---
name: task-management
title: "Task Management"
description: "Task lifecycle strategy — delegation, priority assessment, status tracking, completion criteria"
category: core
status: active
tools_granted:
  - create_task
  - list_tasks
  - update_task_status
  - add_task_progress
  - delete_task
triggers:
  - "create task"
  - "delegate task"
  - "task status"
  - "update task"
  - "complete task"
  - "delete task"
---

## Instructions

Manage the full lifecycle of tasks from creation through completion and feedback.

### Available Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `create_task` | Create a new task (title, brief, mode, project) |
| `list_tasks` | List all tasks, optionally filtered by status |
| `update_task_status` | Change status: delegated → in_progress → review → done |
| `add_task_progress` | Add a timestamped progress note to a task |
| `delete_task` | Permanently delete a task (use sparingly, prefer cancelling) |

### Task Lifecycle

1. **Create** — use `create_task` tool with:
   - Title, brief (description), mode (review/jdi/recommend/watch), project
   - Status starts as `delegated`
   - Tasks auto-file into the "personal" project if none specified

2. **Delegate** — assign to a subagent or keep for main agent:
   - Match task domain to agent expertise
   - Check agent's access tier allows required tools
   - Log delegation in dispatch_log

3. **Track** — use `update_task_status` to move through statuses:
   - `delegated` — created, not yet started
   - `in_progress` — actively being worked on
   - `blocked` — waiting on external input or dependency
   - `review` — completed, awaiting human review
   - `done` — approved and closed
   - `cancelled` — abandoned (soft delete)

4. **Progress** — use `add_task_progress` to log updates:
   - Record milestones, blockers, decisions, notes
   - Progress notes are timestamped and appended to the task file

5. **Review** — when status reaches `review`:
   - Present results to user
   - Collect feedback rating: good / needs_improvement / redo
   - Feed rating to trust service for the task's domain

6. **Complete** — use `update_task_status` to mark as `done`

7. **Delete** — use `delete_task` only when user explicitly requests permanent removal.
   Prefer `cancelled` status for audit trail. Deletion removes the file and cleans up graph triples.

### Priority Assessment

- **Urgent**: has a due date within 24 hours, or user explicitly says urgent
- **High**: due within 7 days, or blocks other tasks
- **Normal**: no time pressure, no dependencies
- **Low**: nice-to-have, no deadline

### Delegation Rules

- Tasks in domain where trust level is "Partner" can run in `auto` mode (no review needed)
- Tasks in domain where trust level is "Observer" require `review` mode
- Tasks touching sensitive data (finances, health) always require review regardless of trust
- Contract permissions are the ceiling — no task can exceed what the contract allows

## Rules

- Every task must have a domain for trust tracking
- Progress notes are appended, never overwritten
- Feedback is immutable once recorded
- Task files are markdown with YAML frontmatter
- Prefer cancellation over deletion — cancelled tasks stay for audit trail
- Only delete when user explicitly asks to permanently remove a task
