Template 06 — Pre-Build Checklist

Purpose

The minimum gate between identity provisioning (M11) and build (M12). Confirms that everything upstream is done before the Builder opens an IDE. Stops the "let's just start coding" pattern that produces shadow AI by accident.

Short by design — 12 items, all binary. If any item is ❌, build is blocked until resolved.

• When you use it: Once per agent, between M11 and M12 in the In Action roadmap.
• Who fills it: Agent Builder assembles evidence; CoE Lead signs.
• Time: 15 minutes if upstream work was done right; longer if items are missing.
• Output: Signed page in the registry entry.

Worked example (AP Accountant invoice reconciliation)

Agent: finance-invoice-recon v1.0 Pre-build check date: 2026-05-05 Builder: CoE Lead + Finance Champion (joint)

Sign-off

Decision: ✅ Cleared to start build (M12). Target pilot date: 2026-06-12.

Blank template (copy below for your agent)

# Pre-Build Checklist — [Agent Name]

**Agent ID:** [agent-dept-slug]
**Agent version:** [X.X]
**Tier:** [Low / Medium / High]
**Check date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Builder:** [Name(s)]

| # | Item | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Approval signed at M8 (Approve / Defer / Reject decision documented; KPI + retirement criteria defined) | [✅ / ❌] | [Link to registry approval block] |
| 2 | KPI + retirement criteria defined in registry | [✅ / ❌] | [Registry link or quote] |
| 3 | Agent Card v[X.X] written, all 13 sections complete (template 03) | [✅ / ❌] | [Source repo path] |
| 4 | Security review signed (Medium+ tier only — N/A for Low) | [✅ / ❌ / N/A] | [Template 05 link + signer + date] |
| 5 | Responsible-AI checklist signed (Medium+ tier only — N/A for Low) | [✅ / ❌ / N/A] | [Template 04 link + signer + date] |
| 6 | Agent identity provisioned in IdP (unique, named, attributable) | [✅ / ❌] | [IdP identity name + tenant] |
| 7 | Credentials in approved secret manager (no plaintext, no env vars in code) | [✅ / ❌] | [Secret manager paths] |
| 8 | Least-privilege scopes verified (no super-account; separate creds per system) | [✅ / ❌] | [Per-system scope confirmation] |
| 9 | Emergency revocation procedure documented + tested (60-second target) | [✅ / ❌] | [Procedure doc + test date + result] |
| 10 | Dev environment ready in approved orchestrator (NOT prod) | [✅ / ❌] | [Orchestrator instance + workspace] |
| 11 | Observability platform wired up (smoke test confirms traces flowing) | [✅ / ❌] | [Observability project name + smoke test trace link] |
| 12 | Source repo created with Agent Card as the first commit (branch protections active) | [✅ / ❌] | [Repo URL + branch protection settings] |

## Sign-off

| Role | Name | Date | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent Builder | | | |
| AI CoE Lead | | | |

**Decision:** [✅ Cleared to start build (M12) / ❌ Blocked — see open items below]

## Open items (only if blocked)

| Item # | What's missing | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |

Per-item guidance

1. Approval signed at M8

Pass: Registry entry shows Status = Approved with signatures from the right approvers per tier (Low = CoE Lead; Medium = + Department Head; High = + Security + Legal).

Fail: Approval was verbal, in Slack, or implicit. Build cannot start.

2. KPI + retirement criteria defined

Pass: Registry fields populated with concrete numbers — target latency, target accuracy, retirement triggers. Not "we'll figure it out."

Fail: KPI is vague ("will save time"). Retirement criteria empty. Force re-approval at M8 before continuing.

3. Agent Card complete

Pass: All 13 sections in template 03 populated. Not "TODO." Not blank.

Fail: Sections missing. Builder must finish before this gate.

4. Security review (Medium+)

Pass: Template 05 (threat model) signed by Security with documented STRIDE walk + DLP plan + red-team scenarios.

N/A: Low tier — CoE Lead may waive at their discretion. Document the waiver.

5. Responsible-AI checklist (Medium+)

Pass: Template 04 signed by CoE Lead + Legal. All 10 items have a status (✅ / ⚠️ / ❌ / N/A).

N/A: Low tier — CoE Lead may waive. Document.

6. Agent identity in IdP

Pass: Unique service principal / agent identity created in the existing IdP (Okta / Entra / Workspace SSO). Named per convention. Attributable in audit logs.

Fail: Agent will use a shared service account, or no identity yet exists.

7. Credentials in approved secret manager

Pass: All credentials (API keys, OAuth tokens) stored in the approved secret manager from A4. None in source code. None in environment variables on the orchestrator host.

Fail: Credentials anywhere else. Don't proceed.

8. Least-privilege scopes verified

Pass: Each credential has the minimum permissions the Agent Card §6 specifies. Verified via a test call that confirms broader access fails.

Fail: Credentials over-permissioned. Tighten scopes before continuing.

9. Emergency revocation tested

Pass: Procedure written in Agent Card §8 has been executed end-to-end in a drill within the past 30 days. Target: 60-second revocation.

Fail: Procedure documented but never tested. Run the drill before build.

10. Dev environment ready

Pass: Dev instance / workspace in the approved orchestrator exists, with dev-scoped credentials (different from prod). Connected to a sandboxed version of any downstream system.

Fail: Builder will work in prod, or in a shared dev that lacks isolation.

11. Observability wired up

Pass: Observability platform project created. A smoke-test execution has been captured — proof that traces are flowing. Cost dashboard exists.

Fail: "We'll add logging later." Never works. Block.

12. Source repo + branch protections

Pass: Repo exists in approved source control. Agent Card committed. Branch protection requires PR review (2 reviewers, status checks). No direct push to main.

Fail: Builder will edit prompts directly in the orchestrator UI. Block.

Usage notes

• Binary by design. Every item is ✅ or ❌. If you're tempted to mark "partial," it's ❌. Fix it.
• Low tier waivers must be documented. Items 4 and 5 may be waived for Low tier. Write the waiver: "Tier Low, CoE Lead waives template 04 review per framework §10.1."
• Items 6–9 (identity, credentials, scopes, revocation) are the security perimeter. Don't compromise. Even Low tier should have a unique identity.
• Item 11 is the "we'll add logging later" tripwire. Skip it now and you'll never have it.
• Time to complete the checklist is a signal. If it takes > 30 minutes, upstream gates were rushed. Reflect, don't power through.

Common pitfalls

Framework cross-references

• framework.md §11.2 (per-agent lifecycle gates)
• framework.md §14 (Agent Card spec — Item 3)
• framework.md §17 (privileged identities — Items 6–9)
• framework.md §19 + §20 + §21 (guardrails + controls + signals — referenced by the build that follows)
• framework.md §24 (observability — Item 11)
• workflows.md Step 5 → Step 8 transition (the gates between Card and Build)
• workflows.html → In Action view → node M11 → M12 transition