delegate

name	delegate
description	Delegate task to specialist agent when expertise required: Initialize as specialist (Planning Petra, Backend Benny, Architect Alphonso, etc.) OR spawn sub-agent if available. Use when task requires specialized knowledge in agent's core focus area.
version	1.0.0
type	coordination
category	agent-handoff

Delegate: Specialist Agent Handoff

Recognize when a task requires specialist expertise and delegate by initializing as the appropriate specialist agent OR spawning a sub-agent (if Task tool available).

Instructions

Step 1: Recognize Delegation Trigger

Delegate when task requires:

• Specialized domain knowledge (architecture, planning, backend, frontend, etc.)
• Agent-specific workflows or methodologies
• Access to agent-specific context or tools
• Expertise beyond generalist capabilities

Do NOT delegate when:

• Task is simple and within current capability
• Overhead of delegation exceeds task complexity
• Current agent can complete efficiently

---

Step 2: Identify Specialist Agent

Agent	Alias	Core Focus	When to Delegate
Planning Petra	planning-petra	Coordination, roadmaps, status tracking	Planning, batch creation, progress assessment, executive summaries
Architect Alphonso	architect	Architecture, ADRs, design review	Code review, architectural decisions, ADR creation, design validation
Backend Benny	backend-dev	Backend implementation	Python/Java code, APIs, services, database, backend tests
Frontend Freddy	frontend-dev	Frontend implementation	UI code, JavaScript/TypeScript, React/Vue, styling, frontend tests
Scribe Sally	scribe	Specification writing	Feature specs, requirements, acceptance criteria, traceability
Analyst Annie	analyst	Research, analysis	Investigations, comparative studies, data analysis, retrospectives
Writer-Editor	writer-editor	Documentation	User guides, API docs, technical writing, content editing
DevOps Danny	devops	Automation, CI/CD	Build scripts, deployment, infrastructure, pipeline configuration
Framework Guardian	framework-guardian	Testing infrastructure	Test frameworks, CI setup, quality gates, test architecture
Lexical Larry	lexical	Style, tone, editing	Lexical analysis, style consistency, minimal edits
Curator Claire	curator	Artifact maintenance	Directory curation, normalization, consistency checks
Editor Eddy	editor	Content revision

---

Step 3: Choose Delegation Method

Option A: Spawn Sub-Agent (Preferred if available)

Use Task tool to spawn specialist:

Use Task tool with appropriate subagent_type:

Examples:
- subagent_type="Plan" for architecture planning
- subagent_type="Explore" for codebase research
- subagent_type="backend-benny" for backend implementation
- subagent_type="architect-alphonso" for review

Benefits:
- Parallel execution possible
- Preserves main context
- Clean separation of concerns

Example:

User: "Create an ADR for the dashboard architecture"

Agent: [Recognizes: Architect expertise needed]

Action: Spawn sub-agent
  - Task tool: subagent_type="architect-alphonso"
  - Prompt: "Create ADR-032 for Real-Time Execution Dashboard"
  - Run in background if desired

Result: Architect Alphonso creates ADR in parallel

Option B: Initialize as Specialist (Fallback)

When Task tool not available or synchronous execution needed:

## Agent Initialization

**Transitioning to:** [Specialist Agent Name]
**Reason:** [Why delegation needed]
**Original Context:** [Brief summary to preserve]

---

[Continue as specialist agent with their perspective and expertise]

Example:

User: "Review the GenericYAMLAdapter implementation"

Agent: This requires architecture expertise and code review skills.
  Delegating to Architect Alphonso...

## Agent Initialization

**Transitioning to:** Architect Alphonso
**Reason:** Code review requires architectural validation against ADR-029
**Original Context:** GenericYAMLAdapter implementation complete (M2 Batch 2.3)

---

[Now operating as Architect Alphonso]

Reviewing GenericYAMLAdapter against ADR-029 (Adapter Interface Design)...

✅ ADR Compliance: Follows base adapter pattern correctly
✅ Test Coverage: 92% (excellent)
✅ Security: ENV variable validation present
...

---

Delegation Patterns

Pattern 1: Planning Request

Trigger: "What's our current status?" or "What should we work on next?"

Delegate to: Planning Petra

Example:

User: What's our current progress on the LLM-service layer?

Agent: This requires Planning Petra's coordination expertise.

## Agent Initialization

**Transitioning to:** Planning Petra
**Reason:** Status assessment and progress tracking

---

[Now as Planning Petra]

Assessing LLM-service layer progress:
- Current: M2 Tool Integration - 100% complete ✅
- Next: M3 Telemetry Infrastructure - 0/3 tasks
- Overall: 45% complete (M1-M2 done, M3-M4 remaining)
- Health: 🟢 ON TRACK
...

Pattern 2: Architecture Review

Trigger: "Review this code" or "Is this architecture sound?"

Delegate to: Architect Alphonso

Example:

User: Review the dashboard implementation

Agent: Code review requires Architect Alphonso's expertise.

