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CopilotForge - Design Authority

Use it in Copilot Cowork: download the Design Authority plugin for Copilot Cowork and upload it under Customize > Plugins > Upload plugin. How to install.

Reviewer-class department that challenges inappropriate platform choice, unnecessary AI, fragile architecture and unsupportable designs.

Layer: assurance (reviewer-class: may block)
Lead role: AI Design Authority
Plugin name: copilotforge-design-authority

Skill Status Lifecycle Description

ai-change-impact-review draft Improve, Assure, Scale Reviews the impact of a proposed change to a live AI solution - instructions, knowledge, model, actions, identity, audience, channel or platform - classifying the change as minor, material or re-design, naming the re-tests and re-reviews triggered, and recording findings as blocking or advisory. Use when a live agent or solution is about to change, when Microsoft retires a model or feature it depends on, or when audience is widening.

ai-design-review draft Deliver, Assure Runs the formal design authority gate for an AI solution - checking the design pack is complete, applying the necessity, platform fit, conformance and supportability lenses proportionately, and recording every finding as blocking or advisory with a fix and owner and a single verdict. Use when a tier 2 or higher solution finishes design and before build commits, when a partner's design needs independent review, or when a design changed materially.

ai-necessity-challenge draft Envision, Deliver, Assure Challenges, as a reviewer, whether a designed solution needs AI at all or needs as much AI as proposed, testing it against process change, automation and simpler Copilot patterns, and classifies each finding as blocking or advisory with the simpler alternative named. Use when a design arrives at the gate with an agent or custom model, when the suitability record looks written after the fact, or when AI adds cost or risk without clear benefit.

architecture-conformance draft Deliver, Assure, Improve Reviews, as a reviewer, whether an AI solution's design conforms to the organisation's reference architectures, mandatory tier controls and architecture standards, records approved deviations with owners and expiry, and classifies each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a design claims to follow a reference pattern, when a solution deviates from standards, or when deviations across solutions suggest a reference needs changing.

platform-fit-review draft Deliver, Assure, Improve Reviews, as a reviewer, whether the Microsoft platform chosen for an AI solution fits its audience, identity, data, actions, lifecycle, operability and cost, and whether the decision record is reasoned and current, classifying each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a design reaches the gate with a platform already chosen, when a partner proposes a platform, or when a live solution shows signs of outgrowing its platform.

supportability-review draft Deliver, Assure, Launch, Improve Reviews whether an AI solution can be owned and supported after release - accepted business, knowledge and technical owners, an operating team with the skills and hours, support route, runbook, monitoring, review dates, dependencies and retirement criteria - classifying each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a solution approaches its design or release gate, when a pilot becomes a service, or when owners are lost.

Skill	Status	Lifecycle	Description
`ai-change-impact-review`	draft	Improve, Assure, Scale	Reviews the impact of a proposed change to a live AI solution - instructions, knowledge, model, actions, identity, audience, channel or platform - classifying the change as minor, material or re-design, naming the re-tests and re-reviews triggered, and recording findings as blocking or advisory. Use when a live agent or solution is about to change, when Microsoft retires a model or feature it depends on, or when audience is widening.
`ai-design-review`	draft	Deliver, Assure	Runs the formal design authority gate for an AI solution - checking the design pack is complete, applying the necessity, platform fit, conformance and supportability lenses proportionately, and recording every finding as blocking or advisory with a fix and owner and a single verdict. Use when a tier 2 or higher solution finishes design and before build commits, when a partner's design needs independent review, or when a design changed materially.
`ai-necessity-challenge`	draft	Envision, Deliver, Assure	Challenges, as a reviewer, whether a designed solution needs AI at all or needs as much AI as proposed, testing it against process change, automation and simpler Copilot patterns, and classifies each finding as blocking or advisory with the simpler alternative named. Use when a design arrives at the gate with an agent or custom model, when the suitability record looks written after the fact, or when AI adds cost or risk without clear benefit.
`architecture-conformance`	draft	Deliver, Assure, Improve	Reviews, as a reviewer, whether an AI solution's design conforms to the organisation's reference architectures, mandatory tier controls and architecture standards, records approved deviations with owners and expiry, and classifies each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a design claims to follow a reference pattern, when a solution deviates from standards, or when deviations across solutions suggest a reference needs changing.
`platform-fit-review`	draft	Deliver, Assure, Improve	Reviews, as a reviewer, whether the Microsoft platform chosen for an AI solution fits its audience, identity, data, actions, lifecycle, operability and cost, and whether the decision record is reasoned and current, classifying each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a design reaches the gate with a platform already chosen, when a partner proposes a platform, or when a live solution shows signs of outgrowing its platform.
`supportability-review`	draft	Deliver, Assure, Launch, Improve	Reviews whether an AI solution can be owned and supported after release - accepted business, knowledge and technical owners, an operating team with the skills and hours, support route, runbook, monitoring, review dates, dependencies and retirement criteria - classifying each finding as blocking or advisory with the fix. Use when a solution approaches its design or release gate, when a pilot becomes a service, or when owners are lost.

Credit

Created by Simon Foote as part of CopilotForge. Content is licensed under CC BY 4.0; keep the credit in each skill's license and authors fields when you share or adapt it. See NOTICE.md in the repository.