---

name: test-team-coordination locale: caveman-ultra source_locale: en source_commit: 82c77053 fence_basis_commit: 82c77053 translator: "Julius Brussee homage — caveman" translation_date: "2026-05-03" description: > Exec test scenario vs team, observe coordination pattern behaviors, eval acceptance criteria, gen structured RESULT.md. Use → validate team's coordination pattern produces expected behaviors during realistic task, compare patterns on equivalent workloads, establish baseline perf. license: MIT allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Bash Grep Glob Agent SendMessage TaskCreate metadata: author: Philipp Thoss version: "1.0" domain: review complexity: advanced language: natural tags: review, testing, teams, coordination, validation

Test Team Coordination

Exec test scenario from tests/scenarios/teams/ vs target team. Observe coordination pattern behaviors, eval acceptance criteria, score rubric, produce RESULT.md in tests/results/.

Use When

• Validate team's coordination produces expected behaviors
• Run structured test after modifying team def | agent
• Compare patterns by running same scenario w/ diff teams
• Establish baseline perf metrics for team composition
• Regression tests after adding agents | changing membership

In

• Required: Path to test scenario file (e.g. tests/scenarios/teams/test-opaque-team-cartographers-audit.md)
• Optional: Run ID override (default: YYYY-MM-DD-<target>-NNN auto)
• Optional: Team size override (default: from scenario frontmatter)
• Optional: Skip scope change (default: false — inject if defined)

Do

Step 1: Load + Validate Scenario

1.1. Read scenario file specified in input.

1.2. Parse YAML frontmatter + extract:

• target — team to test
• coordination-pattern — expected pattern
• team-size — # members to spawn
• Acceptance criteria table
• Scoring rubric (if present)
• Ground truth data (if present)

1.3. Verify file has all req sections:

• Objective
• Pre-conditions
• Task (w/ Primary Task subsection)
• Expected Behaviors
• Acceptance Criteria
• Observation Protocol

Got: Scenario loads, parses, has all req sections.

If err: Missing | unparseable → abort w/ err msg ID'ing missing/malformed. Optional sections (Rubric, Ground Truth, Variants) absent → note + continue.

Step 2: Verify Pre-conditions

2.1. Walk through each pre-condition checkbox.

2.2. File-existence → use Glob.

2.3. Registry count → parse _registry.yml + cmp total_* vs actual file counts.

2.4. Branch/git → git status --porcelain + git branch --show-current.

Got: All pre-conditions satisfied.

If err: Pre-condition fails → record BLOCKED. Decide: proceed (soft) | abort (hard like missing target team file). Doc decision.

Step 3: Load Coordination Pattern Criteria

3.1. Read tests/_registry.yml + locate coordination_patterns matching scenario's coordination-pattern.

3.2. Extract key_behaviors list.

3.3. Behaviors = observation checklist — each watched during exec + recorded observed/not.

Got: Pattern key behaviors loaded for observation.

If err: Pattern not in registry → use scenario's Expected Behaviors as sole source. Log warning.

Step 4: Execute Task

4.1. Create result dir: tests/results/YYYY-MM-DD-<target>-NNN/.

4.2. Record T0 (task start).

4.3. Read target team def from teams/<target>.md, extract CONFIG block, activate: call TeamCreate w/ team name, spawn teammates per subagent_type, create tasks from CONFIG tasks list. Use team-size from scenario. Pass Primary Task verbatim from scenario's Task section.

4.4. Observe team's exec phases. Record:

• T1: Form assessment / decomposition complete
• T2: Role assignments visible

4.5. Scenario defines Scope Change Trigger + skip-scope-change false:

• Wait until Phase 2 (role assignment) visible
• T3 (scope change injection)
• Send scope change prompt via SendMessage
• T4 (scope change absorbed — role adjustment visible)

4.6. Continue observing until output:

• T5 (integration begins)
• T6 (final report delivered)

4.7. Capture team's complete output.

Got: Team executes through coordination phases. Timestamps for all transitions. Scope change (if applicable) injected + absorbed.

