Client Engagement Folder Convention

Group: Engagement Conventions · Codified: 2026-05-18

Every active engagement under 02_active/ uses the same two-track structure for AI-facing context. This separates what AI should treat as authoritative from what AI should not auto-read as context.

The structure

02_active/<engagement>/
├── reference/        canonical AI context — curated, current, SSOT
├── client-files/     source documents, archives, drafts, raw inputs
├── workspaces/       active work areas (factories that read reference)
├── published/        shareable artifacts generated by workspaces
└── CLAUDE.md         engagement-specific orientation

The `reference/` rule

reference/ is canonical AI context. Every file in it is implicitly authoritative. If it's not a curated, current, single-source-of-truth statement, it does not belong in reference/ — it goes to client-files/.

What does NOT belong in `reference/`

Meeting transcripts, recordings, Gemini notes → client-files/meetings/
Job descriptions, offer letters, role drafts → client-files/people/
Signed agreements, SOWs → client-files/archived/sows/
Outdated tool docs (CoConstruct, JotForm, etc.) → client-files/archived/tools-deprecated/
Source .docx/.gdoc files awaiting curation → client-files/archived/source-docs/
Roadmaps, progress notes, "random thoughts" → client-files/archived/misc/

Standard `client-files/` subfolders

Subfolder	Purpose
`archived/`	Outdated reference, superseded versions, deprecated-tool docs
`temp/`	Short-term staging for items pending routing
`people/`	Raw people-related source docs — JDs, offer letters
`meetings/`	Project/work meetings (NOT sales/contract meetings)

Promotion workflow

client-files/temp/  →  extract useful content  →  reference/<area>/<file>.md
                                                  ↓
                                       source → client-files/archived/

Use an approve/deny per-item workflow when extracting from rich source docs (longform role descriptions, meeting notes). Propose extracted reference additions individually; apply on approve; leave source in client-files/ on deny.

Migration status

Engagement	Status
`vg/`	✅ Migrated 2026-05-18
`bc/`	⏳ Pending
`2025tx/`	⏳ Pending
Future	Start with this structure from day one

Canonical source

📎 RWP repo → RWP/CLAUDE.md → Client Engagement Folder Convention