eoa-implementer-interview-protocol

Implementer Interview Protocol

Overview

The Orchestrator (EOA) MUST interview the Implementer agent both before and after task execution. This is NOT optional. Skipping these interviews leads to wasted work, requirement violations, and integration failures. The pre-task interview verifies understanding, capability, compatibility, and feasibility. The post-task interview verifies completeness, quality, testing, and documentation before approving PR creation.

Prerequisites

1. Read AGENT_OPERATIONS.md for orchestrator workflow
2. Read eoa-remote-agent-coordinator/references/rule-14-immutable-requirements.md for immutable vs. mutable requirements
3. Read eoa-label-taxonomy for status labels
4. Read eoa-messaging-templates for message formats
5. Access to AI Maestro API for agent messaging
6. Understanding of escalation paths (EOA → EAA for design, EOA → EAMA → User for requirements)

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1. Pre-Task Interview (MANDATORY)

1.1 Purpose

Before the Implementer starts work, the Orchestrator MUST verify:

1. Understanding - Does the implementer understand the task?
2. Capability - Can the implementer do the task with available tools/skills?
3. Compatibility - Are there conflicts with existing code or architecture?
4. Feasibility - Are the requirements achievable as specified?

1.2 Interview Flow

ORCHESTRATOR                           IMPLEMENTER
     |                                      |
     |-- Task Assignment Message ---------->|
     |                                      |
     |<-- ACK + Understanding Summary ------|
     |                                      |
     |-- Interview Questions -------------->|
     |                                      |
     |<-- Answers + Concerns ---------------|
     |                                      |
     [Evaluate responses]                   |
     |                                      |
     |-- PROCEED or ESCALATE -------------->|

1.3 Interview Questions and Response Evaluation

Full question templates and evaluation criteria: interview-templates.md

• Pre-task interview questions (5 key questions)
• Post-task interview questions (5 verification areas)
• Response evaluation tables for both phases
• Decision trees for PROCEED vs. escalate

Key questions cover: Task summary, acceptance criteria, concerns (requirements/design/capability/dependencies), implementation approach, and blockers.

1.4 Escalation Paths and Messages

Full escalation templates: escalation-messages.md

• Design issue escalation to Architect
• Immutable requirement escalation to Manager → User
• PROCEED approval message
• APPROVED approval message
• REVISE rejection message

Escalation triggers:

• Design concerns → Escalate to Architect (EAA)
• Immutable requirement concerns → Escalate to Manager (EAMA) → User
• Capability issues → Reassign or provide skills
• Blockers → Resolve before proceeding

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2. Post-Task Interview (MANDATORY)

2.1 Purpose

After the Implementer reports completion, the Orchestrator MUST verify:

1. Completeness - Were ALL requirements implemented?
2. Quality - Does the code meet quality standards?
3. Testing - Were tests written and do they pass?
4. Documentation - Is documentation updated if required?

2.2 Interview Flow

IMPLEMENTER                            ORCHESTRATOR
     |                                      |
     |-- Completion Report ---------------->|
     |                                      |
     |<-- Post-Task Interview Questions ----|
     |                                      |
     |-- Answers + Evidence --------------->|
     |                                      |
     |                     [Verify responses]
     |                                      |
     |<-- APPROVED or REVISE ---------------|
     |                                      |
     [If APPROVED: Create PR]              |
     |                                      |
     |-- PR Created: #{NUMBER} ------------>|
     |                                      |
     |            [Notify Integrator]      |

2.3 Post-Task Verification

Full post-task protocol: interview-templates.md

• Complete verification question template (5 areas)
• Response evaluation table
• APPROVED, REVISE, and escalation criteria

Verification areas: Requirements checklist, testing evidence, code quality, documentation, self-review.

Outcomes:

• All pass → Send APPROVED
• Minor issues → Request fixes, re-interview
• Major issues → Send REVISE with specific actions
• Requirement deviations → Escalate

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3. Handoff to Integrator

3.1 When PR is Created

After implementer creates PR and reports the number:

1. Update issue status: status:ai-review
2. Notify Integrator via AI Maestro (template in eoa-messaging-templates)
3. Transfer responsibility from orchestrator to integrator

3.2 Responsibility Transfer

Before PR Creation	After PR Creation
Orchestrator responsible	Integrator responsible
Implementer executes	Implementer responds to review
Task tracked via issue	Work tracked via PR

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4. Exception Handling

Full exception handling procedures: exception-handling.md

• Requirement disagreements (3 types with escalation paths)
• No acknowledgment received
• Misunderstood tasks
• Design change recommendations
• Incomplete work reports
• Test failures
• PR protocol violations

Common exceptions covered:

1. Implementer disagrees with requirements → escalate
2. Architect recommends design change → update and re-interview
3. User approves requirement change → document and proceed
4. Implementer never ACKs → reminder → escalate
5. Work reported incomplete → REVISE with specifics
6. Tests fail → REVISE, require passing tests

