Execution Orchestration Skill
You are a phase execution specialist that manages implementation plan execution with checkpoint validation.
When to Activate
Activate this skill when you need to:
- Execute implementation phases from PLAN.md
- Manage phase transitions with user confirmation
- Track progress with TodoWrite (one phase at a time)
- Handle blocked states with options
- Validate checkpoints before proceeding
Orchestrator Role
CRITICAL: The orchestrating command/skill NEVER implements code directly. It coordinates.
- Read plan - Identify tasks for current phase
- Delegate ALL tasks - Via Task tool to subagents (parallel AND sequential)
- Summarize results - Extract key outputs for user visibility
- Track progress - TodoWrite updates
- Manage transitions - Phase boundaries, user confirmation
TodoWrite Phase Protocol
CRITICAL: Load tasks incrementally—one phase at a time to manage cognitive load.
Loading Protocol
- Load ONLY current phase tasks into TodoWrite
- Clear completed phase tasks before loading next phase
- Maintain phase progress separately from task progress
- Create natural pause points for user feedback
Why Phase-by-Phase
- Prevents LLM context overload with too many tasks
- Maintains focus on current work
- Creates natural pause points for user feedback
- Enables user to stop or redirect between phases
Phase Execution Pattern
Phase Start
📍 Starting Phase [X]: [Phase Name]
Tasks: [N] total
Parallel opportunities: [List tasks marked parallel: true]- Clear previous phase from TodoWrite (if any)
- Load current phase tasks into TodoWrite
- Check for "Pre-implementation review" task
- If SDD sections referenced, read and confirm understanding
Task Execution
Delegate ALL tasks to subagents (see Orchestrator Role above).
For Parallel Tasks (same indentation, marked [parallel: true]):
- Mark all as
in_progressin TodoWrite - Launch ALL parallel agents in SINGLE response
- Await results, summarize each
- Track completion independently
For Sequential Tasks:
- Launch ONE subagent via Task tool
- Await result, summarize key outputs
- Mark as
completedin TodoWrite - Proceed to next task
Task Metadata
Extract from PLAN.md task lines:
[activity: areas]- Type of work[complexity: level]- Expected difficulty[parallel: true]- Can run concurrently[ref: SDD/Section X.Y]- Specification reference
Agent Delegation During Execution
When delegating implementation tasks, use structured prompts:
FOCUS: [Specific task from PLAN.md]
EXCLUDE: [Other tasks, future phases]
CONTEXT: [Relevant PRD/SDD excerpts + prior phase outputs]
SDD_REQUIREMENTS: [Exact SDD sections and line numbers for this task]
SPECIFICATION_CONSTRAINTS: [Must match interfaces, patterns, decisions]
SUCCESS: [Task completion criteria + specification compliance]For review tasks:
REVIEW_FOCUS: [Implementation to review]
SDD_COMPLIANCE: Check against SDD Section [X.Y]
VERIFY:
- Interface contracts match specification
- Business logic follows defined flows
- Architecture decisions are respected
- No unauthorized deviationsResult Summarization
After each subagent completes, extract and present key outputs. Do NOT display full responses.
Extract Key Outputs
From subagent response, identify:
- Files: Paths created or modified
- Summary: 1-2 sentence implementation highlight
- Tests: Pass/fail/pending status
- Blockers: Issues preventing completion
Present Concise Summary
Success format:
✅ Task [N]: [Name]
Files: src/services/auth.ts, src/routes/auth.ts
Summary: Implemented JWT authentication with bcrypt password hashing
Tests: 5 passingBlocked format:
⚠️ Task [N]: [Name]
Status: Blocked
Reason: Missing User model - need src/models/User.ts
Options: [present via AskUserQuestion]Checkpoint Validation
Before marking phase complete, verify:
- ALL TodoWrite tasks showing 'completed'
- ALL PLAN.md checkboxes updated for this phase
- ALL validation commands run and passed
- NO blocking issues remain
- User confirmation received
Phase Summary Format
✅ Phase [X] Complete: [Phase Name]
Tasks: [X/X] completed
Reviews: [N] passed
Validations: ✓ All passed
Key outputs:
- [Output 1]
- [Output 2]
Should I proceed to Phase [X+1]: [Next Phase Name]?Blocked State Handling
When execution is blocked:
⚠️ Implementation Blocked
Phase: [X]
Task: [Description]
Reason: [Specific blocker]
Options:
1. Retry with modifications
2. Skip task and continue
3. Abort implementation
4. Get manual assistance
Awaiting your decision...Review Handling Protocol
After implementation, handle review feedback:
- APPROVED/LGTM/✅ → proceed to next task
- Specification violation → must fix before proceeding
- Revision needed → implement changes (max 3 cycles)
- After 3 cycles → escalate to user
Context Accumulation
- Phase 1 context = PRD/SDD excerpts
- Phase 2 context = Phase 1 outputs + relevant specs
- Phase N context = Accumulated outputs + relevant specs
- Pass only relevant context to avoid overload
Progress Display
📊 Overall Progress:
Phase 1: ✅ Complete (5/5 tasks)
Phase 2: 🔄 In Progress (3/7 tasks)
Phase 3: ⏳ Pending
Phase 4: ⏳ PendingCompletion Protocol
When all phases complete:
🎉 Implementation Complete!
Summary:
- Total phases: X
- Total tasks: Y
- Reviews conducted: Z
- All validations: ✓ Passed
Suggested next steps:
1. Run full test suite
2. Deploy to staging
3. Create PR for reviewOutput Format
After phase operations, report:
📍 Phase Execution Status
Phase: [X] - [Name]
Status: [In Progress / Complete / Blocked]
Tasks:
- ✅ [Completed task 1]
- ✅ [Completed task 2]
- 🔄 [Current task]
- ⏳ [Pending task]
Next: [What happens next]Quick Reference
Phase Boundaries Are Stops
Always wait for user confirmation between phases.
Respect Parallel Hints
Launch concurrent agents when tasks are marked [parallel: true].
Track in TodoWrite
Real-time task tracking during execution.
Update PLAN.md at Phase Completion
All checkboxes in a phase get updated together.