feat: add the board bootstrap script, with the Priority tiers the board actually has

.claude/agent-memory/product-owner/MEMORY.md

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+- [Board field IDs](project_board_field_ids.md) — GraphQL node/field/option IDs for Status/Priority/Awaiting; Priority has NO P0 option, only P1-P4
+- [Digest column ≠ board presence](project_backlog_board_state_2026_08_16.md) — the digest derives a column whether or not a card exists; diff `item-list` against `issue list` before trusting sync

.claude/agent-memory/product-owner/project_backlog_board_state_2026_08_16.md

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+---
+name: project_backlog_board_state_2026_08_16
+description: The digest deriving a column for an issue does not mean the issue is on the board — learned when a 2026-08-16 pass found 1 card against 36 open issues
+metadata:
+  type: project
+---
+
+Before this pass, the board (project 1) had exactly **one** card (#611,
+P1/Backlog) despite 36 open issues existing. `backlog-digest.sh` derives a
+`column` for every open issue regardless of whether it's on the board, which
+made this easy to miss without diffing against `gh project item-list`
+directly — the digest's presence doesn't imply board presence.
+
+**Why:** board-init/bootstrap work (PRs around #609-611 per recent commits)
+created the project and field schema but never did a bulk backlog import —
+only the issue that happened to be filed around that time landed on it.
+
+**How to apply:** before trusting "the board is roughly in sync," diff
+`gh project item-list` counts against `gh issue list --state open` counts.
+Don't assume prior passes kept the board populated.
+
+See [[project_board_field_ids]] for the GraphQL mechanics used.

.claude/agent-memory/product-owner/project_board_field_ids.md

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+---
+name: project_board_field_ids
+description: GraphQL node/field/option IDs for the backlog board (project 1) — Status, Priority, Awaiting — and the Priority field's real options
+metadata:
+  type: project
+---
+
+Board GraphQL IDs, confirmed working 2026-08-16 via a full-board write pass
+(all 36 open issues added, Status/Priority/Awaiting set on every card):
+
+- Project id: `PVT_kwHOACEigM4Bgiwa`
+- Status field: `PVTSSF_lAHOACEigM4Bgiwazhfh7Mg` — options: Backlog `f75ad846`,
+  Analysis `012dae50`, Ready for Dev `456880aa`, In Progress `47fc9ee4`,
+  In Review `58ad8ead`, Done `98236657`
+- Priority field: `PVTSSF_lAHOACEigM4Bgiwazhfh7NQ` — options are **P1 `131c5c2f`,
+  P2 `107b9947`, P3 `6d4b1494`, P4 `4d153125`. There is no P0 option** — the
+  "P0 da61340b" that older skill and task text referenced does not exist on
+  the live field. Treat P1 as the top tier.
+- Awaiting field: `PVTSSF_lAHOACEigM4Bgiwazhfh7Nw` — options: reporter
+  `71ef723a`, discussion `82098dd9`, upstream `16ca2f41`, analysis `c7538747`
+
+Mutation shape that works: `addProjectV2ItemById(input: {projectId, contentId})`
+to add a card (contentId = issue node id from `gh issue list --json id`), then
+`updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue(input: {projectId, itemId, fieldId, value:
+{singleSelectOptionId}})` per field. Run via
+`scripts/gh-agent.sh --as po api graphql -f query='...' -f name=value ...`
+from inside the repo checkout (it resolves `.env` via `git rev-parse
+--git-common-dir`, so it fails silently with "BESS_PO_TOKEN not set" if run
+from a non-repo cwd like a scratch tmpdir).
+
+See [[project_backlog_board_state_2026_08_16]] for what was actually on the
+board before/after this pass.

backend/tests/test_backlog_board_init.py

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+"""Tests for scripts/backlog-board-init.sh — the one-shot board bootstrap.
+
+The script's every effect is a `gh project` call, so `gh` is a shim on PATH
+that records its arguments and replays canned output — the same technique
+test_backlog_digest.py uses. That is enough to pin the three things worth
+pinning: the Priority tiers it creates, that an existing board is left alone,
+and that a failed lookup does not become a second board.
+
+Priority is the reason this file exists. It was created as `P0,P1,P2` — a
+tier the live board does not have, missing two the digest ranks on — and a
+plain string literal can drift back with nothing to catch it.
+"""
+
+import os
+import stat
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+SCRIPT = REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / "backlog-board-init.sh"
+
+
+def _make_gh(bin_dir: Path, log: Path, *, list_output: str, list_rc: int = 0) -> None:
+    """A `gh` that logs every invocation and answers the calls the script makes.
+
+    `auth status` must mention the project scope or the script stops early;
+    `project list` is the idempotency lookup; `project create` returns a
+    number; `project field-create` is what we assert on.
+    """
+    body = f"""
+echo "$@" >> "{log}"
+case "$1 $2" in
+  "auth status") echo "✓ Logged in, scopes: repo, project" ;;
+  "project list") printf '%s' '{list_output}'; exit {list_rc} ;;
+  "project create") echo 7 ;;
+  "project field-create") ;;
+  *) ;;
+esac
+exit 0
+"""
+    p = bin_dir / "gh"
+    p.write_text("#!/bin/sh\n" + body)
+    p.chmod(p.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IEXEC)
+
+
+def _run(
+    tmp_path: Path, **gh_kwargs: object
+) -> tuple[subprocess.CompletedProcess, str]:
+    bin_dir = tmp_path / "bin"
+    bin_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    log = tmp_path / "gh.log"
+    log.write_text("")
+    _make_gh(bin_dir, log, **gh_kwargs)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+    env = dict(os.environ, PATH=f"{bin_dir}:{os.environ['PATH']}")
+    proc = subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", str(SCRIPT)],
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        env=env,
+    )
+    return proc, log.read_text()
+
+
+def test_priority_field_is_created_with_the_tiers_the_board_has(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+) -> None:
+    """P1-P4, and no P0 — matching the live board, the skill and the digest."""
+    proc, calls = _run(tmp_path, list_output="")
+
+    assert proc.returncode == 0, proc.stderr
+    priority = [
+        line
+        for line in calls.splitlines()
+        if "field-create" in line and "Priority" in line
+    ]
+    assert len(priority) == 1, calls
+    assert "P1,P2,P3,P4" in priority[0]
+    assert "P0" not in priority[0]
+
+
+def test_an_existing_board_is_reported_and_left_alone(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """Idempotence: report the number, create nothing."""
+    proc, calls = _run(tmp_path, list_output="3")
+
+    assert proc.returncode == 0, proc.stderr
+    assert "PROJECT_NUMBER 3" in proc.stdout
+    assert "project create" not in calls
+    assert "field-create" not in calls
+
+
+def test_a_failed_lookup_does_not_create_a_second_board(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A lookup that errors must not read as "no board exists".
+
+    This is the whole reason the lookup is not `|| true`: an empty result and
+    a failed call are indistinguishable afterwards, and the script creates a
+    board when it sees the former.
+    """
+    proc, calls = _run(tmp_path, list_output="", list_rc=1)
+
+    assert proc.returncode != 0
+    assert "project create" not in calls
+    assert "could not list projects" in proc.stderr

