---

name: approve-synthesis description: Approve synthesis findings and create implementation tickets from discovery argument-hint: [--decision=:...]

Approve Discovery Synthesis

Arguments: $ARGUMENTS

---

Argument Parsing

Parse the arguments to extract:

• {Synthesis_URL} - Confluence synthesis document URL (required)
• {Decisions} - Optional pre-provided decision resolutions (via --decision=D1:OptionB)

Examples:

• /approve-synthesis https://confluence/synthesis-doc → Review and approve interactively
• /approve-synthesis https://confluence/synthesis-doc --decision=D1:B --decision=D2:Y → Pre-resolve decisions

---

Workflow Chain

/create-epic-discovery <epic-key>  → Discovery Document
         ↓
[Manual research, interviews, experiments]
         ↓
/synthesize-discovery <doc-urls...>  → Synthesis Document
         ↓
/approve-synthesis <synthesis-url>  → Creates Jira Tickets (YOU ARE HERE)
         ↓
/create-implementation-plan <overview-doc>  → Implementation planning continues

---

Phase 0: Context Retrieval

1. Fetch the synthesis document from {Synthesis_URL}

2. Extract from synthesis document:

   • Discovery Epic link
   • Target implementation epics
   • Proposed tickets JSON (from Section 9, between <!-- PROPOSED_TICKETS_START --> and <!-- PROPOSED_TICKETS_END --> markers)
   • Blocking decisions and their status
   • Approval status

3. FAILURE CONDITION - Invalid Synthesis Document:

   If synthesis document cannot be fetched or lacks required sections:

   STOP and prompt the user:

   I was unable to retrieve the synthesis document or it is missing required data.
   
   URL: {Synthesis_URL}
   Issue: [document not found / missing Proposed Tickets section / invalid JSON]
   
   Please verify:
   1. The URL is correct and accessible
   2. The document was created by /synthesize-discovery
   3. The "Proposed Tickets Data" section (Section 9) exists
   

   DO NOT PROCEED until valid document is provided.

4. FAILURE CONDITION - Already Approved:

   If synthesis is already approved (approval_status: "approved"):

   STOP and report:

   This synthesis has already been approved.
   
   Approved By: [user]
   Approved Date: [date]
   Tickets Created: [list]
   
   Options:
   A) View the created tickets
   B) Create additional tickets (will append to existing)
   C) Cancel
   

   DO NOT PROCEED without user choice.

5. MANDATORY CHECKPOINT - Synthesis Overview:

   ## Synthesis Document Retrieved
   
   **Discovery Epic:** {Discovery_Epic_Key}
   **Synthesis Date:** [date]
   **Sources Analyzed:** [count]
   
   **Proposed Tickets:** [count] tickets, [sum] story points
   **Target Epics:** [list epic keys]
   **Blocking Decisions:** [count] pending / [count] total
   
   Ready to review? (Yes / No)
   

   DO NOT PROCEED without confirmation.

---

Phase 1: Decision Resolution

1. Check for unresolved blocking decisions:

   Parse the blocking_decisions array from the JSON data.

2. Apply any pre-provided decisions from --decision arguments:

   For each --decision=ID:Value:

   • Validate the decision ID exists
   • Validate the value is a valid option
   • Mark as resolved

3. FAILURE CONDITION - Unresolved Blocking Decisions:

   If any blocking decisions remain unresolved:

   STOP and present each decision:

   ## Blocking Decisions Require Resolution
   
   The following decisions must be resolved before tickets can be created:
   
   ### Decision D1: [Decision Question]
   
   **Options:**
   A) [Option A description]
   B) [Option B description]
   C) [Option C description]
   
   **Recommendation:** [Option from synthesis]
   **Rationale:** [Why this was recommended]
   **Blocks Tickets:** T1, T3, T5
   
   Please select an option: [A/B/C]
   
   ---
   
   ### Decision D2: [Decision Question]
   ...
   

   DO NOT PROCEED until all decisions are resolved.

