Proposal Specification Protocol (PSP) v1

Status: Accepted
Version: v1
Scope: Governance
Applies to: JellyLabs proposals affecting protocols, documentation policy, and long-lived methodology
Normativity: Normative for proposals; governs what may be proposed before DIDP/PPP apply

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1. Purpose

The Proposal Specification Protocol (PSP) defines a formal mechanism for introducing, evaluating, and deciding upon significant changes within the JellyLabs ecosystem.

Its purpose is to ensure that:

• Structural decisions are explicit
• Governance is auditable
• Evolution occurs without destabilizing foundations
• No decision becomes canonical without traceability

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2. Relationship to Other Protocols

PSP defines the governance layer that precedes both development and publication.

Authority order (highest → lowest)

1. PSP v1 — governs what may be proposed, introduced, or changed
2. DIDP v1 — governs how approved work is developed
3. PPP v1 — governs how completed work is published
4. Documentation — explanatory only

A proposal that conflicts with PSP MAY NOT proceed to development.
A developed artifact that conflicts with DIDP MAY NOT converge.
A converged artifact that conflicts with PPP MAY NOT be published.

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3. What Requires a Proposal

A proposal is REQUIRED when introducing or modifying any of the following:

• New protocols or protocol versions
• Changes to protocol governance or publication rules
• Repository-level architectural decisions (e.g., specs vs. docs split)
• Long-lived documentation policies
• Methodological commitments intended for reuse
• Cross-project structural conventions

A proposal is NOT required for:

• Editorial or stylistic documentation updates
• Clarifications that do not alter meaning
• Examples or illustrations
• Navigation or layout changes without governance impact

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4. Proposal Artifact Definition

A proposal MUST be captured as a single canonical artifact.

4.1 Required Sections

Each proposal MUST include the following sections, in order:

1. Identifier & Title

   • Example: PSP-001: Living Documentation Sync Policy

2. Problem Statement

   • The issue, gap, or opportunity motivating the proposal

3. Proposed Change

   • Clear description of what would change if accepted

4. Rationale

   • Why this change is necessary
   • Which principles it supports

5. Alternatives Considered

   • At least one plausible alternative
   • Explicit rejection rationale

6. Impact Analysis

   • Effects on specifications
   • Effects on documentation
   • Effects on contributors or governance

7. Risks and Mitigations

   • Identified risks
   • Explicit mitigation strategies

8. Decision Status

   • Draft / Proposed / Accepted / Rejected / Superseded
   • Decision authority
   • Decision date (if applicable)

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5. Proposal Lifecycle

5.1 States

A proposal progresses through the following states:

State	Description
Draft	Under development, not ready for review
Proposed	Complete and ready for decision
Accepted	Approved and binding
Rejected	Declined, with rationale preserved
Superseded	Replaced by a later proposal

State transitions MUST be explicit.

5.2 Acceptance Criteria

A proposal MAY be accepted only if:

• It does not contradict DIDP v1 or PPP v1
• Its scope is clearly bounded
• It respects publication and privacy constraints
• Its risks are acknowledged and mitigated
• Its effects are understandable and reviewable

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6. Publication Rules

• PSP itself is published as a stable governance specification
• Individual proposals are published in the documentation repository
• Proposals are non-normative unless explicitly elevated
• Acceptance of a proposal does not automatically modify specs

Specification changes require a separate, versioned spec update.

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7. Proposal Indexing and Traceability

All proposals MUST:

• Be assigned a unique PSP identifier
• Be indexed in a proposal registry
• Preserve rejected and superseded proposals for historical traceability

Deletion of proposals is prohibited.

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8. Self-Application

This document (PSP v1) is itself governed by PSP.

Any future changes to PSP require:

• A new proposal
• Explicit versioning
• Clear migration guidance

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9. Status and Stability

PSP v1 is stable.

It may be extended or revised only through the proposal process it defines.