subagent-dispatch

Subagent Dispatch

Principle: The parent agent has full context (rules, memory, conventions). It creates the plan. Subagents execute plan steps — they don't rediscover the project.

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When to Dispatch

Signal	Why
Plan has independent steps that can run in parallel	Concurrent execution saves time
Context window is getting large	Fresh subagent avoids attention decay
Research would pollute main context with raw file reads	Subagent returns a summary
Code review needs a fresh perspective	Reviewer hasn't seen implementation reasoning

Do NOT dispatch when: steps have sequential dependencies, or the task is simpler to do directly than to explain.

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How to Dispatch

The parent creates the plan first (via task-planner or workflow Phase 1), then identifies which steps can run in parallel.

Implementation dispatch

Pass the specific plan steps. The parent already checked rules, conventions, and sacred behaviors when creating the plan — the subagent doesn't need to re-read them.

"Execute steps 3-5 from the plan:
 - Step 3: [exact instruction]
 - Step 4: [exact instruction]
 - Step 5: [exact instruction]
 Files to modify: [list].
 Do not commit or push."

Review dispatch

The reviewer needs to know what to check against. Include references to constraints.

"Review the changes made to [files].
 Read .memory/SACRED.md — verify no sacred behaviors were modified.
 Read .memory/CONVENTIONS.md — verify code follows project conventions.
 Check against the plan: [paste or summarize the plan].
 Report: issues found, verdict (approve/request changes)."

Research dispatch

Pass the question. No rules needed.

"How does [module X] connect to [module Y]? Read MAP.md for orientation.
 Report: answer, evidence (file:line), relevant files."

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Validate Results

• [ ] Read the subagent's output
• [ ] Verify it meets the plan's success criteria
• [ ] Check for side effects (unexpected file changes)
• [ ] If validation fails, re-dispatch with corrected instructions

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Rules

1. Subagents do NOT run session-start. They execute plan steps, not session init.
2. Subagents do NOT commit or push. The parent handles git.
3. One task per subagent. Don't batch unrelated work.
4. Only dispatch independent steps. Sequential dependencies stay with the parent.

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No gate. Dispatch is a judgment call based on task size and parallelism opportunity.