swarm-zap/skills/delegation-router/SKILL.md

name, description

name	description
delegation-router	Decide execution mode and model tier for tasks with low noise. Use when planning work and choosing between direct execution, spawning a subagent/fresh implementation session, or delegating via ACP sessions_spawn. Includes a routing matrix, complexity/risk model-tier policy (including Claude ACP tiers), fresh-session implementation rule, and practical sessions_spawn payload patterns.

Delegation Router

Use this as a fast preflight before implementation.

1) Route selection matrix (direct vs subagent vs ACP)

Choose the least heavy path that still gives reliable outcomes.

Task shape	Route	Default reason
Tiny, low-risk, 1-3 edits/commands, no long wait	Direct in current session	Lowest overhead, fastest feedback
Multi-step implementation, broad file exploration, likely >10 min, or context getting long	Subagent / fresh isolated session	Keeps main session clean; better execution focus
Explicit provider/runtime requirement (Claude/Codex/Pi) or model-specific quality need	ACP via sessions_spawn	Deterministic runtime + model control
High-stakes review/architecture where correctness risk is high	ACP high tier (or experienced subagent + review)	Better reasoning headroom

Quick routing rules:

• Stay direct for simple fixes and read-only checks.
• Spawn fresh implementation context by default for non-trivial build/refactor/debug tasks.
• Use ACP when runtime/model selection is itself part of the requirement.

2) Model-tier policy

Pick the lowest tier that safely meets quality.

Complexity bands

• Light: small rewrite, single-file tweak, straightforward lookup, routine formatting.
• Medium: multi-file feature/fix, moderate debugging, synthesis across several sources.
• Heavy: architecture changes, ambiguous root-cause investigations, high-impact reviews, security-sensitive reasoning.

Tier map (LiteLLM / aliases)

• Light → economy/fast tier
  • default target: GLM 4.7 Flash (litellm/glm-4.7-flash)
• Medium → balanced default
  • default target: GLM 5 (litellm/glm-5)
• Heavy → top-reasoning tier
  • default target: GPT 4.5 (litellm/gpt-4.5)

Escalate only when:

• prior attempt failed quality bar,
• ambiguity remains high after basic triage,
• failure cost is materially high.

3) Fresh-session implementation rule

For non-trivial work:

1. Scope and plan in current session.
2. Write concise baton files (WIP.md, optionally HANDOFF.md) with goal, next actions, blockers, success criteria.
3. Execute in a fresh implementation session (subagent or ACP run).
4. Return with outcome + evidence (diff/tests/outputs), not long play-by-play.

Do not drag long conversational context into implementation if file-based handoff is enough.

4) sessions_spawn patterns (ACP examples)

Use one clean spawn per coherent task (avoid noisy micro-spawns).

Light (GLM 4.7 Flash)

{
  "runtime": "acp",
  "agentId": "claude",
  "model": "litellm/glm-4.7-flash",
  "task": "Apply a small docs wording fix in docs/README.md and return exact diff."
}

Medium (GLM 5, default)

{
  "runtime": "acp",
  "agentId": "claude",
  "model": "litellm/glm-5",
  "task": "Implement feature X across files A/B/C, run targeted tests, and summarize decisions."
}

Heavy (GPT 4.5)

{
  "runtime": "acp",
  "agentId": "claude",
  "model": "litellm/gpt-4.5",
  "task": "Review architecture tradeoffs for Y, propose final design, then implement with safety checks."
}

If sessions_spawn is unavailable in the current tool surface, use the available delegation primitive (for example, subagents) and keep the same routing + tier logic.

5) Low-noise defaults

• Prefer one solid delegation run over many tiny ones.
• Do not poll aggressively; rely on push completion or sparse status checks.
• Keep instructions compact and outcome-based (goal, constraints, acceptance criteria).
• Ask for only necessary artifacts: patch/diff, test result, short rationale.
• Summarize back in 5-10 lines unless user asks for depth.

6) Fast decision checklist

• Is task tiny and safe? → direct.
• Is it non-trivial implementation? → fresh session/subagent.
• Do I need explicit runtime/model control? → ACP sessions_spawn.
• Complexity/risk band? → Light/Medium/Heavy tier.
• Can I reduce noise further? → fewer spawns, fewer polls, concise outputs.