4. Record decision resolutions:

   For each resolved decision:

   • Record the chosen option
   • Record resolver (user)
   • Record timestamp
   • Update affected tickets if decision changes scope

---

Phase 2: Ticket Review & Editing

1. Present proposed tickets for review:

   ## Proposed Tickets for Approval
   
   All blocking decisions have been resolved. Review the tickets below.
   
   ### Epic: {Epic_Key_1} - {Epic_Title}
   
   | # | ID | Title | Type | Points | Priority | Dependencies |
   |---|-----|-------|------|--------|----------|--------------|
   | 1 | T1 | [title] | Story | 5 | High | None |
   | 2 | T2 | [title] | Task | 3 | Med | T1 |
   
   ### Epic: {Epic_Key_2} - {Epic_Title}
   
   | # | ID | Title | Type | Points | Priority | Dependencies |
   |---|-----|-------|------|--------|----------|--------------|
   | 1 | T3 | [title] | Spike | 2 | High | None |
   
   **Total:** [count] tickets, [sum] story points
   
   ---
   
   **Options:**
   - **Approve** - Create all tickets as shown
   - **Edit** - Modify tickets before creation
   - **Cancel** - Exit without creating tickets
   
   What would you like to do? [Approve / Edit / Cancel]
   

2. If Edit selected:

   ## Edit Proposed Tickets
   
   Available actions:
   - **Add:** Add a new ticket (e.g., "Add Story 'Implement caching' to CC-62")
   - **Remove:** Remove a ticket (e.g., "Remove T3")
   - **Modify:** Change ticket details (e.g., "Modify T1 points to 8" or "Modify T2 priority to High")
   - **Done:** Finish editing and review again
   
   Current tickets:
   [... ticket list ...]
   
   Enter your changes (or "Done" to finish):
   

   Editing loop:

   • Parse user input for add/remove/modify commands
   • Apply changes to proposed tickets
   • Show updated list after each change
   • Repeat until user says "Done"
   • Return to approval checkpoint

3. MANDATORY CHECKPOINT - Final Ticket Approval:

   ## Final Ticket Approval
   
   The following tickets will be created in Jira:
   
   [... final ticket list with all edits applied ...]
   
   **Total:** [count] tickets, [sum] story points
   
   Create these tickets? (Yes / No)
   

   DO NOT CREATE TICKETS without explicit "Yes" approval.

---

Phase 3: Ticket Creation

For each approved ticket:

1. Create ticket in Jira under the target epic:

   Creating ticket: [title]
   Epic: {Target_Epic}
   

2. Set ticket fields:

   • Summary: [Title]
   • Type: Story/Task/Bug/Spike
   • Epic Link: {Target_Epic}
   • Story Points: [estimated]
   • Priority: [from synthesis]
   • Labels: from-discovery, {Discovery_Epic_Key}

3. Populate description using template:

## Source
- Discovery Epic: [{Discovery_Epic_Key}]({url})
- Synthesis Document: [{Synthesis_Doc}]({url})
- Based on Findings: [F1, F2, ...]

## Context
[Why this ticket was created based on discovery findings]

## Summary
[What this ticket accomplishes]

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Criterion from synthesis]
- [ ] [Criterion from synthesis]

## Notes from Discovery
- [Relevant insights that inform implementation]
- [Constraints or considerations discovered]

## Decisions Made
- D1: [Decision question] → [Resolution chosen]

---
*This ticket was generated from discovery synthesis. See source documents for full context.*

4. Link tickets:

   • Link to discovery epic as "discovered by"
   • Link dependencies between tickets using jira_create_issue_link:
     • inward_issue_key = blocker, outward_issue_key = blocked
     • See atlassian-mcp/references/jira-queries.md > Issue Linking for full semantics
   • Link to any relevant existing tickets

