Project Tracking — Structured Active Project Files
Purpose
Standardized tracking for every project in active-projects/. This is the single source of truth for project status. No freeform files — every project uses this template.
Rules (Non-Negotiable)
- Every project gets a tracking file at intake — before ANY work is assigned
- Every phase transition updates the file with timestamp and outcome
- The active-projects/ file is the ONLY source of truth for project status
- Never report project status without reading the tracking file first
- COO gate results are recorded immediately upon receipt
- Move to completed-projects/ only after Launch phase completes or project is explicitly killed
Required Fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Project Name | Official project name | Agent Arena |
| Status | Current high-level status | 🔨 Building / ⏳ In Review / ✅ Complete / ❌ Blocked / 🔄 On Hold |
| Current Pipeline Phase | Which of the 12 phases we're in | Phase 5: Build |
| Phase History | Every completed phase with timestamp | See template below |
| COO Gate Results | Pass/Fail + date + reviewer for each gate | Gate 1: PASSED 2026-03-20 (ClawExpert) |
| Blockers | Current blockers, if any | Apple Developer account pending |
| Agent Assignments | Which agent owns each phase | Forge: Architecture, Pixel: Design, Maks: Build |
| Deliverable File Paths | Exact paths to all deliverables | /data/.openclaw/workspace-forge/architecture-spec-project.md |
| ETA Per Phase | Estimated duration for upcoming phases | Build: 45min, Review: 15min, QA: 20min |
| Cumulative Cost Estimate | Running token/cost estimate | ~$4.20 (Research $0.80 + Architecture $1.40 + Design $2.00) |
Blank Template
Copy this for every new project:
# [PROJECT NAME] — Active Project Tracker
## Status
**Phase**: [current phase]
**Status**: [emoji + status]
**Owner**: MaksPM (orchestrating)
**Created**: [date GMT+8]
**Last Updated**: [date GMT+8]
## Pipeline
[Mark completed phases with ✅, current with **, upcoming unmarked]
Nick → Scout → Forge → COO Gate 1 → Pixel → COO Gate 2 → Maks → Forge Review → COO Gate 3 → QA → Launch → Complete
## Phase History
| # | Phase | Agent | Started | Completed | Duration | Outcome |
|---|-------|-------|---------|-----------|----------|---------|
| 1 | Intake | MaksPM | | | | |
| 2 | Research | Scout | | | | |
| 3 | Architecture | Forge | | | | |
| 4 | COO Gate 1 | ClawExpert | | | | |
| 5 | Design | Pixel | | | | |
| 6 | COO Gate 2 | ClawExpert | | | | |
| 7 | Build | Maks | | | | |
| 8 | Code Review | Forge | | | | |
| 9 | COO Gate 3 | ClawExpert | | | | |
| 10 | QA | MaksPM | | | | |
| 11 | Launch | Launch | | | | |
| 12 | Complete | MaksPM | | | | |
## COO Gate Results
| Gate | Result | Date | Reviewer | Notes |
|------|--------|------|----------|-------|
| Gate 1 (Post-Architecture) | | | | |
| Gate 2 (Post-Design) | | | | |
| Gate 3 (Post-Code Review) | | | | |
## Agent Assignments
| Phase | Agent | Status |
|-------|-------|--------|
| Research | Scout | |
| Architecture | Forge | |
| Design | Pixel | |
| Build | Maks | |
| Code Review | Forge | |
| QA | MaksPM | |
| Launch | Launch | |
## Deliverables
| Phase | Deliverable | Path | Size |
|-------|-------------|------|------|
| Research | Research brief | | |
| Architecture | Architecture spec | | |
| Design | Design specs | | |
| Build | Deployed app | | |
| Code Review | Review report | | |
| QA | QA report | | |
| Launch | Launch package | | |
## Blockers
| Blocker | Raised | Owner | Status | Resolved |
|---------|--------|-------|--------|----------|
| None | | | | |
## ETA
| Phase | Estimated Duration | Actual Duration | Variance |
|-------|-------------------|-----------------|----------|
| Research | | | |
| Architecture | | | |
| Design | | | |
| Build | | | |
| Code Review | | | |
| QA | | | |
| Launch | | | |
## Cost Estimate
| Phase | Estimated Cost | Actual Cost |
|-------|---------------|-------------|
| Research | | |
| Architecture | | |
| Design | | |
| Build | | |
| Code Review | | |
| QA | | |
| Launch | | |
| **Total** | | |
## Notes
[Project-specific notes, decisions, pivots]
Agent Task Board (2026-03-22 — MANDATORY)
You are the orchestrator. You MUST know what every agent is working on at all times. Maintain a live task board at active-projects/agent-task-board.md. This is the single source of truth for "who is doing what right now."
Update this file EVERY TIME:
- You assign work to an agent
- An agent completes a task
- An agent reports a blocker
- A phase transition happens
- At every heartbeat (verify board matches reality via sessions_list)
Task Board Format
# Agent Task Board
**Last Updated:** [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM GMT+8]
| Agent | Status | Current Task | Project | Assigned At | ETA | Queued Next |
|-------|--------|-------------|---------|-------------|-----|-------------|
| Maks ⚡ | 🟢 Active | Build Phase 7 | Agent Arena | 2026-03-22 10:00 | 45min | — |
| Forge 🔥 | 🟡 Idle | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pixel 🎨 | 🟢 Active | Design screens | OUTBOUND | 2026-03-22 09:30 | 2h | — |
| Scout 🔍 | 🟢 Active | Market research | UberKiwi | 2026-03-22 11:00 | 30min | — |
| Launch 🚀 | 🟡 Idle | — | — | — | — | — |
| ClawExpert 🧠 | 🟢 Active | COO audit | Ops | Always | — | — |
| MaksPM 📋 | 🟢 Active | Orchestrating | All | Always | — | — |
Task Ownership Lock
Before assigning work to any agent:
- Check the task board for their current assignment
- If the agent is currently working a task → QUEUE it in the "Queued Next" column, don't interrupt
- One agent, one task, one deliverable at a time (unless explicitly marked as parallel work by Nick or COO)
- Record every assignment with timestamp
If an agent receives a new task while busy:
- P0/URGENT from Nick or ClawExpert → interrupt current task, switch immediately
- Everything else → queue it, finish current task first
- Never silently drop a task — always acknowledge receipt and give ETA
Board Accuracy Rule
If Nick asks "what is [agent] working on?" you MUST be able to answer instantly from this board. If the board is stale or you're unsure, check sessions_list FIRST, update the board, THEN answer. Never guess from old context.
When to Update
- Phase start: Update current phase, agent assignment, start timestamp
- Phase complete: Update completion timestamp, duration, outcome, deliverable path
- COO gate: Update gate result immediately (pass/fail + date + reviewer + notes)
- Blocker raised: Add to blockers table with date and owner
- Blocker resolved: Update blocker status and resolution date
- Scope change: Note in Notes section with date and reason
- Project killed/paused: Update status, note reason, move to completed-projects/ if killed