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release-health-gates skill

/plugins/minister/skills/release-health-gates

This skill standardizes release approvals by embedding GitHub-aware release gates into PRs, ensuring code, docs, and observability meet green criteria.

npx playbooks add skill athola/claude-night-market --skill release-health-gates

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (3)
SKILL.md
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---
name: release-health-gates
description: 'Standardizes release approvals with GitHub-aware checklists. Use when
  preparing releases, validating deployment gates, conducting release reviews, embedding
  release gate snippets in PRs. Do not use when weekly status updates - use github-initiative-pulse.
  DO NOT use when: code reviews - use pensive review skills.'
category: governance
tags:
- release
- github
- readiness
- quality
- governance
dependencies: []
tools:
- minister-tracker
provides:
  governance:
  - release-gates
  - rollout-scorecards
  reporting:
  - deployment-comment
  - qa-handshake
usage_patterns:
- release-train
- hotfix-review
- stakeholder-briefing
complexity: intermediate
estimated_tokens: 700
progressive_loading: true
modules:
- modules/quality-signals.md
- modules/deployment-readiness.md
---

# Release Health Gates

## Purpose

Standardize release approvals by expressing gates as GitHub-aware checklists. Ensure code, docs, comms, and observability items are green before deployment.

## Gate Categories

1. **Scope & Risk** – Are all blocking issues closed or deferred with owners?
2. **Quality Signals** – Are required checks, tests, and soak times satisfied?
3. **Comms & Docs** – Are docs merged and release notes posted?
4. **Operations** – Are runbooks, oncall sign-off, and rollback plans ready?

## Workflow

1. Load skill to access gate modules.
2. Attach Release Gate section to deployment PR.
3. Use tracker data to auto-fill blockers and highlight overdue tasks.
4. Update comment as gates turn green; require approvals for any waivers.

## Outputs

- Release Gate markdown snippet (embed in PR/issue).
- QA Handshake summary referencing GitHub Checks.
- Rollout scorecard that persists in tracker data for retros.

## Exit Criteria

- All release gates evaluated and documented.
- Any blocking gates have waiver approvals recorded.
- Deployment PR contains embedded Release Gate snippet.
- Rollout scorecard saved for post-release retrospective.
## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

**Command not found**
Ensure all dependencies are installed and in PATH

**Permission errors**
Check file permissions and run with appropriate privileges

**Unexpected behavior**
Enable verbose logging with `--verbose` flag

Overview

This skill standardizes release approvals by turning release gates into GitHub-aware checklists that can be embedded in PRs and issues. It helps teams validate scope, quality, communications, and operations items before deployment. Use it to produce consistent release gate snippets, QA handshake summaries, and a persistent rollout scorecard for retrospectives.

How this skill works

Load the skill to access modular gate categories and attach a Release Gate section to a deployment PR. The skill reads tracker and GitHub data to auto-fill blockers, surface overdue tasks, and reflect GitHub check statuses. As gates are verified, the checklist updates and waiver approvals are recorded; outputs include markdown snippets, a QA handshake summary, and a rollout scorecard saved to tracker data.

When to use it

  • Preparing a release or deployment PR that needs formal approvals
  • Validating deployment gates (scope, quality, comms, operations) before rollout
  • Conducting structured release reviews with cross-functional stakeholders
  • Embedding release gate snippets in PRs or release issues for visibility
  • Tracking and persisting rollout outcomes for post-release retrospectives

Best practices

  • Attach the Release Gate checklist to the deployment PR early to surface blockers
  • Keep tracker and GitHub check data up to date so auto-fill and statuses are accurate
  • Require documented waivers and explicit approvals for any blocked gate
  • Use the rollout scorecard after deployment to capture lessons and follow-ups
  • Enable verbose logging when debugging integration or permission issues

Example use cases

  • A release manager embeds the gate snippet in a release PR to collect sign-offs
  • QA verifies required tests and soak times and updates the gate checklist as green
  • An oncall lead confirms runbook readiness and documents rollback plans in the Operations gate
  • Product and docs owners confirm merged documentation and release notes in the Comms gate
  • Teams save the rollout scorecard to drive a post-release retrospective and action list

FAQ

Is this skill appropriate for weekly status updates?

No. This skill is focused on release approvals; use a dedicated initiative or pulse workflow for regular status updates.

Can this replace code review workflows?

No. Use existing code review tools and skills for code review; this skill complements them by focusing on release-level gates.