By name: escalation description: Defines a clear escalation protocol for deadlocks, unresolved blockers, and conflicting requirements.
SKILL: Escalation
Purpose & Scope
Provides a unified, explicit protocol for surfacing deadlocks, unanswered/blocking questions, contradictions, or technical/functional stalls to the Orchestrator and, if needed, to the product owner.
Application
- Any agent can trigger escalation if it cannot proceed after two full cycles, due to lack of input, ambiguity, contradiction, or irreconcilable requirements.
- Orchestrator routes escalated issues up to product owner when required.
Major Capabilities
- Escalation artifacts include: root cause, attempted resolutions, impact of blocking, all relevant context/artifacts.
- Escalation notification is immediate and blocks dependent work until resolved.
- Standardized "ESCALATED" state in work tracking.
Robustness Protocols
- Escalation artifacts must be logged in state management.
- Resolution of escalation requires explicit sign-off from product owner or agent assigned by orchestrator.
Example Escalation Artifact
ESCALATION
From: Software Architect
Context: API design conflict with product spec
Attempts: Consulted Code Reviewer and Product via orchestrator, contradiction persists
Impact: No secure way to implement authentication as described.
Blocking: API work, integration plan
Requested action: Product clarification or spec rewrite.