task-prioritizer

name	task-prioritizer
description	Prioritizes tasks based on dependencies, business value, resource availability, and project goals. Use when you need to determine task execution order or prioritize work. Considers dependencies, value, urgency, and resource constraints.

Task Prioritizer Skill

Instructions

1. Review all tasks and their characteristics
2. Identify task dependencies
3. Assess business value and urgency
4. Consider resource availability
5. Apply prioritization criteria
6. Rank tasks by priority
7. Create prioritized task list

Prioritization Process

Step 1: Analyze Tasks

• Review all tasks
• Understand task requirements
• Identify task types
• Note task complexity

Step 2: Identify Dependencies

• Map task dependencies
• Identify critical path
• Note blocking tasks
• Identify parallel opportunities

Step 3: Assess Value

• Determine business value
• Assess user impact
• Consider strategic importance
• Note urgency

Step 4: Consider Resources

• Check resource availability
• Consider agent capacity
• Note resource constraints
• Plan resource allocation

Step 5: Apply Prioritization

• Apply prioritization criteria
• Rank tasks
• Create priority groups
• Plan execution order

Prioritization Criteria

Dependency-Based Priority

• Blocking Tasks: Tasks that block others (High priority)
• Dependent Tasks: Tasks that depend on others (After dependencies)
• Independent Tasks: Can run in parallel (Flexible priority)

Value-Based Priority

• High Value: Critical features, user-facing, revenue-impacting
• Medium Value: Important features, nice-to-have
• Low Value: Nice-to-have, polish, optimization

Urgency-Based Priority

• Critical: Must be done immediately
• High: Should be done soon
• Medium: Can be done in normal course
• Low: Can be deferred

Risk-Based Priority

• High Risk: Complex, uncertain, high impact if fails
• Medium Risk: Moderate complexity and impact
• Low Risk: Simple, well-understood

Priority Levels

P0 - Critical

• Blocks other work
• Critical path items
• Must be done first
• High business value
• High urgency

P1 - High

• Important features
• High business value
• Should be done soon
• May block some work

P2 - Medium

• Standard features
• Medium business value
• Normal priority
• Can be done in normal course

P3 - Low

• Nice-to-have features
• Low business value
• Can be deferred
• Optimization and polish

Prioritization Output Format

## Task Prioritization

### Priority Groups

#### P0 - Critical (Do First)
- TASK-001: [description] - [rationale]
- TASK-002: [description] - [rationale]

#### P1 - High (Do Soon)
- TASK-003: [description] - [rationale]
- TASK-004: [description] - [rationale]

#### P2 - Medium (Normal Priority)
- TASK-005: [description] - [rationale]

#### P3 - Low (Can Defer)
- TASK-006: [description] - [rationale]

### Execution Order
1. [Phase]: [tasks]
2. [Phase]: [tasks]

### Critical Path
[Tasks that must be done sequentially]

### Parallel Opportunities
[Tasks that can run in parallel]

### Rationale
[Overall prioritization rationale]

Examples

Example 1: Dependency-Based Prioritization

Input: Prioritize tasks with dependencies

Output:

## Task Prioritization

### Priority Groups

#### P0 - Critical (Do First)
- TASK-001: Create specification - Blocks all other work
- TASK-002: Set up database schema - Blocks implementation tasks
- TASK-003: Break specification into tasks - Required before design/implementation

#### P1 - High (Do Soon)
- TASK-004: Design user interface - Blocks frontend implementation
- TASK-005: Design API structure - Blocks backend implementation

#### P2 - Medium (Normal Priority)
- TASK-006: Implement backend API - Depends on TASK-005
- TASK-007: Implement frontend - Depends on TASK-004

#### P3 - Low (Can Defer)
- TASK-008: Add documentation - Can be done after implementation
- TASK-009: Performance optimization - Can be deferred

### Execution Order
1. **Phase 1 (Sequential)**:
   - TASK-001: Create specification
   - TASK-003: Break into tasks
   - TASK-002: Set up database

2. **Phase 2 (Parallel)**:
   - TASK-004: Design UI
   - TASK-005: Design API

3. **Phase 3 (Parallel)**:
   - TASK-006: Implement backend
   - TASK-007: Implement frontend

4. **Phase 4**:
   - TASK-008: Documentation
   - TASK-009: Optimization

### Critical Path
TASK-001 → TASK-003 → TASK-002 → TASK-005 → TASK-006

### Parallel Opportunities
- Phase 2: TASK-004 and TASK-005 can run in parallel
- Phase 3: TASK-006 and TASK-007 can run in parallel

### Rationale
Prioritization is primarily dependency-based. Foundation tasks (specification, database) must come first. Design tasks can run in parallel, then implementation. Documentation and optimization can be deferred.

Example 2: Value-Based Prioritization

Input: Prioritize tasks by business value

Output:

## Task Prioritization

### Priority Groups

#### P0 - Critical (Do First)
- TASK-001: User authentication - Critical for security and user access
- TASK-002: Core feature implementation - Primary business value

#### P1 - High (Do Soon)
- TASK-003: User dashboard - High user value
- TASK-004: Payment integration - Revenue impact

#### P2 - Medium (Normal Priority)
- TASK-005: User profile page - Standard feature
- TASK-006: Email notifications - Important but not critical

#### P3 - Low (Can Defer)
- TASK-007: UI polish - Nice-to-have
- TASK-008: Advanced search - Can be added later

### Execution Order
1. **Phase 1**: Core functionality
   - TASK-001: Authentication
   - TASK-002: Core feature

2. **Phase 2**: High-value features
   - TASK-003: Dashboard
   - TASK-004: Payments

3. **Phase 3**: Standard features
   - TASK-005: Profile
   - TASK-006: Notifications

4. **Phase 4**: Polish and enhancements
   - TASK-007: UI polish
   - TASK-008: Advanced search

### Critical Path
TASK-001 → TASK-002 → TASK-003

### Parallel Opportunities
- TASK-005 and TASK-006 can run in parallel
- TASK-007 and TASK-008 can run in parallel

### Rationale
Prioritization is value-based. Critical security and core features come first, followed by high-value user features. Standard features and polish can be done later.

Prioritization Strategies

Strategy 1: Dependency-First

• Prioritize tasks that block others
• Complete dependencies before dependents
• Enable parallel execution when possible

Strategy 2: Value-First

• Prioritize high-value tasks
• Focus on user impact
• Consider business goals

Strategy 3: Risk-First

• Address high-risk tasks early
• Reduce uncertainty
• Validate assumptions

Strategy 4: Hybrid

• Combine multiple criteria
• Balance dependencies, value, and risk
• Optimize for project goals

Best Practices

• Respect Dependencies: Never prioritize dependent tasks before dependencies
• Consider Value: Prioritize high-value work
• Enable Parallelism: Identify tasks that can run in parallel
• Balance Priorities: Consider multiple factors, not just one
• Be Flexible: Adjust priorities as project evolves
• Document Rationale: Explain why tasks are prioritized