Coherence Check

Coherence Check: Multi-Agent Verification

Purpose

Execute comprehensive multi-agent verification for production-critical code using the "Team of Rivals" architecture. This skill orchestrates specialized critic agents with opposing incentives to catch errors before they reach production, achieving 92%+ reliability versus 60% single-agent baseline.

When to Use

Activate this skill for high-stakes code where errors have significant consequences:

• Financial calculations and payment processing
• Authentication and security implementations
• Database migrations and schema changes
• Production deployments and releases
• Regulatory compliance code
• Data transformations affecting business operations

Do not use for exploratory coding, prototypes, or low-stakes experiments.

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Pre-Execution Planning

Before any code changes, create an execution plan with pre-declared acceptance criteria:

1. Analyze the request - Identify scope, files, and operations required
2. Define success criteria - Establish non-negotiable acceptance gates upfront
3. Select critics - Determine which critic agents are needed (code, security, domain)
4. Estimate cost - Calculate token overhead (typically +38.6%)
5. Present plan to user - Show plan with acceptance criteria and get approval

Acceptance criteria must be:

• Specific and measurable (not "good code" but "all tests pass, coverage >80%")
• Declared before execution (not emergent)
• Mapped to critic veto authority (which critic validates which criterion)

Example plan structure:

EXECUTION PLAN

Scope: Refactor authentication to JWT tokens
Files: src/auth/login.ts, src/auth/middleware.ts

SUCCESS CRITERIA (Pre-Declared):
✓ All existing auth tests pass
✓ No OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities introduced
✓ Token storage uses httpOnly cookies (not localStorage)
✓ Token refresh logic handles 401 responses
✓ Code coverage maintained at 85%+

CRITICS ASSIGNED:
- Code Critic: Test pass rate, coverage, logic correctness
- Security Critic: OWASP compliance, token storage, auth flow
- Domain Critic: Session management business rules

RETRY BUDGET: 6 iterations before escalation
ESTIMATED COST: +40% tokens (~$0.15 additional)

VETO AUTHORITY: ANY critic can reject (unanimous approval required)