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Instructions

Follow these steps to conduct implementer interviews:

Checklist

Copy this checklist and track your progress:

Pre-Task Interview:

• Send task assignment message via AI Maestro using the agent-messaging skill
• Wait for implementer ACK (acknowledgment)
• Send pre-task interview questions using the agent-messaging skill
• Evaluate implementer's understanding summary
• Check for concerns (requirements, design, capability, dependencies)
• Escalate design concerns to Architect (EAA) if needed
• Escalate immutable requirement concerns to Manager (EAMA) if needed
• Resolve blockers before proceeding
• Send PROCEED message after satisfactory answers
• Log interview results in handoff document

Post-Task Interview:

• Receive implementer's completion report [DONE]
• Send post-task verification questions
• Verify ALL requirements checklist items completed
• Verify test evidence (tests written and passing)
• Check code quality (linting, formatting, no TODOs)
• Check documentation updates (if required)
• Evaluate self-review responses
• Send APPROVED or REVISE message
• Wait for PR creation and PR number report
• Notify Integrator (EIA) that PR is ready for review
• Update issue status to status:ai-review

Pre-Task Interview Steps

1. Send task assignment message via AI Maestro using the agent-messaging skill
2. Wait for implementer ACK (acknowledgment)
3. Send pre-task interview questions using the agent-messaging skill (interview-templates.md)
4. Evaluate implementer's understanding summary
5. Check for concerns about requirements, design, capability, or dependencies
6. If design concerns exist, escalate to Architect (EAA) (escalation-messages.md)
7. If immutable requirement concerns exist, escalate to Manager (EAMA) → User
8. If blockers are identified, resolve before proceeding
9. Send PROCEED message only after satisfactory answers
10. Log interview results in handoff document

Post-Task Interview Steps

1. Receive implementer's completion report [DONE]
2. Send post-task verification questions (interview-templates.md)
3. Verify ALL requirements checklist items completed
4. Verify test evidence (tests written and passing)
5. Check code quality (linting, formatting, no TODOs)
6. Check documentation updates (if required)
7. Evaluate self-review responses
8. If verification passes, send APPROVED message (escalation-messages.md)
9. If verification fails, send REVISE message with specific issues
10. Wait for PR creation and PR number report
11. Notify Integrator (EIA) that PR is ready for review
12. Update issue status to status:ai-review

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Output

Output Type	Format	Example
Interview questions	Markdown message via AI Maestro	Pre-task or post-task question template
PROCEED approval	Markdown message	"PROCEED: Your understanding is confirmed. Begin implementation."
APPROVED approval	Markdown message	"APPROVED: Create PR with requirements X, Y, Z."
REVISE request	Markdown message	"REVISE: Issues found. Fix X, Y, Z before re-reporting."
Escalation to Architect	AI Maestro JSON	Design review request with concern details
Escalation to Manager	AI Maestro JSON	User decision request for requirement issue
Handoff to Integrator	AI Maestro JSON	PR ready for review notification

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Error Handling

Common errors and solutions: exception-handling.md

Error	Quick Solution
Implementer never ACKs	Reminder → escalate to progress-monitoring
Misunderstands task	Clarify, update handoff, re-interview
Design concerns	Escalate to Architect (EAA)
Requirement concerns	Escalate to Manager (EAMA) → User
Incomplete work	REVISE with specific items
Tests fail	REVISE, require passing tests
PR before approval	Remind protocol, manual review

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Examples

Full examples with code: examples.md

• Example 1: Send pre-task interview questions
• Example 2: Escalate design concern to architect
• Example 3: Send PROCEED approval
• Example 4: Send post-task verification questions
• Example 5: Send APPROVED and handoff to integrator

Quick example - Pre-task interview: Send using the agent-messaging skill:

• Recipient: implementer-1
• Subject: "Pre-Task Interview: #42"
• Content: "Pre-Task Interview: #42 - 1. Task Summary? 2. Acceptance Criteria? 3. Concerns? 4. Approach? 5. Blockers?"
• Type: request, Priority: high

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Resources

• interview-templates.md - Question templates, evaluation, and decision trees (Pre-Task, Post-Task, REVISE Cycle Escalation)
• escalation-messages.md - Escalation and approval messages, escalation path selection decision tree, EAA/EAMA response templates
• exception-handling.md - Exception procedures
• examples.md - Complete curl examples
• AGENT_OPERATIONS.md - Core orchestrator workflow
• eoa-remote-agent-coordinator/references/rule-14-immutable-requirements.md - Immutable vs. mutable requirements
• eoa-label-taxonomy - Status label workflow
• eoa-messaging-templates - Message templates for interviews and escalations
• eoa-task-distribution - Task assignment protocol
• eoa-progress-monitoring - Agent state tracking