kaizen-agentic/workplans/KAIZEN-WP-0002-agency-framework.md

---
id: KAIZEN-WP-0002
type: workplan
title: "Agency Framework: Project Memory, Coaching, and sys-medic Integration"
domain: agents
repo: kaizen-agentic
status: finished
owner: kaizen-agentic
topic_slug: custodian
state_hub_workstream_id: d82b5ec9-ee3c-4b3b-9a27-2e30ab3a8158
created: "2026-03-18"
updated: "2026-03-19"
state_hub_workstream_id: "d82b5ec9-ee3c-4b3b-9a27-2e30ab3a8158"
---

# KAIZEN-WP-0002 — Agency Framework: Project Memory, Coaching, and sys-medic Integration

**Status:** finished
**Owner:** kaizen-agentic
**Repo:** kaizen-agentic

## Goal

Evolve kaizen-agentic from a library of standalone agent instruction sets into a
coherent **agency** — a system where agents are deployed into projects with their
own persistent memory, learn from experience, and are guided by a coaching
meta-agent that distils patterns across the whole agent fleet.

sys-medic is the first concrete integration that drives and validates the framework.

---

## Part 1 — Integrate sys-medic as a Standard kaizen-agentic Agent

Minimal, no new conventions required. Get sys-medic into the library in the
existing format.

### Tasks

- [x] T01 — Copy `agent-sys-medic.md` into `agents/` with correct naming convention
- [x] T02 — Add YAML frontmatter (`name`, `description`, `category: infrastructure`)
- [x] T03 — Collapse to single prompt (remove the "Shorter version" section; the lean
             version can live as an inline note at the top of the full prompt)
- [x] T04 — Add a source attribution comment referencing the sys-medic repo
- [x] T05 — Validate agent loads correctly via `kaizen-agentic list` and `validate`
- [x] T06 — Update CHANGELOG.md for the new agent addition

### Definition of done

`kaizen-agentic list` shows `sys-medic` under `infrastructure`. Agent passes
`kaizen-agentic validate`. No other conventions changed.

---

## Part 2 — Agency Framework: Project Memory and Coaching Meta-Agent

### Vision

Each agent deployed into a project accumulates a **project-scoped memory** — a
structured file written at session close and read at session start. A new
**coaching meta-agent** reads across all agent memories in a project and produces
an orientation brief for any newly deployed agent: what has been tried, what
worked, what to watch out for.

kaizen-agentic becomes an agency whose agents arrive in a project informed, not
blank.

### Memory Model

**Location convention:**
```
<project-root>/.kaizen/agents/<agent-name>/memory.md
```

**Memory file structure:**
```markdown
---
agent: <name>
project: <project-root or slug>
last_updated: <ISO date>
session_count: <n>
---

## Project Context
<!-- What this agent knows about the project it is working in -->

## Accumulated Findings
<!-- Patterns, recurring issues, key decisions the agent has encountered -->

## What Worked
<!-- Approaches that produced good results in this project -->

## Watch Points
<!-- Recurring risks, traps, or areas requiring extra care -->

## Open Threads
<!-- Things noticed but not yet acted on -->

## Session Log
<!-- One-line entry per session: date, summary, outcome -->
```

**Session-start protocol (all agents):**
1. Check for `.kaizen/agents/<name>/memory.md` in the project root
2. If present, read it before beginning work
3. Acknowledge the memory in the opening brief

**Session-close protocol (all agents):**
1. Update `## Accumulated Findings`, `## What Worked`, `## Watch Points` as needed
2. Append one line to `## Session Log`
3. Bump `last_updated` and `session_count`

### Coaching Meta-Agent

A new agent `agent-coach.md` (category: `meta`) that:

- Reads all `.kaizen/agents/*/memory.md` files in a project
- Synthesises a **cross-agent brief**: patterns common across agents, cross-domain
  risks, resource or architectural signals that multiple agents have flagged
- Produces a **new-agent orientation**: targeted summary for a specific agent about
  to be deployed for the first time in this project
- Can be invoked explicitly: *"Coach, brief the sys-medic agent on this project"*
- Does not perform domain work itself — observes, synthesises, and advises

The coaching agent also maintains its own memory file covering meta-level
observations about how the agent fleet is functioning in the project.

