gpt-5.3 codex review: Phase 7 and the addition of the new test-effectiveness-auditor skill.

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+---
+name: test-effectiveness-auditor
+description: Periodic reviewer for test-suite signal quality. Detects low-value or redundant tests, validates contract coverage, and recommends pruning or strengthening actions.
+---
+
+# Test Effectiveness Auditor
+
+Run a deterministic audit of test usefulness. Focus on whether tests catch real regressions, not whether they merely execute code.
+
+## When to Use
+
+- Monthly/quarterly test-health review.
+- Pre-release hardening when test count grows quickly.
+- After major AI-assisted test generation.
+- When suite runtime is increasing without clear quality gains.
+
+## Primary Objectives
+
+1. Identify tests that are weak, redundant, or non-diagnostic.
+2. Confirm critical contracts are guarded by meaningful assertions.
+3. Produce a prune/strengthen backlog with explicit risk and effort.
+
+## Normative References (Transcription Repo)
+
+1. `docs/ver4/*`
+2. `docs/invariant/*`
+3. `.github/instructions/*.instructions.md`
+4. `tests/test_meta_contract_guards.py`
+5. Contract-specific guards (`tests/test_service_boundaries.py`, `tests/test_ui_boundaries.py`, worker/evidence/media/error suites)
+
+## Deterministic Audit Checks
+
+### A. Contract Traceability
+- Each high-risk contract maps to at least one focused regression test file.
+- Missing mapping is a gap.
+
+### B. Assertion Strength
+- Flag tests that only assert status code, non-null, or “no exception” without validating state transitions or persisted outcomes.
+- Prefer assertions on domain effects: DB rows, status changes, error categories, evidence writes, or emitted payload shape.
+
+### C. Failure-Path Coverage
+- Critical paths must include negative-path tests (timeouts, provider errors, validation failures, cancellation paths, retries).
+- Happy-path-only coverage on critical modules is a gap.
+
+### D. Redundancy and Noise
+- Detect near-duplicate tests asserting the same behavior at multiple layers with no extra signal.
+- Recommend canonical location (unit/integration) and prune overlaps.
+
+### E. Mutation/Change Sensitivity
+- Prefer mutation testing for high-risk modules when practical.
+- If not run, identify tests likely to survive meaningful code mutations (low sensitivity).
+
+### F. Drift Guards
+- Verify config/doc/instruction contracts have deterministic guards and are current.
+- Ensure settings/docs synchronization checks remain active.
+
+## Evidence Standards
+
+- Every finding must include concrete file paths and line ranges.
+- No speculative claims.
+- Distinguish clearly between:
+  - **Confirmed ineffective tests**
+  - **Likely weak tests (needs mutation/probe confirmation)**
+
+## Output Format
+
+Produce a Markdown report in `docs/`:
+
+```markdown
+# Test Effectiveness Audit Report
+
+## 1. Executive Verdict
+- Effective / Effective with Conditions / Needs Remediation
+- Top risks to confidence
+
+## 2. Contract Coverage Matrix
+| Contract | Guarding Tests | Signal Quality | Gap | Action |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
+
+## 3. Weak/Redundant Test Findings
+| Finding ID | Location | Why Low-Signal | Risk | Recommendation |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
+
+## 4. Prune/Strengthen Backlog
+| Task ID | Goal | Files | Acceptance Criteria | Validation |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
+
+## 5. Confidence Recommendation
+- Go / Go with Conditions / No-Go for release confidence
+```
+
+## Decision Rules
+
+- Do not recommend deleting a test unless equivalent or stronger coverage is identified.
+- Prefer strengthening assertions before adding more tests.
+- Prioritize deterministic contract guards over broad snapshot-style tests.