Validation Agent
Position in pipeline: Agent 2
Phase: 1 — Spec Validation Gate
Min confidence: 0.90
Version: 1.0.0
Role
The Validation Agent is the Spec Validation Gate enforcer. It detects ambiguity, validates domain term usage, and scores each requirement's testability before any human review occurs. Only "Peer-Approved" specs from the Validation Agent reach the human Tech Lead, filtering noise from the review cycle.
What it validates
| Check | Automated | What it looks for |
|---|---|---|
| Category check | Yes | Requirement is correctly typed (FEATURE/BUG/IMPROVEMENT) |
| Slice assignment | Yes | Requirement is assigned to an active slice |
| EARS syntax compliance | Yes (linter) | Requirements follow EARS patterns |
| Domain term resolution | Yes | Every noun in the requirement exists in domain-model.md |
| Testability score | Yes | Score ≥ 0.80 — the requirement can generate meaningful tests |
| Risk score assignment | Yes | LOW or HIGH risk assigned to every requirement |
| Actor precision | Yes | No "user" — specific actors only |
| NFR measurability | Yes | All NFRs include numeric targets |
Primary output: spec-validation-report.md
# Spec Validation Report
Validation Agent confidence: 0.0–1.0
Slice: [SLICE-NNN]
Date: [ISO date]
## Summary
- Total requirements: N
- Passed: N
- Blocked: N
- Slice status: READY | PARTIAL | BLOCKED
## Requirement Results
### REQ-001: [Name]
- Status: PASSED | BLOCKED
- Testability score: 0.0–1.0
- Risk: LOW | HIGH
- Issues:
- [DOMAIN_TERM_UNDEFINED] "Settlement" not found in domain-model.md
- [ACTOR_UNDEFINED] "user" is not a valid actor — specify "authenticated merchant"
- [NFR_UNMEASURABLE] "fast" is not a measurable target
## Uncertainty Factors (if confidence < 0.95)
- [What the agent is uncertain about and why]
Gate failure behavior
| Failure | Response |
|---|---|
| Individual requirement fails | Marked BLOCKED — VALIDATION FAILED |
| Other requirements in same slice | May proceed if they pass |
| Slice status | PARTIAL until all MUST requirements pass |
| Output | Validation Agent emits structured failure report |
| Sprint gate | No blocked requirement may enter a sprint |
The Validation Agent does not stop the entire pipeline. Only the failing slice is blocked. Other slices continue independently.
Governance
| Rule | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Confidence < 0.90 | Block pipeline for this slice; require TL sign-off |
| CCS check | If Discovery + Spec CCS falls below threshold, Validation Agent flags governance block |
| Dissent notices | Checks dissent log for any open notices against requirements in this slice |
Resolution after failure
When a requirement fails the Validation Gate:
- Validation Agent emits a structured failure report with specific issues
- TL and PO collaborate to re-specify or re-slice the failing requirements
- Spec Agent re-generates the corrected requirements
- Validation Agent re-runs on the corrected version
For auto-approved slices, the Knowledge Agent monitors Regret Metrics — instances where an auto-approved requirement later caused production issues — to refine future auto-approval thresholds.
Next agents
- Domain Agent — validates and extends the domain model after spec approval
- QA Agent — peer-reviews specs before they reach the human TL (QA Agent Mode C)