scripts/backlog-board-init.sh

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+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Create the Product Owner's kanban board, once. Idempotent: if a project with
+# this title already exists, print its number and change nothing.
+#
+# Run this as the MAINTAINER, not as the PO identity. A GitHub user cannot
+# create a Project inside another user's account, and the board deliberately
+# lives under the maintainer's account — it is their backlog and where they
+# will look for it. `scripts/gh-agent.sh --as po project list --owner
+# johanzander` returns "unknown owner type" for exactly this reason.
+#
+# The PO then gets write access to the board as a project collaborator, which
+# is a separate grant from repo collaboration — repo write does NOT imply
+# project write. That step is manual (see the end of this script's output):
+# the Projects v2 API exposes no collaborator-invite mutation.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   scripts/backlog-board-init.sh            # create or report the board
+#
+# Output (stdout, last line):
+#   PROJECT_NUMBER <n>
+set -euo pipefail
+
+owner="${PROJECT_OWNER:-johanzander}"
+title="BESS Manager Backlog"
+
+# `gh project` needs the `project` scope. Fail with the fix rather than a raw
+# GraphQL error — this is the single most common setup failure here.
+if ! gh auth status 2>&1 | grep -q "project"; then
+  echo "backlog-board-init.sh: your gh token lacks the 'project' scope." >&2
+  echo "  Fix: gh auth refresh -s project" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# `|| true` here would be the difference between "no such board" and "the
+# lookup failed", and this script creates a board when it sees the former. A
+# rate limit or a transient GraphQL error would therefore produce a SECOND
+# "BESS Manager Backlog" project, breaking the idempotence promised above. So
+# a failed lookup stops the run instead of being read as an empty result.
+if ! existing=$(gh project list --owner "$owner" --format json \
+  --jq ".projects[] | select(.title == \"$title\") | .number"); then
+  echo "backlog-board-init.sh: could not list projects for '$owner'." >&2
+  echo "  Refusing to create a board without knowing whether one exists." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$existing" ]; then
+  echo "Board already exists — nothing changed." >&2
+  echo "PROJECT_NUMBER $existing"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+number=$(gh project create --owner "$owner" --title "$title" \
+  --format json --jq '.number')
+
+echo "Created project #$number." >&2
+
+# Custom fields. The built-in Status field carries the columns and is edited
+# separately (see the closing instructions) — `gh` cannot rewrite the options
+# of a built-in single-select field.
+#
+# Priority is P1-P4 with no P0: that is what the live board carries, what the
+# backlog skill documents, and what the digest ranks on. A P0 here would
+# create an option no consumer reads.
+gh project field-create "$number" --owner "$owner" \
+  --name "Priority" --data-type SINGLE_SELECT \
+  --single-select-options "P1,P2,P3,P4" >/dev/null
+echo "  + Priority field (P1,P2,P3,P4)" >&2
+
+gh project field-create "$number" --owner "$owner" \
+  --name "Source" --data-type SINGLE_SELECT \
+  --single-select-options "issue,TODO" >/dev/null
+echo "  + Source field (issue,TODO)" >&2
+
+gh project field-create "$number" --owner "$owner" \
+  --name "Awaiting" --data-type SINGLE_SELECT \
+  --single-select-options "reporter,discussion,upstream,analysis" >/dev/null
+echo "  + Awaiting field (reporter,discussion,upstream,analysis)" >&2
+
+cat >&2 <<REMAINING
+
+Two steps remain and neither can be scripted — the Projects v2 API exposes no
+mutation for either:
+
+  1. Columns. Open the board, edit the built-in Status field, and set its
+     options to exactly:
+       Backlog, Analysis, Ready for Dev, In Progress, In Review, Done
+     The digest derives these names; a mismatch silently strands cards.
+
+  2. PO access. Project -> ... -> Settings -> Manage access -> invite
+     bess-product-owner with write. Repo collaboration does NOT grant project
+     access, so without this every board write fails as the PO.
+
+Then export PROJECT_NUMBER=$number (or add it to your shell profile) and run
+scripts/backlog-digest.sh to confirm the board is readable.
+
+REMAINING
+
+echo "PROJECT_NUMBER $number"