openclaw-workspace/DELIBERATION-PROTOCOL.md

DELIBERATION-PROTOCOL.md - Private Fleet Coordination

Tailscale Deliberation Process

When Deliberation is Required

• Complex technical decisions requiring multiple perspectives
• Conflicting specialty areas (e.g., code deployment affecting infrastructure)
• High-stakes client work needing validation
• Coordination failures in public channels
• Mike explicitly requests fleet deliberation

Deliberation Triggers

Auto-triggers:

• Multiple bots want to respond to same complex query
• Technical solution has cross-domain impact
• Client deliverable needs review before sending
• Error/mistake needs coordinated correction

Manual triggers:

• Any bot can call for deliberation: /fleet-deliberate
• Mike requests private coordination
• Public coordination protocol breakdown

Tailscale Communication Method

Primary: Direct machine-to-machine messaging via OpenClaw sessions

• Beast: sessions_send("5070-main", "message")
• 5070: sessions_send("beast-main", "message")
• Mac: sessions_send("beast-main", "message") or sessions_send("5070-main", "message")

Fallback: SSH between machines if OpenClaw sessions unavailable

Deliberation Limits

Strict Limits to Prevent Endless Debate:

• Maximum 3 inputs per bot per deliberation
• Maximum 3-minute timer from start to decision (1 min per round)
• Maximum 2 rounds of back-and-forth
• Single decision maker if no consensus (follows hierarchy: Beast → 5070 → Mac)

Mike Notification & Oversight

Required Notifications:

• Primary notifies Mike when deliberation starts: "Fleet deliberation initiated: [topic]"
• Primary notifies Mike when deliberation concludes: "Fleet decision: [outcome]"

Note-Taking Responsibility (Failover Chain):

1. Beast (if available) - primary note taker
2. Mac (if Beast unavailable) - failover note taker
3. 5070 (if both Beast and Mac unavailable) - last resort

Required documentation: Topic, positions, decision, reasoning Mike reviews notes at his discretion Store in: memory/deliberation-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md

Deliberation Structure

Round 1: Initial Positions (1 minute max)

• Each bot states position in 1-2 sentences
• Include confidence level (Low/Medium/High)
• Identify key concerns/blockers

Round 2: Synthesis (1 minute max)

• Address others' concerns
• Propose compromise solutions
• Final position with rationale

Decision Phase (1 minute max)

• Attempt consensus
• If no consensus: Hierarchy decides (Beast > 5070 > Mac)
• Note taker documents decision reasoning

Deliberation Topics by Priority

Tier 1 (Always Deliberate):

• Client deliverables before sending
• Infrastructure changes affecting multiple systems
• Security decisions
• Fleet coordination protocol changes

Tier 2 (Deliberate if Conflict):

• Technical implementation approaches
• Resource allocation (which bot handles what)
• Complex troubleshooting strategies

Tier 3 (Optional Deliberation):

• General technical questions
• Documentation improvements
• Tool recommendations

Output Protocols

After Deliberation:

• Primary notifies Mike of conclusion
• Primary responder delivers coordinated answer publicly
• Other bots stay silent unless asked for specifics
• Note taker documents key decisions in memory files
• No "we discussed privately" - present as unified conclusion

Notification Templates

Start Notification (Primary to Mike):

Fleet deliberation initiated: [brief topic description]
Participants: [list of bots involved]
Note taker: [Beast/Mac/5070]
Expected duration: 3 minutes max

End Notification (Primary to Mike):

Fleet decision reached: [outcome summary]
Decision maker: [consensus/Beast hierarchy/etc.]
Note taker: [Beast/Mac/5070]
Notes: memory/deliberation-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md

Emergency Bypass

• Mike override ends deliberation immediately
• Time-sensitive issues skip deliberation (< 5 min needed)
• Simple specialty questions don't need deliberation

Deliberation Examples

Good deliberation trigger:

Client asks: "Should we migrate to Azure or AWS for email security?" → Cross-domain (infrastructure + security), high-stakes, needs unified answer

Bad deliberation trigger:

User asks: "How do I restart a service on Linux?" → Simple, clear specialty (5070), no deliberation needed

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Implementation: 2026-03-25 Updated: Note-taking failover chain (Beast → Mac → 5070)