Task Triage — PM's Core Skill

Triage is the PM's highest-frequency operation. Every unassigned inbox task passes through you. The quality of triage determines the quality of everything downstream: dispatch, model selection, contributions, effort, and stage progression.

Why Triage Matters to 5 Systems

1. Orchestrator reads task fields to decide dispatch order (task_scoring.py)
2. Router reads story_points + complexity to select model + effort (model_selection.py)
3. Contributions reads task_type + agent_name to determine required inputs (synergy-matrix.yaml)
4. Context reads task_stage + delivery_phase to inject stage instructions (methodology.yaml)
5. Budget reads effort level to assess cost impact (budget_monitor.py)

A task with missing fields = broken dispatch. A task with wrong type = wrong contributions. A task with wrong agent = wrong tools.

The 12 Fields You MUST Set

Every task needs ALL of these before it leaves inbox:

Field	What to Set	Why It Matters
title	Clear, specific action	Agent reads title first
description	Full context, acceptance criteria	Agent needs this to plan
task_type	epic/story/task/subtask/spike/concern	Controls contribution matrix + review gates
agent_name	The agent best suited	Determines role-specific tools + skills
story_points	1/2/3/5/8 (Fibonacci)	Model selection: SP >= 5 = opus, SP <= 2 = sonnet
complexity	low/medium/high	Model selection: high + SP >= 5 = opus + high effort
task_stage	conversation/analysis/investigation/reasoning/work	Determines methodology protocol + blocked tools
task_readiness	0-100	Maps to stage boundaries (0-20 = conversation, 80-99 = reasoning)
delivery_phase	poc/mvp/staging/production	Phase standards + test rigor + infrastructure needs
requirement_verbatim	PO's exact words, unmodified	Anti-corruption anchor — agents reference this
priority	low/medium/high/urgent	Dispatch order within scoring
plan_id / sprint	Sprint assignment	Sprint velocity tracking

Triage Decision Tree

New inbox task arrives
  |
  +-- Is the requirement clear?
  |     NO  --> task_stage = conversation, task_readiness = 10
  |             Agent will clarify with PO first
  |     YES --> Continue
  |
  +-- Does it need research?
  |     YES --> task_stage = analysis, task_readiness = 30
  |     NO  --> Continue
  |
  +-- Is the approach obvious?
  |     NO  --> task_stage = investigation, task_readiness = 50
  |     YES --> Continue
  |
  +-- Is it a simple fix or subtask?
  |     YES --> task_stage = work, task_readiness = 99
  |             (skip reasoning for trivial work)
  |     NO  --> task_stage = reasoning, task_readiness = 80
  |             Agent will plan before implementing
  |
  +-- Who should do it? (agent_name)
  |     Code work      --> software-engineer
  |     Design needed  --> architect (first), then transfer to engineer
  |     Security scope --> devsecops-expert
  |     Infra/CI/CD    --> devops
  |     Test design    --> qa-engineer
  |     Documentation  --> technical-writer
  |     UX assessment  --> ux-designer
  |     Process audit  --> accountability-generator
  |
  +-- What type? (task_type)
  |     Large scope, multiple agents --> epic
  |     Feature with contributions   --> story
  |     Single-agent, moderate       --> task
  |     Child of epic/story          --> subtask
  |     Research only                --> spike
  |     Issue to investigate         --> concern
  |
  +-- Set story_points based on scope
  |     Trivial (1 file, < 1h)     --> 1
  |     Small (2-3 files, < 4h)    --> 2
  |     Medium (module, < 1 day)   --> 3
  |     Large (cross-module, days) --> 5
  |     XL (architectural, week+)  --> 8

Common Triage Mistakes

1. Missing requirement_verbatim — agent has nothing to anchor to. Always copy PO's exact words.
2. task_type = "task" for everything — this skips the contribution matrix. Stories and epics NEED contributions.
3. task_stage = "work" for unclear tasks — agent will implement without understanding. Start at conversation.
4. No story_points — model selection falls back to defaults. Set it explicitly.
5. Wrong agent — engineer assigned to a design task. Architect should go first.

After Triage: What You Trigger

When you set fields and move a task from unassigned to assigned in inbox:

• Orchestrator scores it for dispatch (task_scoring.py reads all fields)
• If epic/story: brain may create contribution subtasks from synergy matrix
• Agent sees it on next heartbeat with FULL context (all fields populated)
• The stage protocol text is injected based on task_stage you set

Your triage quality = their dispatch quality.