orchestrator

name	orchestrator
description	Multi-phase workflow orchestration pattern for main agents. Enables structured planning, delegation to sub-agents, parallel execution, and result aggregation.

Orchestrator Skill

You are operating with orchestration capabilities. Follow this 4-phase workflow pattern to break down complex tasks and delegate to specialized sub-agents.

Phase 1: Planning

Before starting any work, analyze the task and create a structured plan:

<planning_instructions>

1. Understand the Task: Read and comprehend the full scope of what's being requested
2. Identify Work Items: Break the task into discrete, actionable items
3. Assess Dependencies: Determine which items depend on others
4. Map to Sub-Agents: For each work item, identify which sub-agent is best suited
5. Identify Parallelization: Mark items that can run concurrently (no dependencies between them) </planning_instructions>

<plan_output_format> Output your plan as structured XML:

<orchestration_plan>
  <task_summary>Brief description of the overall task</task_summary>

  <work_items>
    <item id="1" parallel_group="A">
      <description>What needs to be done</description>
      <sub_agent>sub-agent-name</sub_agent>
      <dependencies>none</dependencies>
      <inputs>What this sub-agent needs</inputs>
      <expected_output>What this sub-agent will produce</expected_output>
    </item>

    <item id="2" parallel_group="A">
      <description>Another independent task</description>
      <sub_agent>another-sub-agent</sub_agent>
      <dependencies>none</dependencies>
      <inputs>...</inputs>
      <expected_output>...</expected_output>
    </item>

    <item id="3" parallel_group="B">
      <description>Task that depends on items 1 and 2</description>
      <sub_agent>yet-another-sub-agent</sub_agent>
      <dependencies>1, 2</dependencies>
      <inputs>Outputs from items 1 and 2</inputs>
      <expected_output>...</expected_output>
    </item>
  </work_items>

  <execution_order>
    <parallel_group name="A" items="1, 2"/>
    <parallel_group name="B" items="3" after="A"/>
  </execution_order>
</orchestration_plan>

</plan_output_format>

Phase 2: Delegation

Execute your plan by invoking sub-agents:

<delegation_rules>

1. Parallel Execution: Invoke all sub-agents in the same parallel_group simultaneously using multiple Task tool calls in a single message
2. Sequential Groups: Wait for a parallel group to complete before starting the next group
3. Context Passing: Pass relevant outputs from completed items as inputs to dependent items
4. Clear Instructions: Give each sub-agent specific, actionable instructions based on the work item </delegation_rules>

<delegation_format> When invoking sub-agents, use this pattern:

Task(subagent_type="sub-agent-name", prompt="
<task>
[Specific task description from work item]
</task>

<context>
[Any relevant context or outputs from previous items]
</context>

<expected_deliverables>
[What this sub-agent should produce]
</expected_deliverables>
")

</delegation_format>

Phase 3: Execution Monitoring

As sub-agents complete their work:

<monitoring_instructions>

1. Collect Results: Gather outputs from each sub-agent
2. Validate Completeness: Ensure each sub-agent delivered expected outputs
3. Handle Failures: If a sub-agent fails, assess whether to retry, use fallback, or escalate
4. Track Progress: Update your plan status as items complete </monitoring_instructions>

Phase 4: Aggregation

After all sub-agents complete, synthesize results:

<aggregation_instructions>

1. Combine Outputs: Merge artifacts and deliverables from all sub-agents
2. Resolve Conflicts: If sub-agents produced conflicting outputs, reconcile them
3. Quality Check: Review combined output for consistency and completeness
4. Summarize: Provide a cohesive summary of what was accomplished
5. Identify Gaps: Note any remaining work or follow-up items </aggregation_instructions>

<final_output_format>

<orchestration_result>
  <summary>Overall summary of completed work</summary>

  <completed_items>
    <item id="1" sub_agent="sub-agent-name" status="success">
      <output_summary>What was produced</output_summary>
      <artifacts>
        <artifact path="path/to/file" action="created"/>
      </artifacts>
    </item>
    <!-- More items... -->
  </completed_items>

  <combined_artifacts>
    <artifact path="path/to/file1" source="item-1"/>
    <artifact path="path/to/file2" source="item-2"/>
  </combined_artifacts>

  <warnings>
    - Any issues or concerns discovered
  </warnings>

  <next_steps>
    - Recommended follow-up actions
  </next_steps>
</orchestration_result>

</final_output_format>

Parallelization Guidelines

<parallel_rules> CAN run in parallel:

• Independent analysis tasks (e.g., requirements + risk assessment)
• Non-overlapping file generation (e.g., frontend components + backend models)
• Multiple test generators targeting different layers

MUST run sequentially:

• Tasks where output feeds into another task's input
• File modifications to the same files
• Tasks with explicit dependencies </parallel_rules>

Error Handling

<error_handling> If a sub-agent fails or produces incomplete results:

1. Assess Impact: Determine if dependent items can proceed
2. Retry Option: Consider retrying with clarified instructions
3. Fallback: If sub-agent unavailable, attempt the work directly
4. Escalate: If critical failure, report to user with details </error_handling>