---
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009
type: workplan
title: "Forward-deployed agency: engagements, Kai ledger, host-operator pilot"
domain: agents
repo: kaizen-agentic
status: finished
owner: kaizen-agentic
topic_slug: custodian
created: "2026-07-16"
updated: "2026-07-16"
depends_on:
  - KAIZEN-WP-0002
  - KAIZEN-WP-0006
  - KAIZEN-WP-0008
tasks:
  - id: T01
    status: done
    title: Business model and architecture drafts (Kai + engagement lifecycle)
  - id: T02
    status: done
    title: Accept or revise open decisions; promote drafts to accepted reference
  - id: T03
    status: done
    title: Role package scaffold for host-operator (ROLE.yaml + protocols)
  - id: T04
    status: done
    title: Phase 1 file-based engagement layout and pilot ENGAGEMENT for railiance01
  - id: T05
    status: done
    title: Bound agent definition from sys-medic craft + engagement binding appendix
  - id: T06
    status: done
    title: Ramp-up and ramp-down checklists with exit criteria evidence paths
  - id: T07
    status: done
    title: JSONL Kai ledger convention and quote snapshot for pilot
  - id: T08
    status: done
    title: CLI engagement command group (request, staff, prepare, checklist, scrub)
  - id: T09
    status: done
    title: Wire prepare/session-close to vault paths, metrics, and ledger entries
  - id: T10
    status: done
    title: Run railiance01 host-operator Phase 1 pilot through ramp-up exit
  - id: T11
    status: done
    title: Absorb pilot friction; ADR for engagement convention; docs cross-links
state_hub_workstream_id: "9669eada-7f52-58a9-acfd-61a5bed026d1"
---

# KAIZEN-WP-0009 — Forward-Deployed Agency

**Status:** finished
**Owner:** kaizen-agentic
**Repo:** kaizen-agentic
**Depends on:** WP-0002 (agency memory), WP-0006 (schedule prepare), WP-0008 (customer engagement)

## Goal

Turn kaizen-agentic into an **agentic consulting / forward-deployed agency** capability:
clients (coulomb ecosystem companies and coulomb ops itself) can **request a Role**,
receive a **bound agent definition**, run engagements with **ramp-up / operate /
ramp-down**, keep **operational knowledge client-confidential**, and settle trial
costs in **Kai** (transitionable to EUR later).

First concrete pilot: **host-operator** Role attending **railiance01** (OS currency,
security posture, load and workload review).

## Background

Specs already drafted:

| Doc | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| [wiki/ForwardDeployedAgencyBusinessModel.md](../wiki/ForwardDeployedAgencyBusinessModel.md) | Seats, duties, Kai, confidentiality, conversion |
| [docs/forward-deployed-engagement-architecture.md](../docs/forward-deployed-engagement-architecture.md) | Lifecycle, schemas, vault, CLI, pilot runbook |

Existing building blocks: agency memory (ADR-002), protocols (ADR-003), schedule
prepare (ADR-005), customer engagement convention (ADR-006), `sys-medic` craft.

## Engagement model (supplier view)

```
Client request → quote (Kai) → fund → staff Role → ramp-up → operate → ramp-down
                     │
                     ├─ bound agent definition (client engagement store)
                     ├─ engagement vault (CLIENT OWNED)
                     └─ ledger entries (billing metadata only)
```

## Tasks

## Business model and architecture drafts

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T01
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "94cfd310-267b-5418-8dc1-541ba059135f"
```

Delivered 2026-07-16:

- `wiki/ForwardDeployedAgencyBusinessModel.md`
- `docs/forward-deployed-engagement-architecture.md`
- Cross-links from PricingModel, RevenueModel, agency-framework

## Accept open decisions

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T02
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "c4d4c6cf-d7c7-5da7-83a9-598811b7bef5"
```

**Delivered 2026-07-16 (working defaults):**
[DEC-FDA-001](../docs/decisions/DEC-FDA-001-working-defaults.md) — JSONL ledger,
`engagements/pilots/` placement, one engagement × N targets, metrics opt-in off.
Docs promoted to v0.2. Sponsor may override; ADR-007 deferred to T11.

