gh-issue-sequencer

name	gh-issue-sequencer
description	Maintain a clear next-work queue in GitHub Project #5 by normalizing issue status, priority, and execution order; route genuine priority tradeoffs to issue-audit.
category	github-issue
kind	atomic
phase	context
requires_write	true
requires_slurm	false
requires_benchmark_artifacts	false
delegates_to	[]
output_schema	skill_run_summary.v1

GH Issue Sequencer

Purpose

Maintain a clean Project #5 execution queue by separating clarification cleanup, readiness routing, and one-pass sequencing metadata writes. Project #5 priority is advisory; current maintainer direction and fresh evidence can override queue order. If ordering depends on a real value tradeoff, route to issue-audit for one focused priority question rather than blocking autonomous selection broadly.

Workflow

1. Prepare:
   • read docs/project_prioritization.md and docs/context/issue_713_batch_first_issue_workflow.md,
   • resolve project/field IDs once for the session,
   • check gh api rate_limit when batch size is large.
2. Inspect queue:
   • list Project #5 items and issue metadata,
   • use REST for issue fields when GraphQL is constrained.
3. Resolve blockers first:
   • route ambiguous issues to gh-issue-clarifier,
   • route implausible priorities to gh-issue-priority-assessor,
   • route genuine value tradeoffs to issue-audit priority discussion,
   • keep decision-required, blocked, duplicate, wontfix out of execution-ready ordering.
4. Normalize issue status:
   • In progress for the active item,
   • Ready for actionable and unblocked work,
   • Tracked for valid but deferred work,
   • Done for merged/closed issues.
5. Order and apply:
   • sort by explicit maintainer direction first, then higher priority, lower uncertainty, unlock factor, and oldest issue number,
   • continue autonomous ordering when the top candidate is clearly actionable,
   • use priority discussion only when two or more plausible next issues depend on a real value tradeoff that repository evidence and Project #5 fields cannot resolve,
   • apply status/priority/duration edits in one write pass,
   • run score sync once at batch end if inputs changed.
6. If writes fail (rate limits or auth), stop writes and capture exact pending mutation details.

Priority Discussion Mode

Use this mode sparingly. It exists for queue-ordering tradeoffs, not for routine approval of every autonomous issue selection.

Ask one focused priority question only when all are true:

• at least two unblocked issues are implementable now,
• their Project #5 score or labels do not clearly decide the order,
• the choice changes real maintainer value, risk, or unblock impact,
• the answer cannot be inferred from recent issue comments, PR state, or canonical docs.

Frame the question around concrete choices, for example: Should the next PR prioritize reducing CI minutes (#A) or improving benchmark provenance (#B)?

After the maintainer answers, record the decision in the relevant issue as a short comment or Maintainer priority note body entry. If the answer changes Project #5 priority fields, batch that write with the normal Project #5 metadata pass and run score sync once at the end. If the answer is only an ordering preference, do not invent new priority-score inputs.

Guardrails

• Use MCP/interactive tools when available; use gh for deterministic sequencing mutations.
• Do not interleave issue-body edits, project routing, and score sync issue-by-issue for multi-issue batches.
• Do not ask a priority question when the next issue is already clear, when a blocker/clarification question is really needed instead, or when the tradeoff is only agent convenience.
• Use follow-up handoffs rather than retry loops when quotas are temporarily exhausted.

Output

• Ordered issue queue with one-line rationale per item.
• Priority discussion question asked, answer recorded, or reason it was unnecessary.
• Status and priority changes applied.
• Unresolved blockers and next candidate issue.
• Whether final score sync completed.

When to use

Use this skill for the scope named in its frontmatter description and registry metadata.