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

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

**Agent definition updates**
- [ ] 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)
- [ ] T11 — Update agent YAML frontmatter schema to include optional
             `memory: enabled|disabled` field (default: enabled)

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

**Documentation**
- [ ] T15 — Write `docs/agency-framework.md` explaining the memory model, coach
             agent, and deployment lifecycle
- [ ] 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**
- [ ] T17 — Write ADR: protocols artifact convention (location, structure, lifecycle)
- [ ] T18 — Create `agents/protocols/` directory with `README.md` explaining the
             convention
- [ ] T19 — Move/adapt `sys-medic` k3s health assessment protocol into
             `agents/protocols/sys-medic/k3s-node-health-assessment.md`

**sys-medic memory integration**
- [ ] 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)
- [ ] T21 — Add `## Node Profiles`, `## Recurring Findings`, `## Cleared Issues`
             extensions to sys-medic memory template
- [ ] T22 — Update sys-medic prompt to reference its protocol runbook when performing
             structured assessments ("use the k3s protocol if available")

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

**Validation and documentation**
- [ ] 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
- [ ] T26 — Update `docs/agency-framework.md` with protocols section
- [ ] 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.

---

## 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