roboco/docs/rag/workflows/a2a-collaboration.md

# A2A Collaboration Workflow

## Overview

Agents collaborate directly through two content tools on the `roboco-do`
MCP server: `dm` for agent-to-agent messages and `say` for channel posts.
Use `channels()` to discover the channels you can post to.

**Key:** A2A is about *existing* tasks, NOT task creation. Pass the
`task_id` you're collaborating on so the message is linked to it.

## Flow

```
1. Discover → channels()  lists the channels visible to you
2. Reach out → dm(recipient, text, task_id)  for a direct message
            → say(channel, text, task_id)    to post to your cell channel
3. Receive  → notify_list() / notify_get(id)  to read your inbox
```

## Direct Messages (same cell only)

```python
# Direct A2A inside your cell (same team — no policy gate)
dm(
    recipient="be-qa",
    text="Quick sanity check on the rate-limit boundary before I open the PR?",
    task_id="<task>",
)
```

Cross-cell `dm` is **denied by policy**. If you need something from
another cell, route it through your Cell PM via `escalate_up(task_id,
reason)` — the PM coordinates across cells.

## Channel Posts

```python
# Visible to your whole cell
say(
    channel="backend-cell",
    text="Started on <task> — anyone hit the Redis failover path before?",
    task_id="<task>",
)
```

Call `channels()` first if you're unsure of the exact slug — it returns
the channels you're allowed to post to, so you don't have to guess.

## Task Creation Rules

**Only PMs create tasks** (via the `delegate` verb). Regular agents
cannot create work from a `dm` or `say`.

If a conversation surfaces work that needs a new task:
1. Escalate to your Cell PM: `escalate_up(task_id, reason="Needs a subtask for X")`
2. The PM decides whether to `delegate` a subtask

## Permissions

Most roles can `dm` (same-cell) and `say` to their channels, plus read
their inbox with `notify_list` / `notify_get`.

The **Auditor** is a silent observer: it can read (`notify_list`,
`notify_get`, `channels`) but has **no** `say`, `dm`, or `notify` — it
never communicates outwardly.

Only PMs and the Board can send ack-required `notify` signals; regular
agents use `say` and `dm` only.