Dogfood round 1: propose_work_items gate, team-tie survives turn saves, board wakes render as cards

Leads lose propose_plan (trait-derived exclusion — plan mode is meaningless without execution tools) and gain propose_work_items: mode-independent decomposition whose approval creates the items.
Team field moves off the turn-save upsert to a dedicated setter (workers detached from their lead after one turn); board deliveries carry a MessageSource sidecar; test-worker prefers project-local tool installs.

surfaces/gui/e2e/fixtures.ts

@@ -629,6 +629,20 @@ export async function mockApi(page: import("@playwright/test").Page) {
           });
           return; // suspended on the approval
         }
+        // Agent teams: the decomposition gate — the lead proposes work items and
+        // SUSPENDS until the items_response verdict arrives (approval creates them).
+        if (/propose the split/i.test(msg.text)) {
+          send("items_proposed", {
+            items: [
+              { title: "Statement API endpoint", criteria: "returns opening/closing balances; 8 endpoint tests green" },
+              { title: "Statements dashboard page", criteria: "renders seeded data for Ada / Northgate; empty + error states covered" },
+              { title: "Statement totals reconcile", criteria: "running balance matches invoices minus payments for the range" },
+              { title: "Verification pass", criteria: "tester confirms page renders with live API data" },
+            ],
+            note: "Shared journal case: statements.",
+          });
+          return; // suspended on the items decision
+        }
         // Agent teams (OPE-97): the staffing gate — the lead proposes a roster and
         // SUSPENDS until the team_response verdict arrives.
         if (/staff the team/i.test(msg.text)) {
@@ -841,6 +855,16 @@ export async function mockApi(page: import("@playwright/test").Page) {
           send("assistant_message", { text: `Done via ${pendingTool} [decision=${msg.decision}]` });
         }
         send("turn_done");
+      } else if (msg.type === "items_response") {
+        if (msg.approved) {
+          seedBoard(); // "created on the board" — the board fetch now shows them
+          send("assistant_message", {
+            text: "Items created on the board — staffing next.",
+          });
+        } else {
+          send("assistant_message", { text: "Understood — reworking the split." });
+        }
+        send("turn_done");
       } else if (msg.type === "team_response") {
         if (msg.approved) {
           // Server-side create_team pre-spawned the workers; surface them in the

surfaces/gui/e2e/team.spec.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,35 @@ async function proposeTeam(page: import("@playwright/test").Page) {
   await expect(page.getByTestId("teamreq-card")).toBeVisible();
 }
 
+test("the decomposition gate shows items with criteria; approval lands them on the board", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByPlaceholder(/Ask the coworker/).fill("propose the split");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send" }).click();
+  const card = page.getByTestId("itemsreq-card");
+  await expect(card).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(card).toContainText("Proposed work items — 4");
+  await expect(card).toContainText("Done when:");
+  // 3 visible + expander with the true remainder
+  await expect(card.getByText("Verification pass")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await card.getByRole("button", { name: /1 more item/ }).click();
+  await expect(card.getByText("Verification pass")).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.getByTestId("itemsreq-approve").click();
+  await expect(page.getByText(/Items created on the board/)).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("board-rail")).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test("declining the split returns feedback to the lead", async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByPlaceholder(/Ask the coworker/).fill("propose the split");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send" }).click();
+  await page.getByTestId("itemsreq-card").waitFor();
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Not now" }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByText(/reworking the split/)).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test("the staffing gate shows the roster and the grant sentence", async ({ page }) => {
   await proposeTeam(page);
   const card = page.getByTestId("teamreq-card");

surfaces/gui/src/App.tsx

@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import { DirectoryRequestCard } from "./components/DirectoryRequestCard";
 import { PlanCard } from "./components/PlanCard";
 import { BoardOverlay } from "./components/BoardPanel";
 import { TeamRequestCard } from "./components/TeamRequestCard";
+import { WorkItemsCard } from "./components/WorkItemsCard";
 import { WorkspaceTrustPrompt } from "./components/WorkspaceTrustPrompt";
 
