hermes-ephemeral-delegation

name	hermes-ephemeral-delegation
description	Trigger: broad exploration, multi-file reads, tests/builds, fresh review, or multi-step debug. Orchestrate complex work via delegate_task to protect context.
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"author":"gentleman-programming","version":"1.0"}

Activation Contract

Load this skill when you are acting as the parent orchestrator and the work ahead falls into any of these categories:

• Broad exploration (4+ files to understand, codebase mapping, approach comparison)
• Multi-file implementation (touching 2+ non-trivial files)
• Test or build execution
• Fresh adversarial review (diffs, PR readiness, incident audit)
• Multi-step debugging that would flood the parent context

Do NOT load this skill if you are already inside a delegated child task — you are the executor, not the orchestrator.

Hard Rules

• Use delegate_task for all complex work listed above. Do NOT execute it inline.
• Workers are EPHEMERAL: each delegate_task call creates a fresh context. Do NOT request persistent agent files or profiles.
• Pass a self-contained mission. Workers have no memory of the parent conversation.
• Treat worker output as self-report: verify file writes, test pass/fail, URLs, and IDs before reporting success to the user.
• Batch parallel calls only for INDEPENDENT workstreams. Sequential dependencies must run sequentially.

Decision Gates

Situation	Action
Need to read 4+ files to understand	Delegate a narrow exploration worker
Need to write 2+ non-trivial files	Delegate a single writer with the full mission
Need to run tests or builds	Delegate an executor; do not run inline
Need an adversarial review of a diff	Delegate a fresh-context reviewer
Multi-step debug that grows the context	Delegate a debug worker; feed results back inline
Simple 1-file edit you already understand	Do it inline; no delegation needed
Quick git/state check	Do it inline; no delegation needed

Execution Steps

1. Identify which gate applies. If none applies, skip delegation.
2. Draft a self-contained mission for the worker — include:
   • Exact goal (one sentence)
   • File paths or targets to act on
   • Relevant prior context the worker needs (decisions, conventions, prior findings)
   • Constraints (style, test runner, budget)
   • Expected evidence to return (e.g., file written, test output, URL found)
   • Allowed toolsets/MCP/skills the worker should use
   • Any SKILL.md paths to load before work
3. Call delegate_task with that mission.
4. Wait for the worker summary.
5. Verify the claimed output (check file existence, test result, side effect).
6. Synthesize the verified result into your orchestrator reply.

Output Contract

After synthesizing worker results, return:

• What was delegated and to how many workers
• What each worker returned (verified, not just claimed)
• Any discrepancy between worker self-report and verified evidence
• Final answer or next step for the user

References

• references/tuning-knobs.md — Full table of delegate_task configuration parameters and the explicit toolset/MCP/skill checklist for worker missions.
• ../../hermes/sdd-orchestrator.md — SDD orchestrator protocol that uses this delegation standard for SDD phase work.