Standalone dispatch approval for reviewing pending #needs-X and stale #next-X tags across sessions. Note: This is a utility skill — no session activation. Operates standalone or within an existing session context. Can be invoked manually at any time.

GATE CHECK — Do NOT proceed until ALL are filled in:

Output this block in chat with every blank filled:

Boot proof:

• •COMMANDS.md — §CMD spotted: ________
• •INVARIANTS.md — ¶INV spotted: ________
• •TAGS.md — §FEED spotted: ________

[!!!] If ANY blank above is empty: STOP. Go back to step 1 and load the missing file. Do NOT proceed until every blank is filled.

Delegation Review Protocol (The Dispatcher's Console)

Lightweight utility for reviewing pending #needs-X tags and approving them for daemon dispatch (#delegated-X) or immediate next-skill execution (#next-X). The requester-side counterpart to /delegation-claim (worker-side claiming). No session activation, no log file, no debrief.

0. Parse Arguments (Scope Filter)

Check if a scope argument was provided:

• •No argument (/delegation-review): Scan ALL #needs-* tags + ALL stale #next-* tags across sessions/.
• •Session argument (/delegation-review sessions/2026_02_10_TOPIC): Scope to that session directory only.
• •Tag argument (/delegation-review #needs-implementation): Scan only that specific tag across sessions/.

Store the resolved scope and tag filter for Step 1.

1. Scan for Pending Work

Scan for #needs-* tags (excluding #needs-review and #needs-rework, which are handled by /review):

# Scan all #needs-* (default scope: sessions/)
engine tag find '#needs-*' [scope] --tags-only --context

# Also scan for stale #next-* items (claimed for next-skill but never picked up)
engine tag find '#next-*' [scope] --tags-only --context

If no #needs-* or #next-* tags found:

"No pending delegation items found. Nothing to review."

Return control. Skill is done.

2. Group by Tag Type

Organize results into two categories:

A. Pending Dispatch (#needs-X)

Group by tag noun (e.g., all #needs-implementation together, all #needs-chores together). For each group, note:

• •Tag type: e.g., #needs-implementation
• •Target skill: e.g., /implement (from §TAG_DISPATCH)
• •File count: How many items in this group
• •Files: List of file paths carrying the tag

B. Stale Next-Skill Items (#next-X)

Group by tag noun. These are items that were claimed for immediate next-skill execution but never picked up. For each:

• •Tag type: e.g., #next-implementation
• •Target skill: e.g., /implement
• •Age: How long since the tag was applied (from file mtime)
• •Files: List of file paths

3. Read Request Context

For each file in each group, read enough context to present a meaningful summary:

• •REQUEST files (filename contains REQUEST): Read Topic, Context, and Expectations fields
• •Debrief/other files: Read the H1 heading and first paragraph for summary
• •Inline tags: Read the surrounding section (nearest heading above to next heading)

4. Present Dispatch Approval

A. Pending Dispatch Groups (#needs-X)

For each tag-type group, execute §CMD_DISPATCH_APPROVAL algorithm:

Provide context before the question — list each item with a 1-line summary:

#needs-[noun] — [N] items pending:

1. •[file1.md] — [1-line summary]
2. •[file2.md] — [1-line summary]

Then present via AskUserQuestion (multiSelect: false):

"Dispatch approval — #needs-[noun] ([N] items):"

• •"Approve all [N] for daemon dispatch -> #delegated-[noun]" — Flip all items for async daemon processing
• •"Claim all [N] for next skill -> #next-[noun]" — Mark for immediate execution in the next skill session
• •"Review individually" — Walk through each item to approve/claim/defer/dismiss
• •"Defer all" — Leave as #needs-[noun] for later

Execute choices:

• •Approve all: For each file, engine tag swap [file] '#needs-[noun]' '#delegated-[noun]'.
• •Claim all for next skill: For each file, engine tag swap [file] '#needs-[noun]' '#next-[noun]'. Then write state passing to DETAILS.md (per §CMD_DISPATCH_APPROVAL step 5a) if a session is active.
• •Review individually: For each file, present: Approve (#delegated-X) / Claim for next skill (#next-X) / Defer (keep #needs-X) / Dismiss (remove tag entirely).
• •Defer all: No action. Tags remain as #needs-X.

B. Stale Next-Skill Items (#next-X)

For each stale #next-X group, present via AskUserQuestion (multiSelect: false):

"Stale #next-[noun] — [N] items never picked up:"

1. •[file1.md] — [1-line summary] (age: [N] hours/days)

"What should happen to these stale #next-[noun] items?"

• •"Re-route to daemon -> #delegated-[noun]" — Swap to daemon dispatch path
• •"Keep as #next-[noun]" — Leave for next skill pickup
• •"Dismiss all" — Remove tags (work no longer needed)

Execute choices:

• •Re-route: For each file, engine tag swap [file] '#next-[noun]' '#delegated-[noun]'.
• •Keep: No action.
• •Dismiss: For each file, engine tag remove [file] '#next-[noun]'.

5. Report and Return

After all groups are processed:

Dispatch review summary:

• •Approved for daemon: [N] items
• •Claimed for next skill: [M] items
• •Re-routed from stale: [K] items
• •Deferred: [P] items
• •Dismissed: [Q] items

Return control. No debrief. No session deactivation. No next-skill menu.

Constraints

• •No session activation (¶INV_DELEGATE_IS_NESTABLE pattern): This skill does not call engine session activate. It can be invoked standalone or mid-skill.
• •No REQUEST/RESPONSE templates: /delegation-review does not accept delegation requests itself. It IS the dispatch approver.
• •Human approval required (¶INV_DISPATCH_APPROVAL_REQUIRED): Every #needs-X -> #delegated-X or #needs-X -> #next-X transition requires explicit user approval. No auto-flipping.
• •Excludes review/rework tags: #needs-review and #needs-rework are handled by /review, not this skill. Filter them out of scan results.
• •Stale detection: #next-X items older than 24 hours are considered "stale" and surfaced for re-routing. This is a soft heuristic — the user decides.
• •Graceful degradation (¶INV_GRACEFUL_DEGRADATION): Works without fleet/daemon. Tags persist on disk. The user can invoke /delegation-review at any time to process accumulated #needs-X items manually.