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 specialist agent registry, 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, 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 clean (no overlap with parallel agents)
3. All dependency tasks 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, recovery procedures, load 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.