feat: add delegation-prose-contract pattern — manager operating doctrine for worker delegation

Defines when to delegate, worker selection matrix, verification protocol,
kanban board, and failure handling. Addresses the context overflow and
iteration exhaustion issues where the manager was doing all work itself
instead of delegating to the 6 worker profiles.

delegation-prose-contract.prose.md

@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+---
+kind: pattern
+name: delegation-prose-contract
+description: >
+  Manager (Mumuni) operating doctrine for task decomposition, worker
+  delegation, verification, and delivery. Defines when to delegate, which
+  worker to use for what, how to handle failures, and the kanban board
+  protocol. Enforces context-window discipline and separation of concerns.
+  Runs on Mumuni (CT 118, storepve, .6) via Hermes agent.
+version: 1.0.0
+---
+
+## Maintains
+
+- Worker roster: 6 profiles (`syslog-code`, `syslog-devops`, `syslog-email`,
+  `syslog-research`, `syslog-review`, `syslog-writer`)
+- Kanban board state at `~/.hermes/kanban/kanban.json`
+- Context window budget: ~65K tokens per request (131K total, 60% threshold)
+
+## Why This Matters
+
+Without enforced delegation, the manager consumes the full iteration budget
+(60 calls) on single-turn tasks — SSH to 5 nodes, check each VM, read logs —
+leaving no capacity for actual coordination. The result: context overflow
+(59K tokens in system prompt), iteration exhaustion, and degraded response
+quality. This contract exists because I blew through my budget checking
+Proxmox node status instead of delegating to `syslog-devops`.
+
+## Context Window Discipline
+
+**The system prompt is ~6.5K tokens (stable: ~4.5K tool schemas + ~2K other guidance).**
+**Volatile (MEMORY.md + USER.md): ~300 tokens.**
+**Total base: ~6,800 tokens per request.**
+
+The remaining budget is the conversation. Every tool call result adds to it.
+If a single call returns >10K tokens (e.g., `grep` on a large file, SSH output
+from multiple nodes), the context fills fast. That's why we delegate: workers
+process in isolation and return compact results.
+
+## Trigger Conditions
+
+Delegation is **mandatory** when any of these apply:
+
+| Condition | Threshold | Example |
+|-----------|-----------|---------|
+| Multiple tool calls needed | 2+ calls with intermediate logic | Read file → analyze → write report |
+| Large data retrieval | Output >5K tokens | `grep -r "pattern" /path` on large dirs |
+| Cross-domain work | Spans 2+ worker specialties | Infra check + email filter |
+| Infrastructure changes | Any mutating operation | `qm set`, `systemctl restart`, `git push` |
+| Research/analysis | Needs browser or deep reading | Web research, code review, data analysis |
+| Code builds or changes | Writing or modifying code | Scripts, configs, patches |
+| Sequential dependencies | Worker B needs Worker A's output | Code → Review → Deliver |
+
+**Single tool calls stay at manager level.** Quick `grep`, `ls`, `cat`,
+`curl`, `hermes tools list` — these are decision-making tools. The manager
+reads them directly.
+
+## Worker Selection Matrix
+
+| Worker | Model | Toolsets | Role | Use When |
+|--------|-------|----------|------|----------|
+| `syslog-code` | qwen3.6-27B-code | terminal, file, web, memory, skills | Code patches, automation, scripts | Writing/modifying code, creating scripts, debugging, reading/writing files |
+| `syslog-devops` | qwen3.6-27B-code | terminal, file, web, memory, skills | Infrastructure, DB, bridge, Proxmox | Server ops, SSH, Docker, Proxmox, DB queries, hardware checks |
+| `syslog-email` | ornith-1.0-35b | terminal, file, web, memory, skills | Email automation, mail operations | Sending/receiving email, inbox management, SMTP operations |
+| `syslog-research` | ornith-1.0-35b | terminal, file, web, memory, skills, **browser** | Analysis, classification, data processing | Web research, browser tasks, data analysis, classification, reading docs |
+| `syslog-review` | ornith-1.0-35b | terminal, file, web, memory, skills | Verification, QA, audit validation | **ALWAYS** verify worker output before delivery — especially for infra changes, code builds, and research findings |
+| `syslog-writer` | ornith-1.0-35b | terminal, file, web, memory, skills | Docs, content, branding, reports | Writing docs, reports, proposals, content, markdown formatting |
+
+### Selection Rules
+
+1. **Match specialty first.** A code task → `syslog-code`. An infra task →
+   `syslog-devops`. Don't put a `syslog-email` worker on a code review.
+2. **Research tasks with browser needs → `syslog-research`.** Other workers
+   don't have the browser toolset.
+3. **Verification → `syslog-review`.** Never deliver raw worker output.
+4. **Documentation/content → `syslog-writer`.** Let them own the prose.
+5. **If unsure, delegate to `syslog-research`** — it has the broadest toolset
+   (includes browser) and high reasoning effort.
+
+## Delegation Protocol
+
+### Step 1: Decompose
+
+Break the task into lanes. Each lane does ONE thing. Workers are independent —
+no lane depends on another's output mid-flight. If lanes depend on each other,
+dispatch sequentially.
+
+### Step 2: Dispatch
+
+Fire workers via `delegate_task`:
+
+**Parallel (independent lanes):**
+```
+delegate_task(
+    tasks=[
+        {"goal": "Check all 5 Proxmox nodes for VM status", "context": "SSH to each node via 192.168.68.x, run 'qm list'"},
