Context

Implement the meeting protocol system defined in DESIGN_SPEC §5.7. Meetings (§5.1 Pattern 3) follow configurable protocols that determine how agents interact during structured multi-agent conversations. Different meeting types naturally suit different protocols. All protocols implement a MeetingProtocol protocol, making the system extensible.

Cost bounds are enforced by duration_tokens in meeting config (§5.4).

Protocols (§5.7)

Protocol 1: Round-Robin Transcript

Meeting leader calls each participant in turn. Shared transcript grows as each agent responds. Leader summarizes and extracts action items at the end.

• Simple, natural conversation feel, each agent sees full context
• Token cost grows quadratically; ordering bias
• Best for: Daily standups, status updates, small groups (3-5 agents)

Protocol 2: Async Position Papers + Synthesizer

Each agent independently writes a short position paper (parallel execution). A synthesizer reads all positions, identifies agreements/conflicts, produces decisions + action items.

• Cheapest — parallel calls, no quadratic growth, no ordering bias
• Loses back-and-forth dialogue
• Best for: Brainstorming, architecture proposals, large groups, cost-sensitive meetings

Protocol 3: Structured Phases

Meeting split into phases: agenda broadcast → independent input gathering → discussion round (only if conflicts detected) → decision + action items.

• Cost-efficient — parallel input, discussion only when needed
• More complex orchestration
• Best for: Sprint planning, design reviews, architecture decisions

Acceptance Criteria

Protocol Interface

• MeetingProtocol protocol defined with standard operations (start_meeting, run_round, summarize, extract_action_items)
• Protocol selection configurable per meeting type
• New protocols addable without modifying existing ones
• Cost bounds enforced via duration_tokens (§5.4)

Implementations

• Round-robin protocol — sequential turns, shared transcript, leader summary
• Position papers protocol — parallel position collection, synthesizer agent
• Structured phases protocol — agenda → input → conditional discussion → decisions

Common Requirements

• Action items extracted as tasks (configurable: auto_create_tasks)
• Meeting transcript/summary persisted
• Token cost tracking per meeting
• Integration with conflict resolution (§5.6) for discussion rounds
• Unit tests for each protocol (>80% coverage)

Dependencies

• Message bus (Implement agent-to-agent messaging with channels and topics #10) — agents need to communicate during meetings
• Task system (Implement single-task execution lifecycle (assign, execute, complete) #21) — action items become tasks
• Conflict resolution protocol (§5.6 issue) — for structured phases discussion

Design Spec Reference

• §5.7 — Meeting Protocol
• §5.1 — Communication patterns (Pattern 3: Meetings)
• §5.4 — Meeting configuration