Problem
The DoR gate (ADR-0021) evaluates criteria at claim time, but ideally items should be refined before an agent tries to claim them. A grooming/refinement workflow would let a dedicated agent (or human) prepare backlog items so they pass the DoR gate before anyone claims them.
Currently there's no structured process for:
Scanning the backlog for items that would fail DoR
Systematically adding missing acceptance criteria, effort estimates, ADR links
Moving items from `proposed` → `accepted` only when they're readyScope
Add an `sw_check_ready` MCP tool (or extend `sw_board`) that evaluates DoR criteria for items in `proposed`/`accepted` status without transitioning them
Define a refinement workflow: scan backlog → identify DoR gaps → fill gaps → mark accepted
Document the grooming agent pattern in the software-kb skill or a separate skill
Consider a `pyrite sw refine` CLI command that lists items failing DoR with their gapsDesign Considerations
The `_evaluate_gate` method already exists and can be called without performing a transition
A grooming agent should be able to run `sw_check_ready` on an item, see what's missing, update the item, and re-check
This is complementary to the worker agent flow — worker agents check DoR at claim time, grooming agents check DoR proactivelyAcceptance Criteria
Agent or human can check DoR status of any backlog item without claiming it
Gaps are reported with actionable hints (already in gate criteria)
Items that pass all DoR checkers can be confidently claimed by worker agents