# DECISION-20260216-agent-harness-defaults

## Context
- Task/request: Adapt EVOLV agents/skills using Harness Engineering patterns and set owner-controlled operating defaults.
- Impacted files/contracts: `AGENTS.md`, `.agents/skills/*/SKILL.md`, `.agents/skills/*/agents/openai.yaml`, decision-log policy.
- Why a decision is required now: New harness workflow needs explicit defaults for compatibility, safety bias, and governance discipline.

## Options
1. Compatibility posture
- Option A: strict backward compatibility
- Option B: controlled compatibility breaks with migration notes

2. Safety posture
- Option A: protection-first
- Option B: availability-first

3. Decision logging scope
- Option A: required only for breaking/risky changes
- Option B: required for all decision-gate outcomes

## Decision
- Selected option: Compatibility `controlled`; Safety `availability-first`; Decision logging `required for all decision-gate changes`.
- Decision owner: User
- Date: February 16, 2026
- Rationale: Maintain delivery and operational continuity while preserving governance through mandatory, durable decision records.

## Consequences
- Compatibility impact: Breaking contract changes are permissible only when migration/deprecation is explicit.
- Safety/security impact: Control changes should bias toward continuity with bounded safeguards; critical protections still require explicit constraints.
- Data/operations impact: Decision traceability improves cross-turn consistency and auditability.

## Implementation Notes
- Required code/doc updates: Set defaults in `AGENTS.md` and orchestrator skill instructions; keep decision-log template active.
- Validation evidence required: Presence of defaults in policy docs and this decision artifact under `.agents/decisions/`.

## Rollback / Migration
- Rollback strategy: Update defaults in `AGENTS.md` and orchestrator SKILL; create a superseding decision log entry.
- Migration/deprecation plan: For any future hard-break preference, require explicit migration plan and effective date in a new decision entry.