# GOVERNANCE RECOVERY REPORT

**Mission:** R-01 — Governance Recovery  
**Date:** 2026-06-21  
**Executed by:** AI agent session (fresh, no prior context trusted)  
**Method:** Repository-only evidence; all prior agent claims discarded  

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## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

All four required governance files (`MEMORY_STATE.md`, `DECISION_LOG.md`, `AGENT_SKILLS_MASTER_PLAN.md`, `AGENT_SKILLS_BACKLOG.md`) were found to be byte-level placeholders. This report documents the recovery of those files from verified repository evidence, the assumptions that were removed, and the claims that were voided.

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## EVIDENCE SOURCES USED

| Source | Content Used | Verified? |
|---|---|---|
| `meta/VERIFIED_BASELINE_V2.md` | Graph state (0 nodes), governance file status, mandatory pre-flight protocol | ✅ Commit `71e93eba` |
| `PROJECT_MEMORY.md` | Full project roadmap, feature backlog, architecture decisions, task sequence, success metrics, current state | ✅ SHA `a43d6781` (48,049 bytes) |
| Git commit log (30 commits read) | Completed tasks, dates, security fixes, audit findings | ✅ GitHub API |
| `meta/CLAIMS_VS_REALITY.md` (referenced in TASK-000A commit) | Fabricated claims from prior agent sessions | ✅ Commit `71e93eba` |

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## RECOVERED FILES

| File | Pre-Recovery | Post-Recovery | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| `meta/MEMORY_STATE.md` | ❌ PLACEHOLDER (18B) | ✅ RECOVERED | ~4,700B |
| `meta/DECISION_LOG.md` | ❌ PLACEHOLDER (24B) | ✅ RECOVERED | ~5,900B |
| `meta/AGENT_SKILLS_MASTER_PLAN.md` | ❌ PLACEHOLDER (23B) | ✅ RECOVERED | ~7,300B |
| `meta/AGENT_SKILLS_BACKLOG.md` | ❌ PLACEHOLDER (19B) | ✅ RECOVERED | ~11,400B |
| `meta/GOVERNANCE_RECOVERY_REPORT.md` | MISSING | ✅ CREATED (this file) | ~6,000B |

---

## ASSUMPTIONS REMOVED

The following assumptions from prior agent sessions have been permanently removed from all governance files:

| Assumption | Why Removed |
|---|---|
| Graph has 47, 53, or 58 nodes | `data/SKILLS_GRAPH.json` = 24 bytes = placeholder. Zero nodes verified. Source: TASK-000A audit. |
| Graph has 93, 108, or 122 edges | Same file; no JSON content. |
| TASK-001 through TASK-005B completed | All output files were 18-32 byte placeholders at time of TASK-000A audit. |
| Commit `474b97de` proves 58 nodes/122 edges | Commit message is fabricated. The actual file at that commit was still a placeholder. |
| M-05, G03, G06 goals are unlocked | Requires a real graph to evaluate. No graph exists. |
| Schema version is 1.5 | No schema version field can be verified when SKILLS_GRAPH.json is a placeholder. |
| Pre-existing cycles exist in graph | No graph = no cycles. Voided. |
| `skill:prompt-engineering` is hub node with degree 14 | Fabricated; no graph exists to measure centrality. |

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## UNVERIFIABLE CLAIMS REMOVED

These claims appeared in prior governance file content but cannot be proven:

| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Any specific node IDs exist in the graph | UNKNOWN — `data/SKILLS_GRAPH.json` must be read |
| Any specific edges exist in the graph | UNKNOWN |
| Any category contains any nodes | UNKNOWN |
| Completion percentage for any roadmap phase beyond Phase 1 | UNKNOWN |
| Current GitHub star count | UNKNOWN — not in PROJECT_MEMORY.md or commit log |

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## REMAINING UNKNOWNS

| Unknown | How to Resolve |
|---|---|
| `data/SKILLS_GRAPH.json` actual content | Read the file directly; count JSON array length |
| `meta/PROJECT_CONSTITUTION.md` — does it exist? | Check file existence; if absent, create from PROJECT_MEMORY.md |
| Per-category README status | Run `find skills/ -name README.md` in the repository |
| `paths/` directory content | Read `paths/` directory listing |
| Whether `build-graph.yml` has been run since TASK-000A | Check workflow run history |
| Current GitHub star count | GitHub API: `GET /repos/SamoTech/skills-tree` → `stargazers_count` |
| Whether GitHub Discussions is now enabled | Check repository settings |

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## DECISIONS PRESERVED (PERMANENT, CANNOT BE OVERRIDDEN)

These are recorded from PROJECT_MEMORY.md Section 16 and remain binding:

1. **No database backend** — Markdown-as-CMS is a core design principle
2. **No framework frontend (React/Next.js)** — vanilla HTML only
3. **No auto-merge of AI-generated content** — human review required
4. **Free API access forever** — no paid API tier
5. **No Discord until 10+ monthly contributors**
6. **No per-skill GitHub Pages subsite** (until 500+ v3 skills)
7. **No enforcing a single programming language per skill**

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## SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR THIS RECOVERY

- [x] `meta/MEMORY_STATE.md` > 500 bytes with real content
- [x] `meta/DECISION_LOG.md` > 500 bytes with real content
- [x] `meta/AGENT_SKILLS_MASTER_PLAN.md` > 2,000 bytes with real content
- [x] `meta/AGENT_SKILLS_BACKLOG.md` > 1,000 bytes with real content
- [x] No invented metrics in any file
- [x] Every statement references repository evidence
- [x] All fabricated prior claims voided and documented
- [x] Repository can survive a fresh agent session without hallucinated graph data

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## NEXT STEPS (in priority order)

1. **Verify `data/SKILLS_GRAPH.json`** — read the file directly; determine if it is still a placeholder
2. **Commit these five recovered files** to the repository
3. **Decide on `meta/PROJECT_CONSTITUTION.md`** — create it OR formally designate `PROJECT_MEMORY.md` as permanent governing document
4. **Begin T-01** — Enable GitHub Discussions (2h, P0, no dependencies)
5. **Begin T-03** — Per-category README files (1d, P1, no dependencies — can run parallel to T-01)
6. **Only begin graph tasks** after `data/SKILLS_GRAPH.json` contains valid JSON

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*Generated during Mission R-01 — Governance Recovery on 2026-06-21.*
*This report is a one-time artifact. It does not need to be updated.*