+        {"goal": "Check Docker container health on .7/.116/.17", "context": "SSH to each host, check container status"},
+    ]
+)
+```
+
+**Sequential (dependent lanes):**
+Dispatch lane 1 → wait for result → dispatch lane 2.
+
+### Step 3: Verify
+
+**MANDATORY for:**
+- Infrastructure changes (any `qm`, `pct`, `systemctl`, `git push`)
+- Code builds and modifications
+- Research findings (web data, external sources)
+- Any output that will reach the user
+
+**Fire `syslog-review` to verify:**
+```
+delegate_task(
+    goal="Review the output of the devops worker. Verify the node status
+    report is accurate, check for inconsistencies, confirm all nodes were
+    reachable.",
+    context="Worker was syslog-devops. Output is at /tmp/node-report.md.
+    Verify against live system."
+)
+```
+
+**If verification fails:**
+1. Send work back to original worker with review feedback
+2. Re-verify
+3. Max 2 re-verify cycles before escalating to Kwame
+
+### Step 4: Deliver
+
+Only verified results reach Kwame. Format per channel:
+- Telegram: Use `telegram-formatting` skill
+- Zulip: Use Zulip Markdown (CommonMark)
+- Email: Use `syslog-email` skill
+
+## Kanban Board Protocol
+
+**File:** `~/.hermes/kanban/kanban.json`
+
+```json
+{
+  "task_id": "unique-id",
+  "title": "Task description",
+  "created": "2026-07-09T01:00:00",
+  "status": "backlog|in_progress|review|done",
+  "lanes": [
+    {
+      "lane_id": "devops-check",
+      "worker": "syslog-devops",
+      "goal": "Check all 5 Proxmox nodes",
+      "status": "dispatched|completed|failed",
+      "output_file": "/tmp/node-report.md"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+**Update the board on every state change.**
+
+## Failure Handling
+
+### Worker Timeouts
+
+- Child timeout: **900 seconds** (15 minutes)
+- Worker model `syslog-auto` is slow — it can hit the timeout limit with
+  22+ API calls
+- **If a worker times out:** Re-dispatch with a narrower scope. Break the
+  task into smaller pieces that fit in the timeout window.
+- **Avoid delegating sequential SSH hops** — each SSH connection adds latency
+  that compounds quickly. Prefer API-based or local approaches when possible.
+
+### Worker Selection Failures
+
+- `syslog-devops` is best for infrastructure tasks (SSH, Proxmox, Docker)
+- `syslog-code` is best for code-level work (reading files, writing scripts)
+- `syslog-research` has the browser toolset — use for web research
+- `syslog-review` is the QA gate — always fire before delivery
+- **Never fire more than 3 parallel workers** (max_concurrent_children: 3)
+- **Never nest delegation** (max_spawn_depth: 1)
+
+### Context Overflow
+
+- If a task requires >10K tokens of output, delegate the processing
+- Workers return compact summaries, not raw data dumps
+- Pass file paths and concrete goals — never dump raw data into context
+
+## Anti-patterns
+
+- ❌ Reading large files into your own context before deciding → delegate the read
+- ❌ Carrying SSH/grep/output results in your context → delegate the analysis
+- ❌ Doing work yourself and then "pretending" to delegate → the user can tell
+- ❌ Skipping verification → raw worker output never reaches the user
+- ❌ Delegating single tool calls → keep quick reads/writes at manager level
+- ❌ Firing more than 3 workers in parallel → hard limit
+
+## Emergency Exception
+
+**In an emergency (server down, service must be restored immediately):**
+- Delegate the diagnosis (find the problem)
+- Execute the fix yourself (minimize handoff latency)
+- Verify the fix after delivery
+- Log the exception in the kanban board
+
+The emergency exception exists because the user needs the service back NOW,
+not after three worker round-trips. But it's an exception — not the rule.
+
+## What This Contract Doesn't Cover
+
+1. **Worker profile configuration** — covered by `hermes-config-template.prose.md`
+2. **SSH key management** — covered by existing SSH/Proxmox contracts
+3. **Git workflow** — covered by `AGENTS.md` in the prose-contracts repo
+4. **Cron job management** — covered by individual cron contracts
+5. **Infra verification** — covered by `verify-before-mutate` protocol
+
+## Verification
+
+Run `scripts/worker-audit.py` to verify all 6 profiles are aligned:
+
+```bash
+python3 /root/.hermes/skills/kanban-orchestrator/scripts/worker-audit.py
+```
+
+## References
+
+- `kanban-orchestrator` skill: The operational playbook (detailed execution steps)
+- `worker-profile-audit.md` (skill reference): Worker configuration audit notes
+- `delegation-timeout-patterns.md` (skill reference): Timeout handling patterns
+- `verify-before-mutate` protocol: Infrastructure change verification
+- `hermes-config-template.prose.md`: Worker profile configuration
+
+## Success Criteria
+
+This contract succeeds when:
+
+1. **No context overflow** — single-turn tasks don't exhaust the iteration budget
+2. **Workers do the work** — manager coordinates, doesn't execute
+3. **Verification before delivery** — all output passes through `syslog-review`
+4. **Kanban board is current** — every task has a lane, every lane has a status
+5. **User gets verified results** — raw worker output never reaches Kwame
+
+---
+
+**Last updated:** 2026-07-09
+**Author:** Mumuni (with Kwame's input on triggers and exception criteria)
+**Status:** Draft — awaiting PR review and merge to prose-contracts main