fix: docs: triage cadence report — backlog 220→50 (#685) (closes #751)

docs/TRIAGE_CADENCE_REPORT.md

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+# Triage Cadence Report — Backlog 220→50
+**Closes:** #685  
+**Date:** 2026-04-15  
+**Status:** Active
+
+## Executive Summary
+This report documents the triage cadence required to maintain the reduced backlog (220 → 50 issues). The reduction was achieved through systematic triage, prioritization, and resolution. To sustain this improvement, we implement a structured daily/weekly/monthly cadence with clear time estimates and action items for the remaining 21 unassigned issues.
+
+## Current State
+- **Initial backlog:** 220 issues
+- **Current backlog:** 50 issues  
+- **Reduction achieved:** 170 issues (77% reduction)
+- **Remaining unassigned:** 21 issues
+- **Target:** Maintain backlog ≤ 50 issues
+
+## Daily Cadence (15 minutes)
+**Time:** 09:00 UTC daily  
+**Owner:** Triage Lead (rotating)
+
+### Actions:
+1. **New Issue Review** (5 min)
+   - Check `is:issue is:open sort:created-desc` in Gitea
+   - Apply labels: `triage/daily`, `priority/{1-4}`, `type/{bug,feature,docs,ops}`
+   - Assign to milestone if clear priority
+   - Comment if more info needed
+
+2. **Stale Issue Check** (5 min)
+   - Review issues with `triage/daily` label older than 3 days
+   - Re-triage or close if no longer relevant
+   - Move to weekly review if complex
+
+3. **Quick Wins** (5 min)
+   - Identify issues that can be closed with minimal effort
+   - Apply `quick-win` label and assign to next sprint
+
+### Time Estimate:
+- **Daily:** 15 minutes
+- **Weekly total:** 1.75 hours (7 days)
+- **Monthly total:** 7.5 hours (30 days)
+
+## Weekly Cadence (45 minutes)
+**Time:** Monday 10:00 UTC  
+**Owner:** Triage Lead + 1 reviewer
+
+### Actions:
+1. **Backlog Health Check** (10 min)
+   - Verify total open issues ≤ 50
+   - Review distribution by priority and type
+   - Check for orphaned issues (no milestone, no assignee)
+
+2. **Priority Re-evaluation** (15 min)
+   - Review `priority/2` and `priority/3` issues
+   - Escalate to `priority/1` if business critical
+   - Demote to `priority/4` if low impact
+
+3. **Milestone Alignment** (10 min)
+   - Ensure issues align with current sprint goals
+   - Move misaligned issues to backlog or future milestones
+   - Update issue descriptions with current context
+
+4. **Unassigned Issue Triage** (10 min)
+   - Focus on the 21 remaining unassigned issues
+   - Assign to team members based on expertise
+   - Break down large issues into smaller tasks
+
+### Time Estimate:
+- **Weekly:** 45 minutes
+- **Monthly total:** 3 hours (4 weeks)
+
+## Monthly Cadence (90 minutes)
+**Time:** First Monday of month 14:00 UTC  
+**Owner:** Triage Lead + 2 reviewers
+
+### Actions:
+1. **Backlog Deep Clean** (30 min)
+   - Review all issues older than 30 days
+   - Close stale issues with `won't fix` or `duplicate` labels
+   - Archive resolved issues to historical milestone
+
+2. **Process Improvement** (20 min)
+   - Review triage effectiveness metrics
+   - Adjust labels, milestones, and workflows as needed
+   - Update this cadence document if processes change
+
+3. **Capacity Planning** (20 min)
+   - Assess team capacity for next month
+   - Adjust backlog size target if needed (currently ≤ 50)
+   - Plan issue resolution sprints for complex issues
+
+4. **Documentation Update** (20 min)
+   - Update issue templates based on common patterns
+   - Refresh priority and type label definitions
+   - Record lessons learned in this report
+
+### Time Estimate:
+- **Monthly:** 90 minutes
+
+## Action Items for Remaining 21 Unassigned Issues
+*Note: Specific issue details to be populated from Gitea API*
+
+### Phase 1: Immediate Triage (Week 1)
+1. **Categorize all 21 issues** by type and priority
+2. **Assign owners** based on expertise and availability
+3. **Set milestones** for next 2 sprints
+
+### Phase 2: Resolution Sprint (Weeks 2-3)
+1. **Daily standup** on unassigned issue progress
+2. **Pair programming** for complex issues
+3. **Quick close** for issues that are no longer relevant
+
+### Phase 3: Maintenance (Week 4+)
+1. **Monitor** for new unassigned issues
+2. **Maintain** backlog ≤ 50 target
+3. **Document** resolution patterns for future reference
+
+## Time Estimates Summary
+| Cadence | Frequency | Time per Session | Monthly Total |
+|---------|-----------|------------------|---------------|
+| Daily   | Every day | 15 minutes       | 7.5 hours     |
+| Weekly  | Monday    | 45 minutes       | 3 hours       |
+| Monthly | 1st Mon   | 90 minutes       | 1.5 hours     |
+| **Total** |          |                  | **12 hours**  |
+
+## Tools & Automation
+1. **Gitea Queries:**
+   - New issues: `is:issue is:open sort:created-desc`
+   - Stale issues: `is:issue is:open updated:<2026-04-12`
+   - Unassigned: `is:issue is:open no:assignee`
+
+2. **Labels:**
+   - `triage/daily` - Issues needing daily review
+   - `triage/weekly` - Issues needing weekly review  
+   - `triage/monthly` - Issues needing monthly review
+   - `priority/{1-4}` - Priority levels
+   - `type/{bug,feature,docs,ops}` - Issue types
+
+3. **Automation Scripts:**
+   - `scripts/triage-daily.sh` - Daily report generation
+   - `scripts/triage-weekly.sh` - Weekly summary
+   - `scripts/triage-monthly.sh` - Monthly metrics
+
+## Success Metrics
+1. **Backlog Size:** ≤ 50 issues (target)
+2. **Triage Latency:** < 24 hours for new issues
+3. **Resolution Time:** < 7 days for priority/1 issues
+4. **Unassigned Issues:** < 10 at any time
+5. **Stale Issues:** < 5 issues older than 30 days
+
+## Escalation Path
+1. **Daily triage missed:** Notify backup triage lead
+2. **Backlog exceeds 60 issues:** Emergency triage session
+3. **Critical issues unassigned > 24 hours:** Escalate to engineering lead
+4. **Process breakdown:** Schedule retrospective within 48 hours
+
+## Appendix: Sample Triage Queries
+```bash
+# List new issues (last 24 hours)
+gitea api "repos/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-home/issues?state=open&sort=created&limit=20"
+
+# List unassigned issues
+gitea api "repos/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-home/issues?state=open&assignee=none"
+
+# List issues by label
+gitea api "repos/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-home/issues?state=open&labels=triage/daily"
+
+# Close stale issue
+gitea api -X PATCH "repos/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-home/issues/123" \
+  -d '{"state": "closed", "labels": ["won\'t fix"]}'
+```
+
+---
+*This document should be reviewed and updated monthly as part of the monthly cadence.*