Agent operating model

MFE Forge uses three layers:

1. Agent OS: AGENTS.md, rules, skills, adapters, and handoff conventions.
2. Project OS: manifest, config, discovery, diagnostics, sync, and migrations.
3. Runtime OS: remote registry/loading, event bus, store, router, and health behavior.

Agents should move through these layers deliberately. A runtime change may require a project contract or docs update; a CLI change should expose machine-readable state when agents need to inspect it.

Task lifecycle

intake → discovery → design → implementation → verification → review → handoff

Each phase has a stopping rule: discovery stops when affected files and contradictions are known; implementation stops when acceptance behavior exists; verification stops when relevant checks are classified; review stops when no unresolved high-severity finding remains.

Evidence standard

A claim is supported by source, a test, command output, or an explicitly labeled assumption. “Looks correct” is not verification. External state such as GitHub CI is reported separately from local checks.

Handoff standard

Every agent handoff reports outcome, changed areas, verification, risks/limitations, and next steps. Follow-up agents should receive the smallest useful context rather than a full transcript.