Pic Conflict

PIC Conflict Escalation

You are escalating a conflict to the user for resolution. Follow this protocol exactly.

Input

Conflict summary: $ARGS

If no summary was provided, ask the user to describe the conflict.

When to Use This Skill

This skill is used when:

1. Two or more PICs have conflicting recommendations
2. Evidence doesn't clearly favor one position
3. Synthesis of positions isn't possible
4. A decision requires human judgment

Protocol

Step 1: Verify Workflow State

Read .pic/state.json to verify a workflow is active.

If no workflow:

No active workflow. Conflicts can only be recorded within a workflow.

And stop.

Step 2: Generate Conflict ID

Read existing conflicts in .pic/conflicts/ to determine the next ID.

Format: CON-[NNN] where NNN is zero-padded (e.g., CON-001)

Step 3: Gather Conflict Details

Collect or ask for:

1. Parties: Which PICs or positions are in conflict
2. Summary: Brief description of the disagreement
3. Position A: First position with supporting evidence
4. Position B: Second position with supporting evidence
5. Stakes: What depends on this decision
6. Attempted Resolution: What was tried before escalation

Step 4: Create Conflict Record

Write to .pic/conflicts/CON-[NNN].md:

# CON-[NNN]: [Brief Title]

**Date**: [ISO date]
**Workflow**: [workflow id]
**Phase**: [current phase]
**Status**: Open

## Summary

[Brief description of the conflict]

## Conflicting Positions

### Position A: [Name/Source]

**Advocate**: [Which PIC or entity]

**Position**: [What they recommend]

**Evidence**:
- [Supporting evidence 1]
- [Supporting evidence 2]

**Rationale**: [Why they believe this is correct]

### Position B: [Name/Source]

**Advocate**: [Which PIC or entity]

**Position**: [What they recommend]

**Evidence**:
- [Supporting evidence 1]
- [Supporting evidence 2]

**Rationale**: [Why they believe this is correct]

## Analysis

### Points of Agreement
- [What both sides agree on]

### Core Disagreement
[The fundamental issue causing conflict]

### Stakes
[What depends on this decision being made correctly]

## Attempted Resolution

[What was tried before escalation]

## Options for Resolution

### Option 1: Accept Position A
- **Impact**: [What happens if we choose this]
- **Risk**: [Potential downsides]

### Option 2: Accept Position B
- **Impact**: [What happens if we choose this]
- **Risk**: [Potential downsides]

### Option 3: Synthesis (if possible)
- **Approach**: [How to combine elements of both]
- **Trade-offs**: [What we give up]

## User Decision Required

Please review the positions above and indicate your decision:
- [ ] Accept Position A
- [ ] Accept Position B
- [ ] Accept Synthesis
- [ ] Provide alternative direction

---

## Resolution (to be filled after user decision)

**Decision**: [pending]
**Rationale**: [pending]
**Decided By**: [pending]
**Date**: [pending]

Step 5: Update State

Add conflict reference to .pic/state.json conflicts array:

{
  "id": "CON-[NNN]",
  "summary": "[summary]",
  "phase": "[current phase]",
  "status": "open",
  "timestamp": "[ISO]"
}

Step 6: Log Conflict

Append to .pic/status-log.jsonl:

{"timestamp": "[ISO]", "event": "conflict_escalated", "conflict": "CON-[NNN]", "summary": "[summary]"}

Step 7: Present to User

Display the conflict clearly:

## Conflict Escalation

A conflict requires your input to proceed.

**ID**: CON-[NNN]
**Phase**: [current phase]

### The Disagreement
[Clear statement of what's in conflict]

### Position A: [Name]
[Summary of position with key evidence]

### Position B: [Name]
[Summary of position with key evidence]

### What's at Stake
[Why this decision matters]

---

Please indicate how you'd like to proceed:
1. Accept Position A
2. Accept Position B
3. Propose a different approach

Your decision will be recorded and the workflow will continue accordingly.

Resolution Recording

When the user provides a decision:

1. Update the conflict record with the resolution
2. Update state to mark conflict as resolved
3. Log the resolution
4. Communicate the decision to relevant PICs
5. Continue the workflow

Blocking Behavior

While a conflict is open and unresolved:

• The workflow should pause on decisions that depend on the conflict
• Other independent work can continue
• The conflict status should be shown in /pic-status

Error Handling

• If conflicts directory doesn't exist, create it
• If unable to write, report the error
• Always present the conflict to the user even if logging fails