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Version: 1.1.0
Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Status: Active
This guide explains how to use the spec completion tracking system to monitor implementation progress, track deferred phases, and generate completion reports. There are no separate commands for audit, status update, or complete-feature; use spec-complete with the flags below. Single command: All completion operations are performed via spec-complete (.cursor/commands/specs/spec-complete.md). The workflow names below (audit, status update, complete-with-deferred) describe what you are doing; they are implemented as sub-operations of spec-complete using the flags in the table. There are no separate audit-spec-completion, update-spec-status, or complete-feature command files—only spec-complete with the flags above.

Overview

The spec completion tracking system provides:
  • Automated Auditing: Comprehensive completion status checks for all specifications (via spec-complete)
  • Deferred Phase Tracking: Monitor status of deferred phases and enhancements (spec-complete --check-deferred, --update-deferred-summary)
  • Status Registry: Centralized view of completion across all cores (spec-complete --update-registry)
  • Completion Reports: Detailed reports with recommendations and missing items (spec-complete --output path)
  • Quick Status Updates: Fast status updates via spec-complete (updates implementation log and metadata)

Key Components

Command

spec-complete is the only completion command. Use the flags above to perform audits, status updates, and deferred checks.

Files

  1. specs/SPEC_STATUS_REGISTRY.md - Centralized completion status
  2. specs/{core}/IMPLEMENTATION_LOG.md - Detailed completion history
  3. specs/{core}/summaries/DEFERRED-PHASES-SUMMARY.md - Deferred work tracking
Board and assignment tracking: For GitHub Project setup and when to update the board (eos-spec next, spec-complete, start work), see GITHUB_PROJECT_SPEC_TRACKING_PLAN.md.

Common Workflows

1. Audit a Single Spec

Use Case: Check completion status of a specific specification
What It Does:
  • Reads spec file and implementation log
  • Checks code implementation (tables, hooks, components)
  • Validates test coverage
  • Checks deferred phases status
  • Generates completion report
Output:
  • Completion percentage breakdown
  • Phase-by-phase status
  • Missing items checklist
  • Recommendations

2. Quick Status Update

Use Case: Update status after completing a phase
Note: Phase-level and percentage updates are reflected in the implementation log and spec metadata when you run spec-complete. For read-only status, use eos-spec status --spec HR-02 --detailed. What It Updates:
  • Spec file metadata
  • Implementation log entry
  • Status registry (if exists)

3. Complete Feature with Deferred Checking

Use Case: Mark feature complete and check deferred phases
What It Does:
  • Validates spec completion
  • Checks test coverage
  • Validates documentation
  • Checks deferred phases (if --check-deferred)
  • Updates implementation log
  • Generates report

4. Audit All Specs

Use Case: Get overview of all specs across all cores
What It Does:
  • Audits all specs in all cores
  • Calculates completion percentages
  • Updates status registry
  • Generates summary statistics

5. Audit Core-Specific Specs

Use Case: Focus on a specific core module

Understanding Completion Status

Status Symbols

  • Complete - Fully implemented and tested
  • 🚧 In Progress - Currently being implemented
  • 📋 Specification - Spec written, not started
  • 📋 Deferred - Specified but not implemented
  • In Progress (Deferred) - Deferred phase being implemented

Completion Percentage Calculation

The system calculates two completion metrics:

Scope Completion (Primary Metric)

What percentage of the current planned scope is done. Does NOT include deferred phases.
  • Base Implementation: 60% weight
  • Enhancements: 40% weight
Example:
  • Base: 100% complete
  • Enhancements: 2 of 3 complete (67%)
  • Scope Completion: (100% × 0.6) + (67% × 0.4) = 87%

Full Completion (Secondary Metric)

What percentage of all specified work (including deferred) is done.
  • Scope Completion: 70% weight
  • Deferred Phases: 30% weight
Example:
  • Scope Completion: 87%
  • Deferred Phases: 0 of 2 complete (0%)
  • Full Completion: (87% × 0.7) + (0% × 0.3) = 61%
Interpretation: A spec with 100% Scope Completion is “done for now” even if deferred phases haven’t started. Full Completion shows overall progress toward complete feature parity.

Status Registry

The status registry (specs/SPEC_STATUS_REGISTRY.md) provides a centralized view of all specs.

Viewing the Registry

Updating the Registry

Registry Structure

The registry includes:
  • Summary statistics by core
  • Table for each core with:
    • Spec ID and name
    • Base status
    • Enhancements status
    • Deferred phases count
    • Overall completion percentage
    • Last audited date

Completion Reports

Report Structure

Completion reports include:
  1. Summary Section
    • Overall status
    • Completion percentage
    • Last audited date
  2. Base Implementation
    • Status and completion date
    • Implementation log link
    • Test coverage summary
  3. Enhancements
    • Status of each enhancement
    • Completion dates
  4. Deferred Phases
    • Status of each deferred phase
    • Expansion spec links
    • Implementation status
    • Estimated effort
  5. Missing Items
    • Checklist of incomplete items
    • Test coverage gaps
    • Documentation gaps
  6. Recommendations
    • Next steps
    • Priority items
    • Estimated effort

Generating Reports


Best Practices

1. Regular Audits

Frequency:
  • Weekly: For active development cores (HR, RH, FA)
  • Monthly: For all cores to track overall progress
  • Before Planning: Run before planning new work
  • After Major Completions: Run after completing major features

2. Incremental Status Updates

Update status as you complete phases, not just at the end:

3. Deferred Phase Tracking

Keep deferred phases up to date:

4. Report Generation

Save reports for historical tracking:

5. Status Registry Maintenance

Keep the registry current:

Integration with Other Commands

With validate-spec

With check-coverage

With spec-complete


Troubleshooting

Status Not Updating

Problem: Status updates not reflected in registry Solution:

Missing Deferred Phases

Problem: Deferred phases not showing in audit Solution:

Incorrect Completion Percentage

Problem: Completion percentage seems wrong Solution:

Examples

Example 1: New Feature Completion

Example 2: Deferred Phase Implementation

Example 3: Monthly Progress Review


  • Commands: .cursor/README.md - All cursor commands
  • Status Registry: specs/SPEC_STATUS_REGISTRY.md - Centralized completion tracking
  • Implementation Logs: specs/{core}/IMPLEMENTATION_LOG.md - Detailed completion history
  • Deferred Phases: specs/{core}/summaries/DEFERRED-PHASES-SUMMARY.md - Deferred work tracking
  • Spec Template: specs/_templates/SPEC_TEMPLATE.md - Completion status format

Quarterly Deferred Review Process

Every quarter, perform a comprehensive review of deferred phases to ensure specifications stay current and priorities are aligned.

Quarterly Review Checklist

Review Questions

For each deferred phase, answer:
  1. Still Relevant?
    • Business need still exists
    • Technical approach still valid
    • Not superseded by other features
  2. Dependencies Changed?
    • Check all dependency statuses
    • Identify newly available dependencies
    • Update blocked/ready status
  3. Priority Adjustment?
    • Review with stakeholders
    • Update priority if needed
    • Consider promoting to active scope
  4. Effort Estimate Valid?
    • Technology changes may affect estimate
    • Team capacity changes
    • Update estimates if >20% different

Actions After Review

Review Schedule

Review Meeting Template


Last Updated: 2026-01-03
Next Review: After first month of usage