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+# govoplan-cases
+
+`govoplan-cases` will own formal administrative case records for GovOPlaN.
+
+The module should stay focused on case identity, lifecycle state, assignments,
+deadlines, participants, evidence links, and case-level audit context. It should
+not own forms, files, workflow execution, task queues, templates, payments, or
+mail delivery; those are integrated through GovOPlaN capabilities, events,
+commands, and DTOs.
+
+See [docs/CONCEPT.md](docs/CONCEPT.md) for the current module concept.
diff --git a/docs/CONCEPT.md b/docs/CONCEPT.md
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+# govoplan-cases Concept
+
+## Purpose
+
+`govoplan-cases` is the formal administrative case module. It creates a durable
+container for a procedure such as a permit application, inspection, complaint,
+grant request, or internal administrative matter.
+
+The case is not the workflow engine and not the file store. It is the stable
+record that ties together participants, status, assignments, deadlines,
+evidence, decisions, communications, audit events, and retention references.
+
+## Ownership
+
+The module owns:
+
+- case identifiers, references, titles, types, and status
+- case parties and role labels such as applicant, assignee, reviewer, and owner
+- case metadata and tags
+- due dates, service-level targets, and milestone dates
+- links to evidence provided by other modules
+- case comments and internal notes once the collaboration boundary is decided
+- case-level access checks and resource ACL contributions
+- case event emission for lifecycle changes
+- case summary APIs and WebUI route contributions
+
+The module does not own:
+
+- form submissions and validation, owned by forms/forms-runtime
+- binary file storage, owned by files or DMS
+- workflow state machines and transition execution, owned by workflow
+- work queues and task assignment semantics, owned by tasks
+- generated documents, owned by templates/DMS
+- appointments, mail, notifications, postbox, payments, or ledger postings
+
+## Core Contracts
+
+The module should integrate through:
+
+- module manifest metadata, route factories, permissions, and migrations
+- a `cases.access` or similar case access capability for resource checks
+- a `cases.summary` capability for dashboards and cross-module previews
+- events such as `case.created`, `case.updated`, `case.status_changed`,
+  `case.assigned`, and `case.closed`
+- commands such as `cases.open`, `cases.update_status`, `cases.link_evidence`,
+  and `cases.assign`
+- DTOs with stable IDs and labels, not ORM objects
+
+Other modules should link to a case by stable references:
+
+```json
+{
+  "case_id": "case-uuid",
+  "tenant_id": "tenant-uuid",
+  "relation": "submission"
+}
+```
+
+## Reference Journey
+
+Permit-to-payment MVP:
+
+1. Portal/forms runtime receives a public application.
+2. Workflow asks cases to create a case record.
+3. Files/DMS links uploaded evidence to the case.
+4. Tasks assigns an internal review task.
+5. Workflow moves the case from intake to review to appointment to decision.
+6. Templates generates the permit or decision document and links it to the case.
+7. Payments links payment evidence.
+8. Audit and records retain the case history.
+
+## MVP Slice
+
+The first implementation should provide:
+
+- case type registry with a minimal tenant-local configuration
+- create/list/read/update case APIs
+- status values with a simple configurable catalog
+- parties and assignments stored as access subject references
+- evidence links as module/resource references
+- case timeline from local events plus linked audit event IDs
+- basic WebUI list/detail route
+- resource ACL provider for case read/update
+- tenant summary provider for dashboard counts
+
+## Permissions
+
+Candidate scopes:
+
+- `cases:case:read`
+- `cases:case:create`
+- `cases:case:update`
+- `cases:case:assign`
+- `cases:case:close`
+- `cases:case:admin`
+
+Access decisions should combine tenant permissions, case ownership/assignment,
+and explicit case shares when those are introduced.
+
+## Data Model Sketch
+
+Candidate tables:
+
+- `cases`
+- `case_parties`
+- `case_assignments`
+- `case_evidence_links`
+- `case_timeline_entries`
+- `case_type_definitions`
+- `case_status_definitions`
+
+Evidence links should store only stable module/resource references and display
+metadata snapshots. The owning module remains responsible for the real object.
+
+## WebUI
+
+Initial route contributions:
+
+- `/cases`
+- `/cases/:caseId`
+
+The case detail view should expose extension points for linked forms, files,
+tasks, workflow state, appointments, documents, communication, payment evidence,
+and audit timeline. Extension points must be declarative; no direct UI imports
+from sibling modules.
+
+## Tests
+
+Minimum tests:
+
+- core can start with cases present and sibling modules absent
+- creating a case emits a case event and audit event
+- case ACL blocks unauthorized read/update
+- evidence links accept only module/resource references
+- optional modules can contribute detail panels without direct imports
+- migration metadata registers through the module manifest
+
+## Open Decisions
+
+- Whether comments belong in cases, tasks, or a collaboration module.
+- Whether case type/status catalogs are fully configurable in MVP or seeded.
+- How records/legal-hold integration should own retention of closed cases.
+- Whether case shares are local to cases or use a generic resource ACL module.