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Description
Summary
Introduces a complete TPM-focused GitHub backlog management pipeline — 5 instructions, 4 prompts, and 1 orchestrator agent — mirroring the ADO tooling pipeline architecture with GitHub-native MCP tools. Replaces and deprecates the single-purpose github-issue-manager agent with a comprehensive four-stage workflow covering triage, discovery, sprint planning, and batch execution.
Branch: feat/github-backlog-management-tooling
Commit: 3fe2c00
Scope: 19 files changed, 2,621 insertions, 477 deletions
Motivation
The existing github-issue-manager.agent.md provided only conversational filing, navigation, and search for individual GitHub issues. TPMs managing GitHub backlogs needed the same rigor available for ADO work items: batch triage, duplicate detection, milestone-based sprint planning, hierarchy-aware execution, and three-tier autonomy controls. The ADO pipeline (planning → discovery → update → PR) proved the architectural blueprint; this work adapts that blueprint to GitHub's issue model.
Architecture
Instructions-first pipeline (parallel to the ADO tooling suite):
github-backlog-planning.instructions.md (P0 — reference specification)
├── github-backlog-triage.instructions.md (consumes planning spec)
├── github-backlog-discovery.instructions.md (consumes planning spec)
└── github-backlog-update.instructions.md (consumes planning spec)
github-backlog-manager.agent.md (orchestrator)
├── github-triage-issues.prompt.md → triage instructions
├── github-discover-issues.prompt.md → discovery instructions
├── github-execute-backlog.prompt.md → update instructions
└── github-sprint-plan.prompt.md → planning spec + milestone APIs
Key design decisions:
- Reference specification as foundation —
github-backlog-planning.instructions.md(758 lines) defines planning file templates, field conventions, MCP tool catalog, search protocols, similarity assessment matrix, state persistence, and the three-tier autonomy model. All workflow instructions cross-reference this file rather than duplicating conventions. - Intent-based routing — The orchestrator agent classifies incoming requests into one of five workflow types (triage, discovery, sprint, execution, single-issue) and dispatches to the appropriate prompt via handoff configuration.
- Three-tier autonomy — Full (no gates), Partial (key gates only), Manual (all gates). Workflows default to Partial; users override per session.
- Similarity assessment — A 5-dimension matrix (title, body, labels, milestone, assignee) with weighted scoring prevents duplicate issue creation during batch operations.
- Hierarchy-aware execution — Batch operations process parent issues before children to maintain referential integrity with GitHub's sub-issues API.
Changes
New Artifacts (10 files)
Instructions (5)
| File | Lines | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
github-backlog-planning.instructions.md |
758 | Reference specification: planning file templates, MCP tool catalog, search protocols, similarity assessment, state persistence, three-tier autonomy model |
github-backlog-triage.instructions.md |
302 | Triage pipeline: batch label suggestion, milestone assignment, priority assessment, duplicate detection with planning file output |
github-backlog-discovery.instructions.md |
234 | Discovery workflows: artifact-driven, user-centric, and search-based issue discovery with planning file generation |
github-backlog-update.instructions.md |
226 | Execution pipeline: consumes planning handoffs, executes batch issue operations with hierarchy-aware ordering |
community-interaction.instructions.md |
335 | Community interaction voice/tone guidelines referenced by backlog workflows for issue/PR comments |
Prompts (4)
| File | Lines | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
github-triage-issues.prompt.md |
84 | Entry point for triage workflow — scopes to repo, runs label/milestone/duplicate analysis |
github-discover-issues.prompt.md |
128 | Entry point for discovery — three modes (artifact-driven, user-centric, search-based) |
github-execute-backlog.prompt.md |
78 | Entry point for batch execution — consumes planning handoffs, applies changes |
github-sprint-plan.prompt.md |
109 | Sprint planning — milestone management, velocity analysis, capacity allocation |
Agent (1)
| File | Lines | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
github-backlog-manager.agent.md |
174 | Orchestrator with intent classification, five workflow dispatch paths, handoff configuration to all four prompts |
Modified Files (9)
| File | Change | Detail |
|---|---|---|
github-add-issue.prompt.md |
Bug fix + refactor | Fixed mcp_github_create_issue → mcp_github_issue_write (tool doesn't exist); rewrote from 304→86 lines; now delegates to github-backlog-planning.instructions.md for templates; maturity changed to experimental |
github-issue-manager.agent.md |
Deprecated | Content replaced with deprecation notice pointing to github-backlog-manager.agent.md; maturity set to deprecated |
CUSTOM-AGENTS.md |
Updated | Agent table: github-issue-manager → github-backlog-manager with updated description and workflow notes |
hve-core-installer.agent.md |
Updated | Agent count 14+ → 20+; agent listing updated to include github-backlog-manager; formatting fixes |
writing-style.instructions.md |
Extended | Added "Community" row to formality/pronoun tables; cross-reference to community-interaction.instructions.md |
docs/getting-started/install.md |
Reference update | github-issue-manager → github-backlog-manager |
docs/getting-started/mcp-configuration.md |
Reference update | Agent MCP Dependencies table updated with new agent name and description |
extension/README.md |
Reference update | Agent listing updated to github-backlog-manager |
extension/package.json |
Regenerated | Manifest updated: 21 agents, 26 prompts, 23 instructions |
Validation
All validators passed on the committed artifacts:
| Validator | Result |
|---|---|
npm run format:tables |
Clean |
npm run lint:frontmatter |
127 files, 0 errors |
npm run lint:md |
0 errors (fixed MD013 in agent file during validation) |
npm run spell-check |
91 files, 0 issues |
npm run lint:md-links |
All links passed |
npm run extension:prepare |
21 agents, 26 prompts, 23 instructions |
Review Checklist
Artifact Quality
- Planning specification covers MCP tool catalog, planning file templates, similarity assessment
- Triage instructions produce planning files with label/milestone recommendations
- Discovery instructions support all three modes (artifact, user, search)
- Update instructions consume planning handoffs with hierarchy-aware ordering
- Community interaction instructions define voice/tone for issue comments
- All four prompts correctly reference their backing instructions
- Orchestrator agent routes all five intent types to correct workflows
- Bug fix resolves non-existent
mcp_github_create_issuetool reference
Integration
- Deprecated
github-issue-manageragent has clear migration notice - All cross-repo references updated (CUSTOM-AGENTS, installer, docs, extension)
- Extension manifest registers all new artifacts
- Writing-style instructions include community interaction cross-reference
Maturity
- All new artifacts ship at
experimental - Deprecated agent marked with
deprecatedmaturity - Progression to
previewafter multi-repo testing and TPM feedback
Research
.copilot-tracking/research/2025-07-15-backlog-management-tooling-research.md(851 lines).copilot-tracking/details/2026-02-05-github-backlog-tooling-details.md.copilot-tracking/plans/2026-02-05-github-backlog-tooling-plan.instructions.md