name	holistic-testing-pact
description	Apply the Holistic Testing Model evolved with PACT (Proactive, Autonomous, Collaborative, Targeted) principles. Use when designing comprehensive test strategies for Classical, AI-assisted, Agent based, or Agentic Systems building quality into the team, or implementing whole-team quality practices.
category	testing-methodologies
priority	critical
tokenEstimate	1100
agents	qe-fleet-commander, qe-test-generator, qe-quality-analyzer, qe-requirements-validator
implementation_status	optimized
optimization_version	1
last_optimized	Tue Dec 02 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
dependencies
quick_reference_card	true
tags	holistic, pact, quality, whole-team, proactive, autonomous, collaborative, targeted

Holistic Testing Model with PACT Principles

When designing test strategies or building quality into teams: 1. APPLY PACT principles: Proactive (test before bugs), Autonomous (teams own quality), Collaborative (whole-team responsibility), Targeted (risk-focused) 2. IDENTIFY quadrant focus: Technology-facing (unit, integration, performance) or Business-facing (acceptance, exploratory, usability) 3. SELECT agents based on PACT dimension and testing quadrant 4. IMPLEMENT feedback loops that catch issues in minutes, not days 5. MEASURE outcomes (bug escape rate, release confidence) not activities (test count)

Quick PACT Application:

Proactive → Design testability into architecture, risk analysis during refinement
Autonomous → Devs run tests locally, CI pipeline with no manual gates
Collaborative → Three Amigos, QE pairs with dev, shared test ownership
Targeted → Risk-based planning, focus on critical flows, kill valueless tests

Critical Success Factors:

Quality is a whole-team responsibility, not a QA phase
QA as enablers (build infrastructure, coach), not gatekeepers
Fast feedback during development, not after

Quick Reference Card

When to Use

Designing comprehensive test strategies
Building quality culture in teams
Choosing testing approach for new projects
Evolving from sequential QA to concurrent quality

PACT Principles

Principle	Focus	Anti-Pattern
Proactive	Test before code, design testability	Waiting for bugs to find you
Autonomous	Teams deploy when ready	QA as manual gatekeepers
Collaborative	Whole-team quality thinking	QA works in isolation
Targeted	Risk-based, high-value tests	Exhaustive checkbox testing

Holistic Testing Quadrants

Quadrant	Purpose	Examples
Tech + Support	Fast feedback	Unit, component, integration tests
Tech + Critique	Find limits	Performance, security, chaos
Business + Support	Shared understanding	BDD, acceptance tests
Business + Critique	Discover unknowns	Exploratory, usability, A/B

Agent Selection by PACT + Quadrant

PACT Dimension	Agents
Proactive + Tech	qe-test-generator, qe-requirements-validator
Autonomous + Tech	qe-test-executor, qe-coverage-analyzer
Collaborative	qe-fleet-commander (orchestration)
Targeted	qe-regression-risk-analyzer, qe-quality-gate

PACT in Practice

Proactive: Test Before Bugs

// During API design, ask: "How will we know if this times out under load?"
// Build observability from start
await Task("Risk Analysis", {
  phase: 'refinement',
  question: 'What could go wrong and how will we know?'
}, "qe-requirements-validator");

Autonomous: Teams Own Quality

Developers run full test suite locally
CI fails fast with clear diagnostics
No manual deployment approvals
Self-service test environments

Collaborative: Whole-Team Thinking

QE attends planning and refinement
Three Amigos for every user story
Shared ownership of test code
Ensemble testing for complex scenarios

Targeted: Test What Matters

// E-commerce checkout? Test thoroughly.
// Admin panel used twice a month? Lighter touch.
await Task("Risk-Based Planning", {
  critical: ['checkout', 'payment'],
  light: ['admin-panel', 'settings']
}, "qe-regression-risk-analyzer");

Evolution from Traditional

Old Way (Sequential)	Holistic + PACT (Concurrent)
Dev writes → QA tests → bugs found → fixes	Team discusses what to build and how to test
Slow feedback, finger-pointing	Fast feedback, shared ownership
Quality as gatekeeping	Quality as enabler
QA on critical path	QA builds infrastructure, coaches

Success Signals

Features deploy multiple times per day
Bug escape rate trending down
Team discusses quality naturally
Developers write tests without being told
Releases are boring (in a good way)

Agent Coordination Hints

Memory Namespace

aqe/holistic-testing/
├── pact-assessment/*     - PACT maturity analysis
├── quadrant-coverage/*   - Coverage per quadrant
├── team-metrics/*        - Quality ownership metrics
└── feedback-loops/*      - Cycle time data

Fleet Coordination

const holisticFleet = await FleetManager.coordinate({
  strategy: 'holistic-testing',
  pact: { proactive: true, autonomous: true, collaborative: true, targeted: true },
  agents: [
    'qe-fleet-commander',       // Orchestration
    'qe-test-generator',        // Tech quadrant
    'qe-requirements-validator', // Business quadrant
    'qe-quality-analyzer'       // Metrics
  ],
  topology: 'mesh'
});

Related Skills

agentic-quality-engineering - Agent coordination
context-driven-testing - Adapt to context
shift-left-testing - Proactive testing
risk-based-testing - Targeted testing

Remember

PACT = Proactive + Autonomous + Collaborative + Targeted

Quality is built in, not tested in. Teams own quality. QA enables, doesn't gate. Test what matters, skip what doesn't. Measure outcomes, not activities.

With Agents: Agents analyze PACT maturity, recommend quadrant coverage, and coordinate whole-team quality. Use agents to scale holistic thinking while maintaining human judgment.

holistic-testing-pact

Install Skill

SKILL.md