5. Track created tickets:

   Maintain mapping: { T1: "CC-123", T2: "CC-124", ... }

6. FAILURE CONDITION - Ticket Creation Fails:

   If any ticket creation fails:

   ## Ticket Creation Error
   
   Failed to create ticket: [title]
   Error: [error message]
   
   **Tickets Created So Far:**
   - CC-123: [title]
   - CC-124: [title]
   
   **Remaining Tickets:**
   - [title] (failed)
   - [title] (pending)
   
   Options:
   A) Retry failed ticket
   B) Skip failed ticket and continue
   C) Stop and save progress
   
   What would you like to do? [A/B/C]
   

---

Phase 4: Update & Output

1. Update synthesis document in Confluence:

   Add/update Section 10: Approved Tickets:

   ### 10. Approved Tickets
   
   **Approval Date:** [timestamp]
   **Approved By:** [user]
   **Decisions Resolved:** [count]
   
   #### Tickets Created
   
   | Jira Key | Title | Type | Epic | Points |
   |----------|-------|------|------|--------|
   | [CC-123](url) | [title] | Story | CC-62 | 5 |
   | [CC-124](url) | [title] | Task | CC-62 | 3 |
   
   **Total:** [count] tickets, [sum] story points
   
   #### Decision Resolutions
   
   | Decision | Question | Resolution | Resolved By |
   |----------|----------|------------|-------------|
   | D1 | [question] | Option B | [user] |
   
   #### Changes from Original Proposal
   
   - Added: [list any added tickets]
   - Removed: [list any removed tickets]
   - Modified: [list any modified tickets]
   

2. Update JSON approval status in Section 9:

   {
     "approval_status": "approved",
     "approved_by": "[user]",
     "approved_date": "[timestamp]",
     "created_tickets": {
       "T1": "CC-123",
       "T2": "CC-124"
     }
   }
   

3. Update discovery epic with:

   • Link to synthesis document
   • Summary of tickets created

---

Output

When complete, you MUST provide:

## Synthesis Approved - Tickets Created!

**Synthesis Document:** {Synthesis_URL} (updated)

### Decisions Resolved

| Decision | Resolution |
|----------|------------|
| D1 | [chosen option] |
| D2 | [chosen option] |

### Tickets Created

#### {Epic_Key_1}: {Epic_Title}
| Key | Title | Type | Points |
|-----|-------|------|--------|
| [CC-123](url) | [title] | Story | 5 |
| [CC-124](url) | [title] | Task | 3 |

#### {Epic_Key_2}: {Epic_Title}
| Key | Title | Type | Points |
|-----|-------|------|--------|
| [CC-125](url) | [title] | Spike | 2 |

**Total:** [count] tickets, [sum] story points

### Changes from Original Proposal
- Added: [list or "None"]
- Removed: [list or "None"]
- Modified: [list or "None"]

### Next Steps
1. Review created tickets in Jira
2. Run implementation planning:

/create-implementation-plan {Target_Epic_Overview_Doc}

---

Failure Conditions

Condition	Action
Synthesis URL not accessible	Ask user to verify URL
Missing Proposed Tickets section	Ask user to run /synthesize-discovery first
Invalid JSON in Proposed Tickets	Report parsing error, ask for manual fix
Unresolved blocking decisions	Present decisions for resolution, block ticket creation
Synthesis already approved	Offer options: view, append, or cancel
Jira ticket creation fails	Report error, offer retry/skip/stop options
Confluence update fails	Provide content for manual update
Target epic not found	Ask user to verify epic key

---

Agent Delegation

Before ticket creation:

• Validation: Verify target epics exist and are accessible
• Decision Review: Ensure all blocking decisions are properly resolved
• Dependency Check: Validate ticket dependencies are consistent

During ticket creation:

• Parallel Creation: Create tickets in parallel where no dependencies exist
• Link Verification: Verify all Jira links are created correctly