Create Dev11 Project Steward engine for cross-repo coherence automation

[raelovejoy]

Goal

Extract the repository-maintenance pattern now proven in dev11systems/slop-filter into one reusable implementation project that can serve Dev11, Root Sequence, and other repos without copying scripts everywhere.

Proposed implementation home

dev11systems/project-steward (private-first initially)

Root Sequence defines the systems/policy layer; Dev11 owns the implementation/tooling layer. Organization .github repos remain thin workflow/template adapters.

First extraction source

dev11systems/slop-filter currently contains the prototype implementation:

• documentation manifest
• deterministic README/docs index synchronization
• broken-link and missing-document audit
• code-change → documentation review mapping
• scheduled documentation review signals
• conservative repository debris/orphan audit
• GitHub Actions reconciliation workflow

Shared engine scope

Deterministic automation

• generated README/documentation sections
• documentation indexes
• manifests/inventories
• link/reference checks
• known-safe migrations and formatting
• machine-owned maintenance artifacts

Conservative review signals

• docs affected by changed code but not reviewed
• likely orphan files/assets
• suspicious .old / .bak / temp/copy files
• unintentional empty files
• stale files/documents based on declared review policy
• duplicated/superseded material where detectable
• cross-repository references that no longer resolve

Lifecycle support

Prefer explicit states such as:

active -> review -> deprecated -> archived -> removable

Age alone must never authorize deletion.

Cross-org shape

Project Steward
      |
 shared action / schemas / audit engine
      |
 +----+-------------------+
 |                        |
Dev11/.github      Root-Sequence/.github
 |                        |
Dev11 repos         Root Sequence repos

Later capabilities

• central inventory of participating repositories
• contract/version drift detection across repos
• reusable GitHub Action instead of copied scripts
• scheduled organization-wide reconciliation
• issue/PR generation for semantic cleanup candidates
• dependency/document graph across repositories
• optional integrations with project dashboards/ChatGPT project sources
• maintenance analytics and trend history

Design principle

Automate memory, not judgment. The system should aggressively remove repetitive maintenance from human attention while remaining conservative about deleting or semantically rewriting project knowledge.

See PROJECT_STEWARDSHIP.md and the repository-coherence workflow template in this repository.