Phase 1 project prototype

phase1_plan.md

@@ -117,10 +117,25 @@ Sprint 3: BLS CPI-U (independent) │
   + CLI + Validation ─────────────┤
                                    ▼
 Sprint 4: Stretch scraper ────── Phase 1 Complete
+                                   │
+Phase 2: SKIPPED (folded into dashboard queries)
+                                   │
+Sprint 5: Dash dashboard ──────── Phase 3 Prototype
 ```
 
 ---
 
+## Phase 2 Skip Decision (March 2026)
+
+Phase 2 (data pipeline & normalization) was **skipped** for the initial prototype. All derived metrics — admin cost ratios, CPI adjustments, compensation growth indices — are computed directly in dashboard SQL queries rather than a separate normalized schema.
+
+**Rationale:** With a single institution (UD) and a populated DuckDB, the query layer is sufficient for a local prototype. A proper Phase 2 with dbt transformations and a unified analytical schema should be built before:
+- Expanding to multi-institution comparisons (Phase 4)
+- Moving to a production React dashboard (Phase 3 full build)
+- Adding complex cross-source joins that benefit from materialized views
+
+---
+
 ## Technical Decisions
 
 | Decision | Choice | Rationale |