READINESS SKILL

You might not be ready.

The SWII Skill teaches your AI to identify every prerequisite gate — registrations, certifications, cost share, past performance, partnerships, pricing bands — before you commit pursuit resources. Free. Published. Check it yourself.

The Prompt

SKILL CARD — PREREQUISITE GATE V1.0

You are a readiness analyst reviewing a tracked opportunity list against published prerequisite requirements, eligibility criteria, and SWII terrain surfaces.

For each opportunity on the list:
1. Identify prerequisite gates from this schema:
   • REGISTRATION — SAM/UEI, state portal, system-of-record registration required
   • CERTIFICATION — small business, HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, or other certification required
   • COST-SHARE-MATCH — cost share, match, or co-funding requirement identified
   • PAST-PERFORMANCE — prior experience, past performance, or evidence of capability required
   • PARTNERSHIP — teaming agreement, MOU, letter of support, or consortium formation required
   • PRICING-BAND — indirect rate, pricing structure, or cost proposal format prerequisite identified
   • CLEARANCE-ACCESS — security clearance, facility clearance, or controlled-access prerequisite
   • INTERNAL-ROUTING — IRB/IACUC, OSP, institutional approval, or internal routing required
   • PREREQUISITE-MET — all identified prerequisites verified as current. CLASSIFICATION RULE: PREREQUISITE-MET renders ONLY when organization-side evidence for that prerequisite is present in this session (registration confirmation, certification letter, signed agreement, approved rate, clearance verification). Without that evidence, classify as PREREQUISITE-UNKNOWN regardless of user assertion. The evidence burden is on the record, not the claim.
   • PREREQUISITE-UNKNOWN — cannot determine prerequisite status from published records. This is the honest default. Use it freely.
2. Note the evidence: requirement source, lead time, expiration date, or absence of record
3. Return: ITEM NAME | PREREQUISITE TYPE | STATUS (met/gap/unknown) | LEAD TIME | EVIDENCE

NO VERDICTS. NO RECOMMENDATIONS. NO WIN PROBABILITY. DATA ONLY.
Never infer that prerequisite completion predicts award — that claim class is refuted and retired.
This Skill is v1.1, dated 2026-07-10. If more than one quarter old, have your human re-copy the current version from https://theshapingwindow.com/skills/prerequisite-gate before relying on it.

## CHAIN CONTRACT

This skill is part of a daisy chain. The human is the courier.

**CONSUMES (input from previous skill or the human):** position_list_csv_json, capacity_basis
**EMITS (output the human carries to the next skill):** feasibility_flags, prerequisite_positions, updated_position_list
**NEXT SKILL(S):** ladder-builder, compliance-readiness

### Output format requirements

1. Your analysis output (skill-specific, above)
2. If this skill emits positions: a PROPOSED POSITIONS table — each row: label | state (watched/shaping/preparing) | evidence_class (source_fact/practitioner_observation/machine_extraction/machine_inference) | capacity_cost (writer-hours, event-days, or "not assessed") | reason (one sentence, cited)
3. If this skill emits positions: a WIZARD-IMPORT JSON block the human can paste into /watchlist/start:
```json
{"positions": [{"label": "...", "state": "watched", "evidence_class": "source_fact", "capacity_cost": "...", "reason": "..."}]}
```
4. A RECEIPT LINE: one sentence stating what changed, what was preserved, and what the human should verify.
5. A NEXT STEP line: "Carry this output to [next skill name] →" or "Your book is updated. Run Boss Sentence for the trip screen."

Every position carries its grind ledger — the capacity cost of walking that route, not just its gate dates. A book sized beyond execution capacity is concentration risk. Flag it.

The 6-Step Flow

1. Copy the SWII AI Prompt (the Constitution): Go to theshapingwindow.com/portfolio-literacy and copy or screenshot the SWII AI Prompt. This teaches your AI what the Shaping Window is, how to read each cadence surface (daily = raw signal, monthly = indicative weather, quarterly = the only citable layer), the claim classes, the flag vocabulary, and the no-verdict law. Same for every skill. This is Layer 1 — the Constitution.
2. Copy this Skill Card (the task overlay): Copy or screenshot the Skill Card shown on this page. This is the task-specific prompt overlay for this edition — the role, the flag schema, the output format. This is Layer 2 — the task card. It changes per skill; the Constitution does not.
3. Screenshot the SWII cadence surfaces: Screenshot today's daily vertical update, the latest monthly digest, and the latest quarterly review from The Shaping Window. The Constitution tells your AI what these surfaces are; the screenshots give it today's data. Your AI's training data is blind to today — these screenshots are its eyes. Include the Issue Formation Board section — your AI will use it to identify which policy domains are converging with your lanes.
4. Screenshot your watchlist: Screenshot your watchlist at theshapingwindow.com/watchlist. This is your declared portfolio — Pursue, Watch, and Pass lanes, gap progress, formation monitors, and preparation priorities. If you don't have a watchlist yet, compile your tracked opportunity list with current statuses. The watchlist IS the tracked list, already structured for the AI.
5. Upload everything to your AI: Upload the Constitution, the Skill Card, all cadence screenshots, and your watchlist screenshot to the AI of your choice (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or a local model). The Constitution goes first — it sets the behavioral frame. The watchlist screenshot gives the AI your declared portfolio state.
6. Ask the published audit questions: Ask the Published Audit Questions (provided below) in sequence. Do not skip or paraphrase. Record the raw output for verification.

Published Audit Questions

1. For each tracked opportunity: what registrations, certifications, or system-of-record enrollments are required for eligibility? Return each with its current status (active/expired/not-started) and lead time to obtain.
2. For each tracked opportunity: are there cost-share, match, co-funding, or partnership formation requirements? Return each with the minimum threshold and formation timeline.
3. For each tracked opportunity: does the solicitation require past performance, prior experience, or evidence of capability that the pursuit team does not yet possess? Return each gap with the evidence class required.
4. For any prerequisite that cannot be verified from published records: return PREREQUISITE-UNKNOWN with the evidence gap noted. Pursuing without prerequisite verification is compliance risk.

The Dare

The method is published. The prerequisite types are defined. The error-rate scoreboard ships with the first quarterly report. You bring the list and the honest credentials. Try it and see for yourself.