Documentation RFC

Overview

Use this skill to produce decision-ready RFCs that let stakeholders review options with clear tradeoffs and risks.

Scope Boundaries

• Use this skill when the task matches the trigger condition described in description.
• Do not use this skill when the primary task falls outside this skill’s domain.

Shared References

• Decision quality checks:
  • references/rfc-decision-quality-checks.md

Templates And Assets

• RFC template:
  • assets/rfc-template.md
• Tradeoff matrix template:
  • assets/rfc-tradeoff-matrix-template.csv

Inputs To Gather

• Problem statement and business/technical motivation.
• Constraints and non-goals.
• Candidate options and evaluation criteria.
• Risks, rollout implications, and decision timeline.

Deliverables

• RFC with context, options, recommendation, and rationale.
• Tradeoff table and risk assessment.
• Open questions and decision dependencies.
• Review checklist and approval path.

Quick RFC Skeleton

1. Problem and goals/non-goals.
2. Constraints and assumptions.
3. Options considered (including rejected options).
4. Recommendation and rationale.
5. Risks, rollout, and rollback considerations.
6. Open questions and required approvals.

Quality Standard

• Problem framing is concrete and scope-bounded.
• Options are comparable with explicit criteria.
• Recommendation includes why alternatives were rejected.
• Risks and unknowns are clearly separated.

Workflow

1. Define problem scope and success criteria.
2. Collect options and evaluation evidence.
3. Compare options with explicit tradeoff criteria in assets/rfc-tradeoff-matrix-template.csv.
4. Draft recommendation and risk treatment plan using assets/rfc-template.md.
5. Publish for review with clear decision deadlines.

Failure Conditions

• Stop when recommendation lacks option comparison evidence.
• Stop when major risks/unknowns are hidden or untracked.
• Escalate when required approvers are missing for high-impact decisions.