---
name: ck-orchestration
description: Orchestrate multi-agent workflows with sequential chaining and parallel execution. Use for feature delivery pipelines, research-then-implement flows, parallel independent tasks, subagent coordination, and passing context between agents.
---

# ck-orchestration

Protocols for coordinating multiple ck-* skills as agents in complex workflows. Covers sequential chaining, parallel execution, delegation patterns, and documentation management.

## When to Use

- Coordinating a multi-phase feature delivery (plan → implement → test → review)
- Running independent tasks simultaneously (code + tests + docs in parallel)
- Passing outputs from one agent to the next in a pipeline
- Managing subagent context and report paths
- Deciding when to chain vs. parallelize work

## Don't Use When

- Single-skill tasks that don't need coordination
- Quick fixes or one-off queries — invoke the skill directly

## Reference Documents

| Topic | Reference |
|-------|-----------|
| Sequential chaining patterns | `references/sequential-chaining.md` |
| Parallel execution patterns | `references/parallel-execution.md` |
| Delegation context rules | `references/delegation-context.md` |
| Documentation management | `references/documentation-management.md` |

---

## Sequential Chaining

Chain agents when tasks have dependencies or require outputs from previous steps.

**Standard feature pipeline:**
```
ck-planning → ck-cook → ck-web-testing → ck-code-review
```

**Research-first pipeline:**
```
ck-research → ck-planning → ck-cook → ck-code-review
```

**Debug pipeline:**
```
ck-debug → ck-fix → ck-web-testing → ck-code-review
```

**Rules:**
- Each agent completes fully before the next begins
- Pass the output file path (plan path, report path) as context to the next agent
- Never assume an agent's output — read it explicitly before proceeding

See `references/sequential-chaining.md` for detailed patterns.

---

## Parallel Execution

Dispatch multiple agents simultaneously for independent tasks.

**When to parallelize:**
- Code + Tests + Docs: implementing separate, non-conflicting components
- Multiple feature branches: different agents on isolated features
- Research fan-out: multiple `ck-research` agents on different topics reporting back to `ck-planning`
- Scout coverage: multiple `ck-scout` agents covering different directories

**When NOT to parallelize:**
- Tasks that write to the same files
- Tasks where one depends on output of another
- More than the available system resources can handle

**Coordination rule:** Define integration points before starting parallel execution. Plan how results will be merged.

See `references/parallel-execution.md` for patterns.

---

## Delegation Context (MANDATORY)

When dispatching any subagent via the Manager Surface, always include:

1. **Work Context Path**: The git root or CWD of the PRIMARY files being worked on
2. **Reports Path**: `{work_context}/plans/reports/` for that project
3. **Plans Path**: `{work_context}/plans/` for that project

**Example prompt to subagent:**
```
Fix the parser bug in the auth module.
Work context: /path/to/project
Reports: /path/to/project/plans/reports/
Plans: /path/to/project/plans/
```

**Rule:** If your CWD differs from the work context (e.g., editing files in a different project), use the **work context paths**, not CWD paths.

See `references/delegation-context.md` for full rules.

---

## Skill Activation in Workflows

Each ck-* skill maps to a workflow role:

| Workflow Role | Use Skill |
|---------------|-----------|
| Research | `ck-research` (dispatch multiple in parallel) |
| Codebase scouting | `ck-scout` |
| Planning | `ck-planning` |
| Implementation | `ck-cook` |
| UI/design | `ck-frontend-design` |
| Testing | `ck-web-testing` |
| Code review | `ck-code-review` |
| Debugging | `ck-debug` |
| Bug fixing | `ck-fix` |
| Git operations | `ck-git` |
| Docs update | handled inline per `references/documentation-management.md` |

---

## Documentation Management

Update project docs in `./docs` after:
- Feature implementation
- Bug fixes
- Architecture changes
- Security updates

**Docs to maintain:**
- `./docs/codebase-summary.md` — project structure overview
- `./docs/system-architecture.md` — architecture decisions
- `./docs/code-standards.md` — coding conventions
- `./docs/development-roadmap.md` — phases and milestones
- `./docs/project-changelog.md` — significant changes

See `references/documentation-management.md` for update protocol.

---

## Report Naming Convention

All agents write reports using the pattern from the `## Naming` section injected by `ck-session-guard`:

```
Report: {reports-path}/{agent-type}-{name-pattern}.md
Plan dir: {plans-path}/{name-pattern}/
```

Where `{name-pattern}` is the computed date + optional issue ID + `{slug}` placeholder.

**IMPORTANT:** Sacrifice grammar for concision in reports. List unresolved questions at end if any.