Sprint Completion Gate Template

Issue Type: Sprint Gate Parent: [Sprint Epic, e.g., M0-GLUE] Labels: gate, process, required-for-close

Purpose

This gate ensures the sprint cannot close without verification that implementation is complete—not just “appears complete.” It operationalizes lessons from the 75% Pattern (Aug 2025 stubs, Jan 2026 #728/#734).

This issue blocks sprint closure until all criteria have explicit sign-off.

Gate 1: Persistence Layer Audit

Purpose: Verify that user-facing “success” messages correspond to actual database writes.

Criteria

• Success-to-DB Mapping: Each user-visible success message traced to specific DB write
• E2E Test Coverage: Critical user flows have E2E tests that verify DB state (not mocked)
• No Mock-Only Coverage: Any flow with only mocked tests flagged for E2E addition

Evidence Required

Sign-off

• Persistence Audit Complete — Signed: ____ Date: ____

Gate 2: Anti-Flattening Verification

Purpose: Ensure implementation matches design intent and conversational quality standards.

Criteria

• Design Intent Check: Implementation reviewed against source design doc (PDR, spec, or implementation guide)
• No Parrot Confirmations: Zero instances of repeating user input verbatim as confirmation
• Colleague Test Applied: New conversational flows reviewed with question “Would a human colleague respond this way?”
• Forward Momentum: Every response offers a path forward (no dead ends)

Evidence Required

Design Document Reference: ___________

Parrot Confirmation Audit:

• Files reviewed: ___________
• Instances found: ___ (must be 0 to pass)
• If any found, fix PR: ___________

Colleague Test Log: | Flow | Tested Phrase | Pass/Fail | Notes | |——|—————|———–|——-| | | | | | | | | | |

Sign-off

• Anti-Flattening Verification Complete — Signed: ____ Date: ____

Gate 3: Multi-Tenancy Sanity Check

Purpose: Verify user-scoped data is actually user-scoped with no cross-user leakage.

Skip if sprint has no user-data features. Mark N/A with justification.

Criteria

• User Scoping Verified: All new data storage includes user_id or owner_id in queries
• No Default User Patterns: Grep for user_id="default", owner_id=None, hardcoded user references
• Cross-User Test: Explicit test that User A cannot see User B’s data
• RequestContext Threading: New endpoints receive and use RequestContext.user_id

Evidence Required

Grep Results (must be empty or justified):

grep -r "user_id=\"default\"" --include="*.py" services/ web/
grep -r "owner_id=None" --include="*.py" services/ web/

Result: ___________

Cross-User Test Name: ___________

New Endpoints Audit: | Endpoint | Has RequestContext | Uses user_id | Verified | |———-|——————-|————–|———-| | | | | |

Sign-off

• Multi-Tenancy Check Complete — Signed: ____ Date: ____
• N/A — Justification: ___________

Final Sprint Closure

All Gates Must Pass

• Gate 1: Persistence Layer Audit — PASSED
• Gate 2: Anti-Flattening Verification — PASSED
• Gate 3: Multi-Tenancy Sanity Check — PASSED or N/A

Sprint Closure Authorization

Sprint: _________ **Closure Date**: ___________ **Authorized By**: _____________

Usage Notes

1. Create this issue when sprint epic is created
2. Link as blocker to sprint epic closure
3. Fill in evidence as work progresses (don’t batch at end)
4. Require sign-off from someone other than primary implementer where possible
5. Archive completed gates in sprint retrospective

Template Version: 1.0 Created: February 3, 2026 Origin: Ship #028 “Conversation ≠ Reality” learning