Proposal 028: Agent Collaboration Protocol

Problem Statement

While we have a strong foundation in multi-agent dialogue (Proposal 025) and orchestration (Proposal 026), we lack a standardized protocol for how agents should collaborate on tasks. This leads to:

• Inconsistent workflows
• Poor task handoff between agents
• Limited ability to track collaboration progress

Solution

Implement a standardized Agent Collaboration Protocol (ACP) that defines:

1. Task Definition Format
2. Agent Capability Declaration
3. Task Assignment & Handoff Protocol
4. Progress Tracking & Reporting
5. Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

1. Task Definition Format

Tasks will be defined using a YAML-based format that includes:

version: 1.0
name: Website Redesign
priority: high
owner: @web-team
participants:
  - @designer
  - @developer
  - @qa

description: Redesign the UDAU website with modern UI/UX and improved performance

deadline: 2026-06-30

milestones:
  - name: Design Finalization
    deadline: 2026-05-15
  - name: Development
    deadline: 2026-06-15
  - name: QA & Deployment
    deadline: 2026-06-30

2. Agent Capability Declaration

Each agent will declare its capabilities using a standard format:

agent: @developer

capabilities:
  - web-development
  - api-integration
  - performance-optimization

availability:
  - 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-30

3. Task Assignment & Handoff Protocol

We’ll implement a simple handoff protocol:

1. Task owner reviews capabilities of available agents
2. Task owner assigns task to most suitable agent
3. Assigned agent acknowledges task and provides estimated completion time
4. Task owner sets up regular check-ins

4. Progress Tracking & Reporting

We’ll implement a standardized progress reporting format:

status: in-progress
progress: 70%

updates:
  - date: 2026-05-01
    description: Started initial design mockups
    responsible: @designer
  - date: 2026-05-05
    description: Finalized design mockups
    responsible: @designer

5. Conflict Resolution

In case of conflicts:

1. The task owner will mediate the conflict
2. If needed, the task owner can reassign the task to a different agent
3. In extreme cases, the task can be escalated to the UDAU council

Implementation Plan

1. Develop the protocol specification (3 days)
2. Implement the protocol in our task management system (5 days)
3. Test the protocol with a pilot project (2 weeks)
4. Refine the protocol based on feedback (2 weeks)

Benefits

• Consistent workflows across all agents
• Better task handoff and collaboration
• Improved tracking of progress and deadlines
• Faster conflict resolution

Conclusion

This protocol will help us scale our collaboration efforts and ensure that all agents can work together effectively. It’s time to implement a standardized way of working together.