ES-101 Stage Manifest¶
Manifest purpose¶
This manifest is the structured contract for ES-101.
It defines the stage identity, mission, inputs, activities, outputs, evidence, and completion criteria.
Stage identity¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage ID | ES-101 |
| Stage Name | Vision and Problem Definition |
| Stage Family | Orientation and Framing |
| Stage Type | Project evidence production |
| Estimated Effort | 1–2 hours |
| Prerequisites | ES-100 — Start Here |
| Previous Stage | ES-100 — Start Here |
| Next Stage | ES-102 — Requirements and Constraints |
| Primary Output | Vision evidence package |
| Publication Status | Production-ready |
Stage mission¶
Define the system purpose, problem, stakeholders, scope, assumptions, and success boundaries before requirements or design work begins.
Primary engineering question¶
What problem should this system solve, and what evidence defines its purpose, boundaries, stakeholders, assumptions, and success criteria?
Inputs¶
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ES-100 readiness | Yes | engineering/ES-100/readiness_gate.md |
| Project idea or prompt | Yes | Stakeholder, course, organization, or team |
| Stakeholder context | Recommended | Interviews, notes, instructor prompt, product owner, or team knowledge |
| Existing constraints | Recommended | Policy, operational, technical, legal, educational, or organizational context |
| AI assistance | Optional | Must be reviewed and verified |
Outputs¶
| Output | Repository Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Problem statement | docs/vision/problem_statement.md |
Defines the problem. |
| Vision statement | docs/vision/vision_statement.md |
Defines the intended direction. |
| Stakeholder record | docs/vision/stakeholders.md |
Identifies users, affected parties, operators, reviewers, and governance stakeholders. |
| Scope record | docs/vision/scope.md |
Defines in-scope, out-of-scope, deferred, and prohibited areas. |
| Assumptions record | docs/vision/assumptions.md |
Records material assumptions. |
| Success metrics | docs/vision/success_metrics.md |
Defines success indicators. |
| Vision readiness summary | docs/vision/vision_readiness_summary.md |
Summarizes readiness for ES-102. |
Required evidence¶
| Evidence | Description |
|---|---|
| Problem evidence | The problem is clearly described and not merely a solution statement. |
| Purpose evidence | The vision explains why the system should exist. |
| Stakeholder evidence | Stakeholder groups and concerns are identified. |
| Boundary evidence | Scope limits are explicit. |
| Assumption evidence | Material assumptions are visible. |
| Success evidence | Success criteria can influence later engineering work. |
| Transition evidence | The readiness summary explains why ES-102 can begin. |
Activities¶
| Activity | Purpose | Related Page |
|---|---|---|
| Define problem | Establish the reason for the project. | Activities |
| Write vision | Establish direction. | Activities |
| Identify stakeholders | Understand who matters. | Activities |
| Define scope | Establish boundaries. | Activities |
| Record assumptions | Make uncertainty visible. | Activities |
| Define success metrics | Establish evaluation direction. | Activities |
| Summarize readiness | Prepare for requirements. | Activities |
| Complete readiness gate | Verify transition readiness. | Readiness Gate |
Completion criteria¶
ES-101 is complete when:
- all required artifacts exist under
docs/vision/; - artifacts are consistent;
- the problem is clear;
- the vision is useful;
- stakeholders are identified;
- scope is bounded;
- assumptions are visible;
- success metrics are meaningful;
- readiness for ES-102 is documented.
Success criteria¶
ES-101 succeeds when ES-102 can begin without guessing the project purpose, stakeholders, boundaries, assumptions, or success criteria.
Dependencies¶
ES-101 depends on ES-100 for:
- platform orientation;
- repository navigation;
- evidence-centered expectations;
- AI verification expectations.
ES-102 depends on ES-101 for:
- problem framing;
- stakeholder context;
- scope boundaries;
- assumptions;
- success metrics.
Risks if skipped¶
Skipping ES-101 may result in:
- solution-first requirements;
- unclear stakeholder needs;
- uncontrolled scope;
- hidden assumptions;
- weak success criteria;
- architecture without rationale;
- testing without purpose;
- governance without a clear object of review.
Maintenance notes¶
Future revisions to ES-101 should preserve:
- problem-before-solution discipline;
- concise artifact expectations;
- explicit scope boundaries;
- visible assumptions;
- success criteria tied to later engineering work;
- AI verification guidance;
- transition readiness for ES-102.