meta-decisions

name	meta-decisions
description	Meta-decision logic that adapts workflows based on task analysis — security overrides, breaking change escalation, performance paths, emergency hotfix, and documentation optimization

Meta-Decision Logic

The meta-decision layer analyzes user prompts and automatically adapts workflows.

5 Meta-Decision Rules

Rule	Trigger Keywords	Workflow Adaptation
securityOverride	auth, jwt, token, password, encrypt, session	Force @validator security-focused check
breakingChangeEscalation	breaking change, deprecate, remove API, migration	Require @architect review before any change
performanceCriticalPath	performance, optimize, slow, latency, cache	Add performance benchmarks to @tester
emergencyHotfix	hotfix, urgent, critical, production down	Streamlined workflow: @builder → @validator only
documentationOnly	docs only, readme, typo fix	Skip @builder, direct to @scribe. Precedence: if the change WRITES release artifacts (VERSION, CHANGELOG.md beyond the sprint-integration [Unreleased] entry), the release-artifact risk signal wins and the release law applies (docs/orchestrator/VERSIONING.md)

Decision Flow

User Prompt Received
    ↓
analyze-prompt.js evaluates:
    ↓
┌─ Security keywords? → securityOverride
├─ Breaking change? → breakingChangeEscalation
├─ Performance? → performanceCriticalPath
├─ Emergency? → emergencyHotfix
└─ Docs only? → documentationOnly
    ↓
None matched → Standard workflow selection

Architecture Decision Records (ADR)

Significant decisions are logged in DECISIONS.md:

## ADR-[NUMBER]: [Title]

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Status:** Accepted / Superseded / Deprecated
**Context:** [Why this decision was needed]
**Decision:** [What was decided]
**Consequences:** [Impact of the decision]

RARE Responsibility Matrix

For complex decisions, use the RARE matrix:

Role	Agent	Responsibility
Responsible	@builder	Does the work
Accountable	Orchestrator	Ensures completion
Reviewed by	@validator + @tester	Quality assurance
Escalated to	User	Final authority

Escalation Mechanism

When the Orchestrator cannot decide:

1. Ambiguous task type → Ask user for clarification
2. Conflicting agent outputs → Present both to user
3. Scope creep detected → Propose splitting into multiple tasks
4. Critical security concern → Stop and notify user immediately
5. Resource limit approaching → Suggest /compact and restart

Issue Analysis Enhancement

When processing issues, the meta-layer adds:

{
  "type": "feature|bug|enhancement",
  "complexity": "low|medium|high",
  "areas": ["api", "ui", "backend"],
  "meta_rules_triggered": ["securityOverride"],
  "workflow_adaptation": "Added security-focused @validator check"
}

Emergency Hotfix Workflow

When emergencyHotfix is triggered:

User: "Hotfix: production login broken"
    ↓
@builder (immediate fix)
    ↓
@validator (security + unit tests only)
    ↓
DONE (skip @tester, @scribe — speed over process)

Post-hotfix: Schedule a follow-up with full quality gates.