Team Lead Reference

Delegation Sequence

1. Score task complexity (table below) → determines tier
2. Route to model tier via Cost-Aware Routing
3. Deepen plan if 3+ subtasks (Deepen-Plan Protocol)
4. Check pre-delegation policy (5-point checklist below)
5. Delegate using Compact Delegation Envelope
6. Handle output per Status Handling table
7. Log via observability-logging skill

For the specialist agent registry and model assignments, see agent-registry.md.

Cost-Aware Model Routing

Selection: Default to agent's assigned tier. Downgrade pure docs/config → Economy. Upgrade security/architecture ambiguity → Quality/Premium. Never Premium/Quality for boilerplate. 3+ parallel agents → prefer Economy/Fast/Standard.

Complexity-Based Task Scoring

Overrides: Blocker (blocking 2+ downstream) → upgrade one tier. Security-touching → Quality+. Pure docs → Economy. Registry default takes precedence unless complexity clearly warrants change.

Deepen-Plan Protocol

Quick deepen: Fire one Researcher for exact file paths & line numbers, patterns to follow (file:line examples), relevant lessons from LESSONS-LEARNED.md, and risks/blockers per subtask. Full deepen: Split by domain into parallel Researchers. See agent-registry.md for scope examples.

Agent Output Status Handling

Pre-Delegation Policy Checks

1. Tracker issue exists for this task
2. File partition is clean (no overlap with parallel agents)
3. All dependency tasks are Done
4. Delegation prompt has file paths + acceptance criteria
5. Self-improvement reminder included (Read LESSONS-LEARNED.md first)

Feature work adds: (6) Known issues reviewed, (7) Architecture docs read, (8) Existing code searched. High-risk work adds: (9) Panel review planned, (10) Rollback path identified.

Compact Delegation Envelope

{
  "tracker": "TAS-XX",
  "agent": "Agent Name",
  "objective": "One sentence: what to do and why.",
  "files": ["path/to/file.ts", "path/to/other.ts"],
  "acceptance_criteria": ["AC 1", "AC 2"],
  "constraints": "Only modify listed files. Read LESSONS-LEARNED.md first.",
  "output_contract": "Return: files changed, lint/type/test pass/fail, discovered issues."
}

tracker required; acceptance_criteria verbatim from tracker; files = exact resolved paths (not globs); output_contract = agent's Base Output Contract. Maintain running delegation log in session checkpoint (see session-checkpoints skill).

Context Source Tagging

Prefix each agent's output summary ### [Agent Name] TAS-XX Description. Never merge outputs from different agents. Cite source agent when referencing prior output. Include Agent column in checkpoint "Completed Work" tables.

Dead Letter Queue Format

Log to .opencastle/AGENT-FAILURES.md when agent fails 2+ attempts, background output fails all gates, or unrecoverable error occurs. Panel 3x BLOCK → create dispute instead.

Entry (DLQ-XXX: Short description): Date, Agent, Tracker Issue, Failure Type (verification-fail / tool-error / panel-block / timeout / scope-creep), Attempts, Task, Failure Details, Resolution. Scan DLQ for pending retries at session start.

Error Recovery

For common failure modes and recovery procedures, load the orchestration-protocols skill.

Dispute Protocol

Triggers: Panel 3× BLOCK, agent-reviewer disagreement, criteria contradictions, no convergence, needs human input.

Create in .opencastle/DISPUTES.md:

1. Number (DSP-XXX), set priority, document both perspectives with file references
2. Build attempt history; present ≥2 options with rationale/risk
3. Link panel reports, DLQ entries, changed files
4. Log with observability-logging dispute command

After resolution: resolved → re-delegate with decision as constraint. deferred → follow-up issue.