The AIDD-17 Delivery Loop

Why this page exists

AIDD-17 is not a static document. It is a living control structure for delivery. The same loop runs every time a piece of work moves from idea to accepted change.

The loop

Project Definition
        ↓
Implementation Slice
        ↓
AI-Assisted Implementation
        ↓
Verification
        ↓
Accepted Change
        ↓
Project Definition Updated
        ↺

The loop closes when the project definition is updated. The next slice starts from a definition that reflects what has actually been built.

Each step

1. Project Definition. The whole system is described once using the Project Definition Template — intent, shape, rules, delivery approach, and verification.

2. Implementation Slice. One bounded unit of work is defined using the Implementation Slice Template. The slice traces back to behaviours, features, building blocks, interfaces, applicable rules, and verification criteria from the project definition.

3. AI-Assisted Implementation. The slice is given to an AI coding agent or engineer with the standard AI instruction. AI implements only the assigned slice and stops if required information is missing.

4. Verification. The output is checked against the slice’s acceptance criteria, automated tests, and definition of done. AI output is not complete until it passes verification.

5. Accepted Change. The work is merged. The slice status moves to Accepted.

6. Project Definition Updated. If the implementation revealed changes to architecture, interfaces, rules, or decisions, those changes are written back into the project definition before the next slice begins.

Why the loop matters

Caution

If the project definition is not updated after a slice is accepted, the next slice starts from a stale map. Drift restarts.

The loop gives the team:

• control — every change is bounded by a slice that traces back to the definition
• agility — the definition evolves as the system is built, not before
• visibility — anyone reading the project definition sees the system as it is, not as it was first imagined

Where each role works

• Product owners keep Intent current as the product is shaped by what gets built.
• Architects keep Shape and Rules current as constraints and decisions are made or revised.
• Engineers define slices, implement them, and feed changes back into the definition.
• AI operates inside the boundaries the loop defines, one slice at a time.

When the loop is working

• Every accepted change has a slice.
• Every slice traces back to the project definition.
• The project definition reflects the system as it is now.
• AI never guesses missing information — it stops and asks.