### CLI Integration

`kaizen-agentic` CLI gains a `memory` command group:

```
kaizen-agentic memory show <agent>      # Print agent memory for current project
kaizen-agentic memory init <agent>      # Scaffold empty memory file
kaizen-agentic memory brief <agent>     # Run coach, print orientation for agent
kaizen-agentic memory clear <agent>     # Wipe memory (with confirmation)
```

### Tasks

**Memory convention and tooling**
- [x] T07 — Write ADR: project memory convention (file location, structure, lifecycle)
- [x] T08 — Implement `memory` CLI command group (show, init, brief, clear)
- [x] T09 — Add session-start and session-close protocol sections to agent template /
             contributor guide

**Agent definition updates**
- [x] T10 — Add session-start and session-close protocol blocks to all existing
             agents that do session-bound work (project-management, tdd-workflow,
             requirements-engineering, scope-analyst, sys-medic)
- [x] T11 — Update agent YAML frontmatter schema to include optional
             `memory: enabled|disabled` field (default: enabled)

**Coaching meta-agent**
- [x] T12 — Write `agents/agent-coach.md` definition
- [x] T13 — Wire `kaizen-agentic memory brief <agent>` to invoke coach logic
- [x] T14 — Add coach to agent registry and validate

**Documentation**
- [x] T15 — Write `docs/agency-framework.md` explaining the memory model, coach
             agent, and deployment lifecycle
- [x] T16 — Update README to reflect the agency positioning

### Definition of done

- `.kaizen/agents/<name>/memory.md` convention documented in ADR
- `memory` CLI commands implemented and tested
- `agent-coach.md` loads, validates, and produces a coherent brief when invoked
  against a project with at least one populated agent memory file
- At least one existing agent (project-management or tdd-workflow) updated with
  session protocols and tested end-to-end

---

## Part 3 — sys-medic with Protocols, Extended via Agency Framework

With the memory framework in place (Part 2), extend sys-medic so it:
- Accumulates project/node-specific operational knowledge across sessions
- Integrates its companion protocols runbook as a managed artifact

### Protocols Runbook Convention

A new optional artifact type alongside agent definitions:

```
agents/protocols/<agent-name>/<slug>.md
```

Protocols are structured runbooks — reusable, parameterised inspection or
remediation checklists that an agent can reference or hand off to the operator.
They are NOT prompts. They are human-readable procedural documents produced or
refined through agent sessions.

The sys-medic k3s health assessment protocol is the first example.

### sys-medic Memory Extensions

sys-medic's memory file gains an additional section beyond the base template:

```markdown
## Node Profiles
<!-- Per-node operational baseline established over sessions -->
<!-- hostname | typical load | known quirks | last assessment date -->

## Recurring Findings
<!-- Issues seen more than once: pattern + first seen + frequency -->

## Cleared Issues
<!-- Issues that were resolved: what was done, when, outcome -->
```

### Tasks

**Protocols convention**
- [x] T17 — Write ADR: protocols artifact convention (location, structure, lifecycle)
- [x] T18 — Create `agents/protocols/` directory with `README.md` explaining the
             convention
- [x] T19 — Move/adapt `sys-medic` k3s health assessment protocol into
             `agents/protocols/sys-medic/k3s-node-health-assessment.md`

**sys-medic memory integration**
- [x] T20 — Add session-start and session-close protocol blocks to `agent-sys-medic.md`
             (extending the base protocol from Part 2 with the node-profile extensions)
- [x] T21 — Add `## Node Profiles`, `## Recurring Findings`, `## Cleared Issues`
             extensions to sys-medic memory template
- [x] T22 — Update sys-medic prompt to reference its protocol runbook when performing
             structured assessments ("use the k3s protocol if available")

**CLI integration**
- [x] T23 — Add `kaizen-agentic protocols list [agent]` and
             `kaizen-agentic protocols show <agent> <slug>` commands
- [x] T24 — Add protocol scaffolding to `kaizen-agentic memory init sys-medic`

