Step 3: DUPLICATE CHECK

🔍 **DUPLICATE SCAN**

**Locations Checked:**
- [ ] [System 1]: [Found/Not Found]
- [ ] [System 2]: [Found/Not Found]
- [ ] [System 3]: [Found/Not Found]

**Duplicates Found:** [None / List them]
**Action Required:** [None / Consolidate]

Step 4: STATUS TRANSITION

🔄 **STATUS UPDATE**

**From:** [Previous status]
**To:** [New status]
**Reason:** [Why changing]
**Valid Transition:** ✅ Yes | ❌ No

**Changes Made:**
- [System 1]: Updated
- [Artifacts]: Verified
- [Documentation]: Logged

Step 5: INTEGRITY CONFIRMATION

✅ **INTEGRITY VERIFIED**

**Single Status:** ✅ One status only
**Artifacts Match:** ✅ Deliverables align
**No Duplicates:** ✅ Single location
**Audit Trail:** ✅ Change documented

Output Format

For status updates:

📋 **TASK-TRACK 150 UPDATE**

**Task:** [ID] — [Title]

**Status Change:**
├── From: [Previous]
├── To: [New]
└── Reason: [Why]

**Artifacts:**
├── 📄 [Deliverable 1]: [Location] ✅
├── 📊 [Deliverable 2]: [Location] ✅
└── Coverage: [X]%

**Integrity:**
├── Single Status: ✅
├── Artifacts Match: ✅
├── No Duplicates: ✅
└── Audit Logged: ✅

**Confirmation Required?** [Yes/No]

For integrity audits:

🔍 **TASK-TRACK 150 AUDIT**

**Scope:** [What was checked]

**Findings:**
├── Tasks Checked: [N]
├── Status Correct: [N] ✅
├── Status Mismatch: [N] ⚠️
├── Duplicates Found: [N] 🔴
└── Missing Artifacts: [N] ⚠️

**Issues:**
1. [Task X]: [Problem] → [Fix]
2. [Task Y]: [Problem] → [Fix]

**Actions Taken:**
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

**System Integrity:** [✅ Clean | ⚠️ Issues Fixed | 🔴 Needs Attention]

Task Status Format

🔥 **[ID] — [Task Title]**

**Status:** [Current State] | **Priority:** [Level]
**Created:** [Date] | **Due:** [Date]

**Progress:**
- [x] Step 1: [Description] ✅ [Date]
- [x] Step 2: [Description] ✅ [Date]
- [ ] Step 3: [Description]

**Artifacts:**
- 📄 [Deliverable 1]: [Location/Link]
- 📊 [Deliverable 2]: [Location/Link]

**Blockers:** [None / List]
**Notes:** [Updates, context, next steps]

Operational Rules

STATUS ACCURACY: Status always reflects reality
ARTIFACT ALIGNMENT: Deliverables must match status
DUPLICATE PREVENTION: Strict control, one location only
LIFECYCLE ENFORCEMENT: Follow valid transitions
DOCUMENTATION: Log all status changes with reasons
CROSS-SYSTEM SYNC: Consistent across all systems

Failure Modes & Recovery

| Failure | Detection | Recovery | |---------|-----------|----------| | Duplicate Tasks | Same task in multiple places | Consolidate, remove duplicates | | Status Mismatch | Status doesn't match artifacts | Correct status or complete work | | Lifecycle Violation | Invalid state transition | Return to correct state | | Missing Audit | No change documentation | Document all changes now |

Examples

❌ Without Task-Track

Task UT-015:
- In "Active" section: "In Progress"
- In "Completed" section: "Done"
- In sprint board: "Review"

Result: Confusion, task worked on twice, wasted effort

✅ With Task-Track 150

📋 TASK-TRACK 150 UPDATE

Task: UT-015 — Implement user authentication

Status Change:
├── From: In Progress
├── To: Completed
└── Reason: All acceptance criteria met, tests passing

Artifacts:
├── 📄 auth.service.ts: /src/services/ ✅
├── 📊 auth.test.ts: /tests/ ✅ (94% coverage)
├── 📝 API docs: /docs/auth.md ✅
└── Coverage: 100%

Integrity:
├── Single Status: ✅ (only in Completed)
├── Artifacts Match: ✅ (all deliverables present)
├── No Duplicates: ✅ (removed from Active)
└── Audit Logged: ✅ (change documented)

Status: ✅ Verified

Relationship to Other Skills

action-plan-150 → Creates tasks with clear steps
gated-exec-150 → Executes tasks with control
task-track-150 → Manages task lifecycle
integrity-check-150 → Validates before completion

Session Log Entry (MANDATORY)

After completing this skill, write to .sessions/SESSION_[date]-[name].md:

### [HH:MM] Close-Task 150 Complete
**Task:** <task updated>
**New Status:** <status>
**Reason:** <transition reason>
**Artifacts:** <verified deliverables>

Remember: Task tracking isn't bureaucracy — it's clarity. One status, one location, artifacts that prove completion. When everyone knows the real state, work flows smoothly.