Reconcile an existing backlog
Align backlog status with accepted repository evidence without rewriting task history.
Backlog reconciliation aligns the recorded project state with accepted implementation evidence. It is not a second implementation task and it must not change application code.
When to reconcile
Use this workflow after one or more tasks have been reviewed and accepted, or when adoption reveals that the backlog no longer matches the repository.
Typical corrections include:
- marking accepted work complete;
- preserving unfinished acceptance criteria as open;
- adding links to evidence, decisions or commits;
- recording superseded or split tasks without deleting history;
- correcting status drift between documents and the repository;
- adding newly discovered work as a separate proposed item.
Required evidence
Before changing status, inspect:
- the accepted Task Contract;
- implementation and review outcome;
- checks actually executed;
- developer acceptance;
- current backlog wording and dependencies;
- any manual changes made after the agent result.
Do not infer completion from a plausible diff or from the agent’s claim alone.
Keep the edit surface narrow
A reconciliation task should authorize only the backlog and related project-status documents. Application code, dependencies and unrelated documentation remain outside scope.
Preserve history
Do not erase completed tasks, rewrite old estimates as if they had always been correct or merge independent items for presentation. Where the current state differs from the original plan, record the transition explicitly.
Validate and review
After reconciliation run:
tcaf validate --target <project>Then review the documentation diff separately from the implementation diff. Commit the reconciled state only after explicit acceptance.