lifecycle-adoption

# Lifecycle Adoption

## Overview

This skill guides **incremental CMMI adoption** on existing projects without halting development. Whether you're starting a new project with CMMI from day one or retrofitting practices onto a 5-year-old codebase, this skill provides strategies for:

- **Parallel tracks adoption**: New work follows new process, legacy code exempt
- **Retrofitting existing systems**: Adding traceability, CM, testing, and metrics to running projects
- **Change management**: Overcoming team resistance and executive skepticism
- **Right-sizing practices**: Scaling from 2-person teams to large organizations
- **Managing transitions**: Tool migrations, process changes, audit preparation

**Reference**: See `docs/sdlc-prescription-cmmi-levels-2-4.md` Section 9 (Adoption Guide) for complete policy.

### When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

- **Starting new project**: Bootstrapping CMMI Level 2/3/4 from day one
- **Mid-project adoption**: Adding CMMI to active development without stopping
- **Audit preparation**: Retrofitting traceability/documentation for upcoming compliance review
- **Tool migration**: Changing platforms (GitHub ↔ Azure DevOps) while maintaining compliance
- **Team resistance**: Developers push back on "process overhead"
- **Executive skepticism**: Need to demonstrate ROI for CMMI investment

### What This Skill Covers

**High-Level Guidance:**
- The Parallel Tracks Strategy (don't stop development)
- Incremental vs. Big Bang Adoption
- Quick Wins vs. Foundational Practices
- Team Size Adaptations (2 developers to 50+)

**Reference Sheets (On-Demand):**
1. **Maturity Assessment** - Gap analysis, current state mapping, prioritization
2. **Incremental Adoption Roadmap** - Phased rollout, pilot projects, scaling strategies
3. **Retrofitting Requirements** - Adding traceability to existing features
4. **Retrofitting Configuration Management** - Adopting branching strategies mid-project
5. **Retrofitting Quality Practices** - Adding te