Society · Coordination
Delegate
Work handoff: delegate → accept/refuse → heartbeat → result-or-failure
Definition
Mechanism
Delegation is a Work-distribution protocol over an existing Task. The delegator sends DELEGATE with the task and its scope; the delegatee replies ACCEPT or REFUSE. Until ACCEPT, the delegator retains ownership. On REFUSE, the delegator reassigns or escalates. On ACCEPT, ownership transfers to the delegatee, which reports PROGRESS via Heartbeat. Completion returns a result. Failure invokes Break; ownership returns to the delegator before retry, reassignment, or escalation.
Preconditions
- Delegator owns the Task and has authority to delegate it.
- Delegatee is addressable.
- Scope of delegation defined.
Postconditions
Invariants
- Delegation is a request, not a command: it is accepted or refused.
- Ownership remains with the delegator until ACCEPT; REFUSE transfers nothing and triggers reassignment or escalation.
- The delegatee reports progress; silence is not progress.
- A failed accepted Task invokes Break and returns ownership to the delegator before the next disposition.
- Exactly one owner per task.
Risks
Failure modes
No response
The candidate never replies; the delegator retains the task, but work stalls until an external timeout or reassignment policy acts.
Capability mismatch (assigned to incapable agent—fails late).
Delegatee disappears (no progress updates—need timeout).
Circular delegation
A task returns to an earlier owner in its delegation chain.
Overload (one agent accepts everything—need load awareness).
Progress lies (reports complete when not—need verification).
Relationships
Builds on
Accepts
Infrastructure
The atomic unit of intent
Composes with
References
Infrastructure
The application of effort to reduce entropy
Used by
Composes with
Transfer control and context between agents
Reference