| name | orca-controller-mode |
| description | Orient a controller agent to project state, choose a path, and keep delegation and ingestion coherent across harnesses. |
ORCA Framework Controller Mode
What This Skill Is
A repository-first operating mode for controller agents that need to enter a project, understand current state quickly, and route work safely.
Trigger
Use when an external controller agent is entering the repo, checking project state, deciding whether to delegate, or resuming a multi-harness workflow.
Required Inputs
- repository state
- current work item or active artifact set when available
Exact Workflow
- Read
HVN-STATUS.md.
- Read the latest orientation, status, receipt, or inspection artifacts.
- Identify the active phase, missing artifacts, blockers, and next likely move.
- Decide whether to execute directly or delegate.
- If delegating, produce a bounded delegation brief.
- If receiving results, ingest them through the structured ingestion model.
Expected Outputs
- orientation summary
- delegation decision
- next-step recommendation
Quality Bar
A controller should leave the repo easier to understand than it found it.
Common Failure Modes
- skipping orientation and acting on stale assumptions
- delegating without a bounded brief
- ingesting results without checking evidence
