dispatching-parallel-agents

name	dispatching-parallel-agents
description	Use multiple Claude agents to investigate and fix independent problems concurrently
user-invocable	false
disable-model-invocation	true
when_to_use	when facing 3+ independent failures that can be investigated without shared state or dependencies
version	2.0.0
progressive_disclosure	{"entry_point":{"summary":"Dispatch one agent per independent problem domain to solve multiple unrelated failures concurrently","when_to_use":"When you have 3+ independent failures in different test files/subsystems with no shared state or dependencies","quick_start":"1. Identify independent domains 2. Create focused agent tasks 3. Dispatch in parallel 4. Review summaries 5. Verify no conflicts and integrate"},"references":["coordination-patterns.md","agent-prompts.md","examples.md","troubleshooting.md"]}

Dispatching Parallel Agents

Overview

When multiple unrelated failures occur (different test files, different subsystems, different bugs), investigating them sequentially wastes time. Each investigation is independent and can happen in parallel.

Core principle: Dispatch one agent per independent problem domain. Let them work concurrently.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when facing:

• 3+ test files failing with different root causes
• Multiple subsystems broken independently
• Each problem is self-contained - can be understood without context from others
• No shared state between investigations
• Clear domain boundaries - fixing one won't affect others

Don't use when:

• Failures are related (fix one might fix others)
• Need to understand full system state first
• Agents would interfere with each other (editing same files)
• Exploratory debugging (don't know what's broken yet)

The Iron Law

One agent, one problem domain, one clear outcome.
Never overlap scopes. Never share state. Always integrate consciously.

Core Principles

Independence is Key

Problems must be truly independent - no shared files, no related root causes, no dependencies between fixes.

Focus Over Breadth

Each agent gets narrow scope: one test file, one subsystem, one clear goal. Broad tasks lead to confusion.

Clear Output Required

Every agent must return a summary: what was found, what was fixed, what changed. No silent fixes.

Conscious Integration

Don't blindly merge agent work. Review summaries, check conflicts, run full suite, verify compatibility.

Quick Start

1. Identify Independent Domains

Group failures by what's broken:

File A tests: Tool approval flow
File B tests: Batch completion behavior
File C tests: Abort functionality

Each domain is independent - fixing tool approval doesn't affect abort tests.

2. Create Focused Agent Tasks

Each agent gets:

• Specific scope: One test file or subsystem
• Clear goal: Make these tests pass
• Constraints: Don't change other code
• Expected output: Summary of what you found and fixed