**Validation and documentation**
- [x] T25 — End-to-end test: deploy sys-medic into a test project, run two simulated
             sessions, verify memory accumulates and coach produces a useful brief
- [x] T26 — Update `docs/agency-framework.md` with protocols section
- [x] T27 — Update sys-medic agent doc with memory and protocol references

### Definition of done

- Protocol runbook lives in `agents/protocols/sys-medic/`
- sys-medic memory template includes node-profile extensions
- sys-medic session-start reads memory + references relevant protocol
- sys-medic session-close updates node profiles and findings
- Coach agent produces a brief for sys-medic that includes node-level context from memory
- CLI exposes protocol listing and viewing

---

## Sequencing

```
Part 1 (T01–T06)   ──→  Part 2 (T07–T16)   ──→  Part 3 (T17–T27)
   ~1 session              ~3–4 sessions              ~2–3 sessions
```

Part 1 is independent and can ship immediately. Part 3 depends on Part 2's
memory framework being in place. Parts 2 and 3 together define the agency model
that can then be generalised to bring future agents (from other repos like
sys-medic) into the framework at lower incremental cost.

---

## State Hub Task IDs

| Code | UUID |
|------|------|
| T01 | 41c9380b-1337-4e6d-aa74-98cc527a7975 |
| T02 | 4badb7bb-9a1f-49bf-b75c-bce98f3d5490 |
| T03 | d94b305a-e542-4e0e-a29e-e07339baf000 |
| T04 | 15f5521e-c111-4078-b781-54bc3e208d9a |
| T05 | bfc1f741-ce12-42a1-832a-588549446692 |
| T06 | 7c2f87b4-023d-455f-9874-ad920d7e15ab |
| T07 | 822c5aae-482e-4eae-9abc-c36bec6b3316 |
| T08 | 49b164e0-3620-431b-89a5-cc5c12b42825 |
| T09 | 104181da-2c3b-4482-a472-5316ec1dba9e |
| T10 | 3ff44d3b-507b-4ece-98b9-e06a808405f3 |
| T11 | 763ff109-02e4-4817-9aef-b91539a8a010 |
| T12 | 9455c6c2-67df-49cc-b6ae-e7b813799824 |
| T13 | 7175a344-35ca-4d13-bfa5-3fb0888cb6d2 |
| T14 | c040e902-a0d2-48ad-89e9-2890cdf6d9a6 |
| T15 | 88380f99-4b3e-4369-ab19-9ac0730343f9 |
| T16 | c5770067-08ee-4944-ba0f-366a19f0d581 |
| T17 | 4814e450-0d74-4fe9-9f80-940eabde8339 |
| T18 | a0e8ee82-4f10-4f0f-baa3-8a656e9b8539 |
| T19 | 814dc6f9-8652-4d0e-8c83-c99881b752f1 |
| T20 | d2255c79-c211-4cf7-aa3c-2750637b7dee |
| T21 | 1f249dd4-a74c-4063-b0d2-fb67ec0902d5 |
| T22 | 1ddd546a-7868-4d18-81b4-f5c1fd364afe |
| T23 | e533358e-15c3-4273-98e0-0365ead78d6a |
| T24 | 787b5d6a-9c51-4043-910e-02f085894dc5 |
| T25 | 81c57475-a0c1-4636-9baf-b3c9675e218e |
| T26 | d1bdff1e-4c06-4677-85d0-8e109c3fa1a2 |
| T27 | b10462d3-eb79-4336-adea-e2df758eb91f |

---

## Notes

- The `.kaizen/` directory in target projects is analogous to `.claude/` — a
  project-level configuration and state directory owned by the kaizen-agentic
  ecosystem
- The coaching meta-agent draws conceptual inspiration from how the `project-management`
  agent already maintains session start/close protocols — that pattern is being
  generalised and made consistent across the fleet
- Protocol runbooks (Part 3) are distinct from agent prompts: they are operational
  checklists for humans and agents to execute, not instruction sets for shaping AI behaviour