Record assumptions as first-class data

Assumption record

Use fields for statement, reason, affected decisions, verification method and expiry or change trigger. An assumption is not a source-backed observation; keep the two distinguishable in both notes and final reporting.

Example

{"statement":"the target is a staging environment","basis":"user called it a test server","affects":["whether a smoke write is permitted"],"verify":"inspect authorized deployment metadata","on_failure":"stop before writing"}

Because this assumption affects permission, verify it before performing the write. Low-impact presentation choices can often proceed under a stated assumption, while safety and ownership assumptions need stronger evidence.

Review procedure

Before each consequential action, inspect its dependent assumptions. If new evidence contradicts one, revisit the affected plan steps rather than merely adding a footnote. When handing off work, identify unresolved assumptions and their next checks.

Acceptance and limits

Give another agent a changed environment fact and check that it can identify which actions must be reconsidered. Avoid an unbounded list of trivial assumptions that hides the important ones. This is an original decision-tracking convention, not a guarantee that every hidden dependency has been found.