---
name: context-building
description: Assemble a minimal, high-signal execution context bundle from already-retrieved memory, governed artefacts, and applicable rules. Activate after memory-retrieve and before any reasoning or execution skill.
license: ELv2
compatibility: Works with any filesystem-based AI coding agent
metadata:
author: gaai-framework
version: "1.0"
category: cross
track: cross-cutting
id: SKILL-CONTEXT-BUILDING-001
updated_at: 2026-02-26
status: stable
inputs:
- retrieved_memory_bundle
- contexts/artefacts/** (relevant only)
- contexts/rules/** (applicable only)
outputs:
- execution_context_bundle
---
# Context Building
## Purpose / When to Activate
Activate when context is fragmented or multiple memory sources need to be merged before a complex task:
- After `memory-retrieve` when inputs come from multiple memory files
- Before planning or implementation skills on complex, multi-artefact Stories
- When previous context bundles are stale or need restructuring
For simple, single-artefact tasks, an agent may reason directly without this skill. This skill does not retrieve knowledge — it **structures and composes** already-selected inputs into a focused bundle.
---
## Process
1. Validate inputs are scoped and minimal
2. Remove duplicated or overlapping information
3. Prioritize: acceptance criteria, constraints, decisions, current artefacts
4. Structure the bundle in canonical order:
- Current Objective
- Governed Artefacts (Epics / Stories / Plans)
- Acceptance Criteria & Constraints
- Applicable Rules
- Relevant Memory
5. Enforce minimal token footprint
---
## Outputs
```
=== EXECUTION CONTEXT ===
OBJECTIVE:
...
ARTEFACTS:
...
ACCEPTANCE & CONSTRAINTS:
...
RULES:
...
RELEVANT MEMORY:
...
=========================
```
No prose. No fluff. No hidden reasoning.
---
## Quality Checks
- Context is focused and task-specific
- No irrelevant memory included
- No artefacts outside scope
- Token usage minimized
- All constraints explicit
---
## Non-Goals
This skill must NOT:
- Retrieve memory (use `memory-retrieve` first)
- Infer missing artefacts
- Add assumptions or expand scope
- Inject creative interpretation
**Retrieval decides what is relevant. Context building decides how it is fed to reasoning.**