[Spawn sub-agent with Task tool OR initialize as Alphonso]

Result: Comprehensive review with ADR compliance, test coverage,
        security analysis, recommendations

Pattern 3: Implementation Request

Trigger: "Implement feature X" or "Fix this bug"

Delegate to: Backend Benny / Frontend Freddy

Example:

User: Implement the GenericYAMLAdapter with ENV support

Agent: Backend implementation task detected.
  Delegating to Backend Benny...

## Agent Initialization

**Transitioning to:** Backend-dev Benny
**Reason:** Python implementation with TDD

---

[Now as Backend Benny]

Starting M2 Batch 2.3: GenericYAMLAdapter

Phase 1: Write failing tests (TDD RED phase)...

Pattern 4: Specification Creation

Trigger: "Create a spec for feature X" or "Define requirements"

Delegate to: Scribe Sally or Analyst Annie

Example:

User: Create specification for real-time dashboard

Agent: Specification writing requires Scribe Sally's expertise.

[Initialize as Scribe Sally]

Creating specification: Real-Time Execution Dashboard
- User story: As a Software Engineer, I want real-time visibility...
- Requirements: 21 total (8 MUST, 5 SHOULD, 4 COULD, 4 WON'T)
- Scenarios: 6 (Given/When/Then format)
- Location: specifications/llm-dashboard/real-time-execution-dashboard.md

Pattern 5: Research & Analysis

Trigger: "Investigate X" or "Analyze Y" or "Compare options"

Delegate to: Analyst Annie or Researcher Ralph

Example:

User: Compare our dashboard approach to spec-kitty

Agent: Comparative analysis requires Analyst Annie's research skills.

[Spawn Explore sub-agent OR initialize as Analyst Annie]

Result: 51KB comparative analysis document with:
- Feature comparison table
- Architectural patterns
- Top 5 learnings with ROI
- Integration opportunities

---

Delegation Decision Tree

User Request
    |
    ├─ Planning/Status/Coordination?
    |  └─> Delegate to Planning Petra
    |
    ├─ Architecture/Review/ADR?
    |  └─> Delegate to Architect Alphonso
    |
    ├─ Implementation (Backend)?
    |  └─> Delegate to Backend Benny
    |
    ├─ Implementation (Frontend)?
    |  └─> Delegate to Frontend Freddy
    |
    ├─ Specification/Requirements?
    |  └─> Delegate to Scribe Sally
    |
    ├─ Research/Analysis/Investigation?
    |  └─> Delegate to Analyst Annie
    |
    ├─ Documentation/Writing?
    |  └─> Delegate to Writer-Editor
    |
    ├─ CI/CD/Automation?
    |  └─> Delegate to DevOps Danny
    |
    ├─ Style/Editing?
    |  └─> Delegate to Lexical Larry
    |
    └─ Simple/General?
       └─> Handle directly (no delegation)

---

Best Practices

When to Delegate ✅

• Specialized Knowledge Required: Architecture, planning, testing frameworks
• Domain Expertise Needed: Backend vs. frontend, infrastructure vs. application
• Methodology-Specific Work: TDD (Backend Benny), ADRs (Architect), specs (Scribe)
• Agent-Specific Context: Access to agent's work history, patterns, decisions

When NOT to Delegate ❌

• Simple Tasks: Reading a file, answering basic questions
• Current Agent Capable: Task within generalist capabilities
• Excessive Overhead: Delegation takes longer than doing task
• No Clear Specialist: Task doesn't map to any agent's core focus

Delegation Hygiene

1. Clear Handoff:

   • Explain WHY delegating
   • Summarize relevant context
   • State expected outcome

2. Preserve Context:

   • Document original request
   • Note key constraints or preferences
   • Link related artifacts

3. Return to Original:

   • After specialist work complete
   • Summarize what was done
   • Continue original conversation flow

---

Anti-Patterns

❌ Delegation Ping-Pong:

• Bouncing between agents without progress
• Solution: Identify correct agent upfront

❌ Over-Delegation:

• Delegating trivial tasks
• Solution: Handle simple work directly

❌ Under-Delegation:

• Attempting work beyond expertise
• Solution: Recognize when specialist needed

❌ Context Loss:

• Delegating without preserving context
• Solution: Include relevant background in handoff

---

Integration with Skills

Use with:

• /iterate - Delegates to specialists during batch execution
• /review - Delegates to Architect Alphonso
• /status - Delegates to Planning Petra
• /fix-bug - Delegates to Backend/Frontend dev
• /spec-create - Delegates to Scribe Sally

Example Combined Usage:

User: /iterate

[Planning Petra]: Assesses state, identifies next batch
[Backend Benny]: Executes implementation tasks with TDD
[Planning Petra]: Updates artifacts, provides summary
[Architect Alphonso]: Reviews code (delegated)

---

References

• Approach: .github/agents/approaches/agent-profile-handoff-patterns.md
• Agent Profiles: .github/agents/directives/005_agent_profiles.md
• Role Capabilities: .github/agents/directives/009_role_capabilities.md
• Prompt Template: agents/prompts/iteration-orchestration.md (Agent Profiles section)