blackboard-agent-taskboard

name: blackboard-agent-taskboard description: Plan and operate blackboard taskboards for large multi-step work with explicit checkpoints, dependencies, and role ownership. Use when tasks need 30 minutes or more of focused work, staged implementation and review gates (for example security, quality, validation), durable status tracking, or controlled re-planning in single-agent or multi-agent workflows.

Blackboard Agent Taskboard

Purpose

Use blackboard as a structured execution board for large work that requires:

• multiple checkpoints
• quality gates
• explicit dependencies
• controlled re-planning

Activation Cues

Activate this skill when the user asks for one or more of:

• large task decomposition into trackable steps
• staged workflow (implement -> review -> validate -> finalize)
• gate-based tracking (security, quality, acceptance, release)
• role-based responsibility split across people or agents
• persistent task state instead of temporary notes
• explicit dependency management and ordering
• any task that needs 30 minutes or more of focused work

Do not activate for tiny one-step work that can finish without checkpoints.

Operating Modes

• single-agent mode: one actor plans, executes, reviews, and closes through explicit checkpoint tasks
• multi-role mode: responsibilities are split by role with least-privilege permissions

manager/pm/engineer is only one template, not a fixed model.

Core Rules

• keep one project per board
• represent each major phase as a task
• represent each gate as its own checkpoint task
• every task must declare size (micro|small|medium|large)
• avoid unnecessary microtask fragmentation; use dependencies instead of long free-text sequencing
• encode ordering with dependencies, never by informal text only
• on scope change, pause execution and re-plan before resuming
• in multi-role mode, only planning roles can mutate plan content
• --user must be the blackboard actor identity (agent name or stable agent id), not an operating-system username

Task Sizing Policy

• micro: <= 30 minutes
• small: 30 minutes to 1 workday
• medium: 1 to 3 workdays
• large: > 3 workdays

Use task creation threshold:

• create a task when work is > 30 minutes, has handoff, has dependency/gate, or has elevated risk
• do not create a task for tiny one-step work without checkpoint value

Large Task Policy

• large tasks are planning containers, not direct execution checkpoints
• large task dependencies are auto-managed from all direct children
• manual --depends-on for large tasks is rejected
• manual status to in_progress/completed on large tasks is rejected
• large status is recomputed from child states and system notes are appended on auto-status changes

Post Note Policy

• status transitions to blocked or completed must include --note
• notes are append-only and shown in task view under postNotes
• include concrete evidence in completion notes and blocker reason/next owner in blocked notes

Task Count Estimation

• production hotfix (0.5-1 day): 6-10 tasks
• single-service feature (2-3 days): 10-16 tasks
• multi-service feature (1-2 weeks): 24-40 tasks
• migration/refactor (3-6 weeks): 45-80 tasks

Role Archetypes (Multi-Role Mode)

For any custom role set, map responsibilities first, then assign least-privilege permissions.

Procedure

1) Bootstrap Board

Single-agent:

blackboard init --user <owner>
blackboard board create --user <owner> --name <board>

Multi-role baseline template (manager/pm/engineer):

BLACKBOARD_BIN=blackboard \
  ./scripts/bootstrap_project_board.sh <manager> <board> \
    <pm:read,create,update,delete> \
    <engineer:read,set_status>

Multi-role custom mapping:

BLACKBOARD_BIN=blackboard \
  ./scripts/bootstrap_project_board.sh <board_admin> <board> \
    <planner_user:read,create,update,delete> \
    <implementer_user:read,set_status> \
    <security_user:read,set_status> \
    <quality_user:read,set_status> \
    <observer_user:read>

2) Create Checkpoint Graph

Recommended default chain:

1. implementation
2. security check
3. quality check
4. acceptance validation
5. finalize/release

blackboard task add --user <planner> --board <board> --title "Phase 1: Implement" --description "Deliver the implementation." --size medium
blackboard task add --user <planner> --board <board> --title "Gate 1: Security Review" --description "Review and resolve security findings." --size small --depends-on "1"
blackboard task add --user <planner> --board <board> --title "Gate 2: Quality Review" --description "Run quality checks and resolve issues." --size small --depends-on "2"
blackboard task add --user <planner> --board <board> --title "Gate 3: Acceptance Validation" --description "Validate against acceptance criteria." --size small --depends-on "3"
blackboard task add --user <planner> --board <board> --title "Phase 2: Finalize/Release" --description "Finalize changes and close delivery." --size small --depends-on "4"

Use dependencies to enforce order.

3) Run Role-Specific Loops

Planner loop:

• add/edit/delete tasks
• maintain dependencies and task definitions
• re-plan when scope changes or blockers persist

Executor/reviewer loop:

• list and view assigned tasks
• move status (pending, in_progress, completed, blocked)
• include --note when setting blocked or completed
• report blockers through status and notes in updates

4) Apply Feedback Loops

Default loop for each gate:

1. run check
2. if failing, mark blocked --note "<reason and next action>" or keep in_progress and fix
3. re-run check
4. only mark completed --note "<evidence>" when pass criteria are met

5) Handle Scope Changes

1. pause active execution tasks
2. planner updates task graph and dependencies
3. board-admin updates permissions if role ownership changed
4. resume execution on revised tasks

Machine-Readable Handoff

Prefer --json for inter-agent communication:

blackboard --json task list --user <actor> --board <board>
blackboard --json task view --user <actor> --board <board> --task-id <id>
blackboard --json task status --user <actor> --board <board> --task-id <id> --status completed --note "done"
blackboard --json task status --user <actor> --board <board> --task-id <id> --status blocked --note "blocked by dependency"

Output contract:

• success: {"ok":true,"lines":[...]}
• failure: {"ok":false,"error":"..."}

Failure Policy

• permission denied: board-admin must resolve grants/revokes
• dependency validation error: planner must correct task graph and ensure dependencies complete before execution statuses
• missing checkpoint/gate: planner must add explicit checkpoint tasks
• note required error: actor must provide --note for blocked/completed
• unclear requirements: stop execution and request re-plan

Never bypass role boundaries or checkpoint gates as fallback behavior.

Resources

• scripts/bootstrap_project_board.sh: one-shot setup for custom member-permission mappings
• scripts/seed_project_tasks.sh: baseline task seeding for planner-driven flows
• references/examples.md: scenario walkthroughs for single-agent and multi-role execution
• references/role-use-cases.md: role-specific responsibilities and command boundaries