If err: Team fails to produce output → record fail point + err msgs. Stalls → note last phase + timeout. Proceed to eval w/ partial.

Step 5: Evaluate Pattern Behaviors

5.1. Per key behavior from Step 3, determine observed during exec:

• Observed: Clear evidence in output | coordination
• Partial: Some evidence but incomplete | ambiguous
• Not observed: No evidence

5.2. Per task-specific behavior from scenario's Expected Behaviors, same eval.

5.3. Record findings in observation log.

Got: All/most pattern + task behaviors observed.

If err: Unobserved = findings, not test fails. Record accurate — pattern didn't fully manifest.

Step 6: Evaluate Acceptance Criteria

6.1. Walk each acceptance criterion.

6.2. Per criterion, determination:

• PASS: Clearly met w/ observable evidence
• PARTIAL: Partially met (counts toward threshold at 0.5 weight)
• FAIL: Not met despite opportunity
• BLOCKED: Couldn't eval (pre-condition fail, timeout)

6.3. Scenario has Ground Truth → verify findings vs:

• Calc accuracy % per category
• Flag false +/false -

6.4. Scenario has Scoring Rubric → score each dim 1-5 w/ brief justification.

6.5. Calc summary metrics:

• Acceptance: X/N criteria passed (PARTIAL = 0.5)
• Threshold: PASS if ≥ scenario threshold
• Rubric total: X/Y points (if applicable)

Got: All criteria have determination. Summary metrics calc'd.

If err: < half criteria evaluable (too many BLOCKED) → inconclusive. Doc why + recommend re-run after fixing pre-conditions.

Step 7: Generate RESULT.md

7.1. Create tests/results/YYYY-MM-DD-<target>-NNN/RESULT.md using Recording Template from scenario's Observation Protocol.

7.2. Populate all sections:

• Run metadata (observer, timestamps, duration)
• Phase log w/ all timestamps
• Role emergence log (adaptive/team tests)
• Acceptance criteria results table
• Rubric scores table (if applicable)
• Ground truth verification table (if applicable)
• Key observations (narrative)
• Lessons learned

7.3. Include team's raw output as appendix | separate file (team-output.md) in same dir.

7.4. Add summary verdict at top:

**Verdict**: PASS | FAIL | INCONCLUSIVE
**Score**: X/N criteria (Y/Z rubric points)
**Duration**: Xm

Got: Complete RESULT.md w/ all sections + clear verdict.

If err: Result file can't be written → output to stdout fallback. Eval data never lost.

Check

• Scenario loaded + all req sections present
• Pre-conditions verified (or BLOCKED)
• Pattern key behaviors loaded from registry
• Team spawned + task delivered
• Scope change injected at right time (if applicable)
• All pattern behaviors evaluated (observed/partial/not)
• All criteria have determination (PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL/BLOCKED)
• Ground truth verified (if applicable)
• RESULT.md generated w/ all sections
• Summary verdict calc'd + recorded

Traps

• Eval output quality vs coordination: Tests how team coordinates, not whether output perfect. Team coordinating well but finding 7/9 broken refs still demonstrates pattern.
• Inject scope change too early: Wait until role assignment clearly visible. Too early → team hasn't differentiated, nothing to adapt.
• Conflate member output w/ team output: Opaque team should present unified output. Individual member reports = finding about opacity, not test infra problem.
• Exact ground truth matching: Ground truth counts approximate. Eval right ballpark, not exact match.
• Forget timestamps: Essential for phase durations + adaptation speed. Set as events happen, not retroactively.

→

• review-codebase — deep codebase review complementing team-level testing
• review-skill-format — validates individual skill format (this validates team coordination)
• create-team — creates defs this tests
• evolve-team — evolves defs based on test findings
• test-a2a-interop — similar testing pattern for A2A protocol conformance
• assess-form — morphic assessment opaque team lead uses internally