🤖 Skill: subagent-orchestrator (v1.1.0)

Executive Summary

📋 The Conductor's Protocol

1. Subagent Initialization: For new projects, run

   /agents init

   to set up project-level subagents and local configurations.
2. Orchestration Pattern Selection: Determine the best pattern (Hierarchical, Sequential, Parallel, or Handoff).
3. Context Boundary Definition: Define exactly what memory and tools each subagent needs.
4. Event-Driven Activation: Leverage the v0.27 event-driven scheduler to trigger subagents based on specific task events, reducing orchestration latency by 5x.
5. Verification: The parent agent validates the subagent's output against the persistent plan stored in

   ~/.gemini/plans/

   .

🛠️ Mandatory Protocols (2026 Standards)

1. Event-Driven Scheduling (v0.27)

• Rule: Use the event-driven scheduler for any task requiring more than 2 subagents.
• Protocol: Ensure

  eventDrivenScheduler: true

  is set in

  settings.json

  .

2. Plan-Synced Execution

• Rule: Subagents must read the active plan from

  ~/.gemini/plans/

  at the start of their execution.
• Protocol: Handoffs must include the

  plan_id

  and

  current_step_index

  .

3. MCP-First Integration

• Rule: Never build custom tool adapters. Use MCP servers for databases, APIs, and local resources.
• Protocol: Use the

  sampling

  feature for bidirectional communication.

2. Recursive Delegation Limits

• Rule: Maximum delegation depth is 3.
• Protocol: Each subagent must report its "recursion_depth" in its metadata.

3. Shared State & Memory Management

• Rule: Use "Context Distillation" to pass only relevant symbols and facts.
• Protocol: Leverage

  save_memory

  for long-term facts and

  state_snapshot

  for current task status.

4. Handoff & Error Recovery

• Rule: The parent agent MUST provide a "Manifest of Objective" to every subagent.
• Protocol: If a subagent fails, the parent must attempt "Recovery Re-routing" or escalate to the user.

🚀 Show, Don't Just Tell (Implementation Patterns)

Hierarchical Orchestration Pattern

interface DelegationManifest {
  objective: string;
  constraints: string[];
  max_tokens: number;
  available_tools: string[];
}

// Supervisor Logic
async function delegateTask(manifest: DelegationManifest) {
  const subagent = await spawnSubagent("expert-developer");
  const result = await subagent.execute(manifest);
  
  if (validateOutput(result)) {
    return result;
  } else {
    return handleSubagentError(result);
  }
}

Sequential Pipeline (Chain of Experts)

architect-pro

code-architect

codeReviewer

auditor-pro

🛡️ The Do Not List (Anti-Patterns)

1. DO NOT delegate without a clear objective. "Fix this" is not a manifest.
2. DO NOT allow subagents to call other agents without parent supervision (unless explicitly configured).
3. DO NOT pass the entire codebase to a subagent. Use

   codebase_investigator

   results.
4. DO NOT ignore subagent logs. Silent failures in MAS are extremely difficult to debug.
5. DO NOT use generic agents for specialized tasks. Always select the most appropriate skill first.

📂 Progressive Disclosure (Deep Dives)

• MCP Orchestration Deep Dive: Using MCP for tool and resource management.
• A2A Communication Protocols: Horizontal coordination between peer agents.
• Error Handling in MAS: Retries, timeouts, and fallback strategies.
• Context Distillation Patterns: Passing minimal, high-value context.

🛠️ Specialized Tools & Scripts

• scripts/monitor-delegation.ts

  : Real-time visualization of the agent delegation tree.

• scripts/validate-handoff.py

  : Analyzes handoff logs for objective drift.

🎓 Learning Resources

• Anthropic MCP Documentation
• Multi-Agent Systems Design Patterns
• Agentic Workflow Optimization 2026