## host-operator Role package

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T03
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "79c2c9d7-d24b-514a-94e8-7bdd307fd5eb"
```

**Delivered:** `roles/host-operator/` — ROLE.yaml v0.1.0, agent-definition,
memory-template, ramp-up/down, protocols `os-security-pass` + `load-workload-review`,
base_agent sys-medic, tier 4.

## Phase 1 engagement layout + pilot record

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T04
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "88c9f673-f4bd-5337-91a1-0e8757b90c5e"
```

**Delivered:** `engagements/pilots/eng-coulomb-railiance01-ho-001/` full tree
(ENGAGEMENT, request, schedule, access-plan, vault, checklists, commercial, reports).

## Bound agent definition

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T05
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "8a09ea5e-7dd2-574d-9dd8-f949dbd342db"
```

**Delivered:** `agent-host-operator.md` bound definition (targets, phase,
approval gates, vault path, charter, protocol table).

## Ramp checklists

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T06
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "d33c8f2a-81f6-59ef-89f0-b995d7e0c330"
```

**Delivered:** Role checklists + pilot `checklists/ramp-up-status.md` and
`ramp-down-status.md` with evidence paths; linked from ENGAGEMENT.yaml.

## Kai ledger (Phase 1)

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T07
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "eb5be2f8-6ca8-58aa-b822-976ffe369ac3"
```

**Delivered:** `commercial/quote.yaml` (~72 800 Kai month-1), `ledger.jsonl`
with quote-open note, commercial README.

## CLI engagement group

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T08
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "12512c73-e6c8-5c55-b90a-fc190ce7aca3"
```

**Delivered:** `kaizen-agentic engagement` CLI group + `engagement.py` module:

`list`, `show`, `validate`, `checklist` (+ `--mark`), `phase`, `prepare`,
`staff`, `quote`, `scrub`, `export-handoff`.

Tests: `tests/test_engagement_cli.py`. Docs: CLI cheat sheet section.

## Session wire-up

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T09
status: done
priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "466c9dcd-22e3-5a1b-878d-8cb8c06e48c2"
```

**Delivered:** `engagement close-session` wires vault session log, engagement-scoped
metrics (`.kaizen/metrics/` under the pilot tree), Kai `ledger.jsonl` duty charge,
and `reports/` stub. Rejects sensitive summaries. `prepare` session-close section
points at close-session. Tests cover formula, scrub, and CLI.

## railiance01 pilot through ramp-up

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T10
status: done
priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "007b70ed-82a6-58c7-bbad-a152c980a8af"
```

**Delivered 2026-07-16:** Live observe on railiance01 via `ssh railiance01`
(tegwick). RU-01–08 complete; phase **operating**. Health: **Critical** memory
pressure (3.8G, no swap), load ≫ 2 cores, k3s API ServiceUnavailable at sample.
Evidence: baselines, health-review, privileged dry-run (RU-08), schedule enabled,
deep_assessment close-session (4900 Kai). No privileged changes applied.

## Absorb and ADR

```task
id: KAIZEN-WP-0009-T11
status: done
priority: low
state_hub_task_id: "ff496c38-8964-572b-81b5-f72335810da6"
```

**Delivered 2026-07-16:** ADR-007 accepted; forward-deployed engagement playbook
v1 with railiance01 supplier-notes table; architecture v1.0; business model v1.0;
DEC-FDA-001 elevated; CHANGELOG + cross-links. activity-core host schedule left
optional (Phase 3) — documented in playbook.

## Out of scope

- EUR payment processor / invoicing systems
- Autonomous root without human gates
- Replacing ops-warden, OpenBao, activity-core, or State Hub
- Public Kai cryptocurrency
- Fleet-wide host-operator rollout beyond railiance01 pilot

## Success criteria

1. Specs accepted (T02) and committed as team reference
2. Pilot engagement files exist with bound definition and client vault
3. Ramp-up exit criteria met once on railiance01 with evidence
4. Kai ledger records seat/ramp/duty without confidential payloads
5. No client vault content merged into supplier `agents/` without scrub + license
6. CLI or documented manual procedure can re-run prepare/checklist

## Closure

All tasks T01–T11 done. Workplan **finished** 2026-07-16.

## Related

- [ForwardDeployedAgencyBusinessModel.md](../wiki/ForwardDeployedAgencyBusinessModel.md)
- [forward-deployed-engagement-architecture.md](../docs/forward-deployed-engagement-architecture.md)
- [ADR-006](../docs/adr/ADR-006-customer-engagement-convention.md)
- [agent-sys-medic.md](../agents/agent-sys-medic.md)
- [KAIZEN-WP-0008](KAIZEN-WP-0008-coulomb-loop-supplier-engagement.md)