---
requires: scratch/vsm-s4-scan.md
produces: scratch/vsm-s4-assessment.md
---
Assess environmental changes.
## Orientation
Before starting, orient yourself in this branch:
- Read `scratch/` — design docs and notes for the current work live here
(`scratch/<branch>.md` is this PR's design; `scratch/questions.md` holds open
questions and assumptions).
- Read wave/PM context only when the seed names the exact wave, task, project,
or a concrete coordination question; never infer it or repair access as a
prerequisite.
- Read the repo's agent doc (`CLAUDE.md` / `AGENTS.md`) for conventions.
Write design artifacts, notes, and open questions under `scratch/`. Don't
re-derive what these already record.
## Goal
Filter the s4 scan into relevant, prioritized environmental pressure.
Separate urgent changes from informational ones. Identify which waves should
prepare, react, or ignore the signal.
## Workflow
1. Read `scratch/vsm-s4-scan.md`.
2. Judge relevance, urgency, owning wave, and likely impact.
3. Distinguish urgent action from preparation work.
4. Produce proposals grounded in the environmental evidence.
## Output
Write `scratch/vsm-s4-assessment.md`:
```markdown
# VSM S4 Assessment — <date>
## Summary
<what changed outside the chord and why it matters>
## Findings
| ... | urgent | ... | ... |
## Proposals
- <backlog or mutation proposal driven by the environment>
## Watchlist
<important but not yet urgent changes>
```
## What to avoid
**Unsourced urgency.** Every finding should point back to a real external signal.