Ccf Pipeline Orchestrator

CCF Pipeline Orchestrator

Core Rule

Operate as the project coordinator and workflow planner. Clarify the goal, map the current stage, update or read ccfa.yaml, define gates, and name the next owner skill. Do not perform the downstream skill's work. Follow ../ccf-common/references/task-modes.md: if the user asks for a short plan, checklist, YAML update, table, or narrative roadmap, use that visible shape instead of forcing a fixed report.

Workflow

1. Identify target venue, current stage, available artifacts, constraints, deadline pressure, and the user's immediate goal. 2. Read ccfa.yaml when available; if absent, continue with supplied artifacts and report that project-state tracking is unavailable. 3. For unclear projects, use references/workflow-planning/intake-protocol.md, approach-options.md, and design-brief-template.md. 4. Classify the next owner: ccf-project-scaffolder, ccf-idea-optimizer, ccf-idea-reviewer, ccf-literature-monitor, ccf-literature-searcher, ccf-experiment-designer, ccf-paper-to-exemplar, ccf-paper-writer, ccf-paper-reviewer, ccf-integrity-auditor, ccf-submission-checker, or ccf-rebuttal-writer. 5. Define the gate: required input, output artifact, pass condition, blocker, and handoff. 6. Provide ccfa.yaml update instructions rather than silently overwriting user project state unless explicitly asked.

Adaptive Output Contract

Put the requested artifact first: roadmap, next-step decision, task list, handoff packet, or ccfa.yaml patch instructions. Use the full structure below only for standard planning, ambiguous multi-stage projects, or when the user asks for a complete coordination report.

Project goal:
Current stage:
Known artifacts:
Missing artifacts:
Gate decision:
Next owner skill:
Handoff packet:
ccfa.yaml update:
Risks / blockers:

Approach Options

Use this file when the user needs strategy comparison, workflow choice, or task decomposition.

Option Rules

Present 2-3 options only when they are genuinely different. Do not pad the output with weak alternatives.

For each option, include:

Option:
Best for:
What happens first:
Tradeoff:
Risk:
Next CCFA skill:

Lead with the recommended option unless the user asks for neutral comparison.

Common CCFA Routes

Use these routes when they match the user's goal:

• Clarify first: ccf-pipeline-orchestrator -> owning downstream skill.
• Idea development: ccf-idea-optimizer -> optional ccf-idea-reviewer -> optional ccf-literature-searcher.
• Idea selection: ccf-idea-reviewer -> optional ccf-literature-searcher -> optional ccf-idea-optimizer.
• Novelty grounding: ccf-literature-searcher -> ccf-idea-optimizer or ccf-paper-writer.
• Experiment story: ccf-experiment-designer -> ccf-paper-writer.
• Manuscript improvement: ccf-paper-writer -> ccf-paper-reviewer -> ccf-paper-writer.
• Page limit: ccf-paper-writer compression mode.
• Post-review response: ccf-rebuttal-writer -> optional writing or experiment handoff.

Recommendation Criteria

Choose the recommended route by:

1. user's immediate decision, 2. strongest missing input, 3. privacy and evidence constraints, 4. whether novelty or results are current/uncertain, 5. whether the output should be a reusable file, 6. session denylists and handoff mode.

Do not recommend literature search when the immediate need is local text polishing. Do not recommend writing before the idea, evidence, or results are stable enough to support the claims.

Too-Broad Decomposition

When the request mixes independent workstreams, split it into ordered stages:

Stage:
Owner skill:
Input needed:
Output produced:
Handoff condition:

Stop at the first stage unless the user explicitly asks for the full workflow brief.

Design Brief Template

Use this template for a decision-ready CCFA research-task brief. Do not write a file unless the user explicitly asks for a reusable brief, spec, or saved document.

Compact Brief

Decision:
Goal:
Audience:
Inputs:
Constraints:
Success criteria:
Recommended approach:
Next CCFA skill:
Handoff condition:
Open risks:

Standard Brief

Title:
Mode:

Decision To Make:

Goal And Audience:

Available Inputs:

Constraints And Privacy Boundary:

Success Criteria:

Scope Diagnosis:

Approach Options:

Recommended Route:

Next CCFA Skill:

Handoff Conditions:

Questions That Still Matter:

What Not To Do Yet:

What Not To Do Yet

Use this section to prevent premature downstream work:

• do not optimize the idea until the target contribution type is clear;
• do not search with private wording unless authorized;
• do not design experiments before the central claim is stable;
• do not write manuscript prose before claims and evidence are aligned;
• do not compress before the user decides appendix/delete policy;
• do not draft rebuttal unless real reviewer comments or explicit rebuttal intent exist.

File Output

If the user explicitly asks for a saved brief, use a short filename such as:

ccfa-brief-<topic>.md

Keep the file in the user's requested location. If no location is given, ask once before writing because reusable file generation is a CCFA handoff-sensitive action.

Intake Protocol

Use this file to turn an ambiguous user request into a bounded CCFA research task.

Intake Fields

Collect or infer:

Goal:
Decision to make:
Audience:
Target venue or venue family:
Research stage:
Available materials:
Known constraints:
Success criteria:
Privacy boundary:
Downstream skill candidates:

Do not ask for a field if it is clear from local files, pasted text, or the user's prompt. Mark unknowns explicitly.

Research Stage Values

Use the closest value:

• rough idea,
• idea selection,
• literature grounding,
• experiment planning,
• manuscript drafting,
• manuscript polishing,
• page/word compression,
• writing review,
• rebuttal/author response,
• skill maintenance,
• mixed workflow.

Missing Information Classes

Classify missing information as:

• must-know: changes route, scope, privacy, target venue, or feasibility;
• useful-to-know: improves output quality but can be assumed;
• safe-to-assume: choose a conservative default and state it.

Ask only for must-know information. In quick mode, ask at most one question or proceed with a stated assumption.

Privacy Boundary

Before any browsing or handoff that could expose private material, classify the user's material:

• public: paper title, published abstract, arXiv/OpenReview link, official venue rule, public dataset or benchmark;
• private: rough idea, manuscript draft, reviewer comments, unpublished result numbers, internal experiment notes;
• mixed: public title plus private draft or internal result interpretation.

Use public-safe queries unless the user explicitly authorizes exact private text in searches.

Scope Diagnosis

Return one of:

• single-task: one CCFA skill can handle the request directly;
• multi-stage: several CCFA skills should run in order;
• too-broad: split into subprojects before any downstream work;
• unclear: one must-know question remains.

When the scope is multi-stage, identify the first stage and the handoff condition for the next stage.