 const newId = () =>
@@ -770,6 +771,18 @@ export function App() {
             },
           ]);
           break;
+        case "items_proposed":
+          // The decomposition gate — approval creates the items on the board.
+          if (unattendedRef.current) break;
+          setItems((p) => [
+            ...p,
+            {
+              kind: "itemsreq",
+              items: Array.isArray(d.items) ? d.items : [],
+              note: d.note || "",
+            },
+          ]);
+          break;
         case "question_requested":
           // ask_user in an attended session — answered inline (not routed to the Inbox).
           setItems((p) => [
@@ -1035,6 +1048,12 @@ export function App() {
     dropSessionInbox("plan"); // the gate parks as a plan-kind Inbox item
     sessionRef.current?.respondTeam(approved, feedback);
   };
+  const respondItemsReq = (approved: boolean, feedback?: string) => {
+    setItems((p) => resolveLastItemsReq(p, approved ? "approved" : "rejected"));
+    dropSessionInbox("plan");
+    sessionRef.current?.respondItems(approved, feedback);
+    if (approved) setTimeout(refreshBoard, 400); // the items just landed
+  };
   const respondDirectory = (granted: boolean, path?: string, writable?: boolean) => {
     setItems((p) => resolveLastDirReq(p, granted ? "granted" : "denied"));
     dropSessionInbox("directory");
@@ -1409,6 +1428,7 @@ export function App() {
   const pendingToolReq = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "toolreq" && !i.resolved);
   const pendingPlan = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "planreq" && !i.resolved);
   const pendingTeam = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "teamreq" && !i.resolved);
+  const pendingItemsReq = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "itemsreq" && !i.resolved);
   const pendingQuestion = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "question" && !i.resolved);
   // Facts subtitle (§22): the session's FIXED facts, not controls — model (+ the
   // workspace folder for project-scoped sessions). Renders only once the session has history;
@@ -1924,6 +1944,8 @@ export function App() {
                 // parked in the Inbox and surfaced via the answer-in-context card below.
                 !unattended && pendingPlan?.kind === "planreq" ? (
                   <PlanCard item={pendingPlan} onRespond={respondPlan} />
+                ) : !unattended && pendingItemsReq?.kind === "itemsreq" ? (
+                  <WorkItemsCard item={pendingItemsReq} onRespond={respondItemsReq} />
                 ) : !unattended && pendingTeam?.kind === "teamreq" ? (
                   <TeamRequestCard item={pendingTeam} onRespond={respondTeam} />
                 ) : !unattended && pendingToolReq?.kind === "toolreq" ? (
@@ -2141,6 +2163,18 @@ function resolveLastTeam(items: Item[], resolved: "approved" | "rejected"): Item
   return copy;
 }
 
+function resolveLastItemsReq(items: Item[], resolved: "approved" | "rejected"): Item[] {
+  const copy = [...items];
+  for (let i = copy.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+    const it = copy[i];
+    if (it.kind === "itemsreq" && !it.resolved) {
+      copy[i] = { ...it, resolved };
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  return copy;
+}
+
 function resolveLastQuestion(items: Item[], answer: string): Item[] {
   const copy = [...items];
   for (let i = copy.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {

surfaces/gui/src/api.ts

@@ -2197,6 +2197,14 @@ export class Session {
     });
   }
 
+  respondItems(approved: boolean, feedback?: string) {
+    this.send({
+      type: "items_response",
+      approved,
+      ...(feedback ? { feedback } : {}),
+    });
+  }
+
   // Answer a live `ask_user` prompt (attended sessions; unattended ones answer via the Inbox).
   respondQuestion(answer: string) {
     this.send({ type: "question_response", answer });

surfaces/gui/src/components/WorkItemsCard.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// The decomposition gate (agent teams): a lead proposes work items; approval
+// creates them on the board. The board-flavored sibling of PlanCard — items with
+// acceptance criteria as the primary text, 3 visible + expander with the true
+// count in the header, no in-card reply surface (editing happens by replying).
+import { useState } from "react";
+import type { Item } from "../types";
+import { Icon } from "./Icon";
+
+export function WorkItemsCard({
+  item,
+  onRespond,
+}: {
+  item: Extract<Item, { kind: "itemsreq" }>;
+  onRespond: (approved: boolean, feedback?: string) => void;
+}) {
+  const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(false);
+  const visible = expanded ? item.items : item.items.slice(0, 3);
+  const hidden = item.items.length - visible.length;
+  return (
+    <div className="dirreq-card itemsreq-card" data-testid="itemsreq-card">
+      <div className="itemsreq-head">
+        <Icon name="table" size={15} />
+        <span className="itemsreq-title">
+          Proposed work items — {item.items.length}
+        </span>
+      </div>
+      {item.note && <div className="itemsreq-note">{item.note}</div>}
+      {visible.map((entry, i) => (
+        <div className="itemsreq-item" key={i}>
+          <span className="itemsreq-num">{i + 1}.</span>
+          <span className="itemsreq-body">
+            <span className="itemsreq-item-title">{entry.title}</span>
+            <span className="itemsreq-ac">
+              <b>Done when:</b> {entry.criteria}
+            </span>
+          </span>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+      {hidden > 0 && (
+        <button className="itemsreq-more" onClick={() => setExpanded(true)}>
+          ＋ {hidden} more item{hidden === 1 ? "" : "s"}
+          <Icon name="chevronDown" size={12} />
+        </button>
+      )}
+      <div className="dirreq-actions">
+        <span className="itemsreq-grant">
+          Reply to edit the split; approval creates these on the board.
+        </span>
+        <span className="spacer" />
+        <button className="btn" onClick={() => onRespond(false)}>
+          Not now
+        </button>
+        <button
+          className="btn primary"
+          data-testid="itemsreq-approve"
+          onClick={() => onRespond(true)}
+        >
+          Approve items
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}

surfaces/gui/src/styles.css

@@ -1734,3 +1734,17 @@ html[data-platform="linux"] ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background-color:
 .team-dot.in_progress { background: var(--ok-dot); }
 .team-dot.blocked { background: var(--danger); }
 .team-dot.review { background: var(--warn-ink); }
+
+/* Decomposition gate (proposed work items) */
+.itemsreq-card { border-color: var(--accent); box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px var(--accent-soft); }
+.itemsreq-head { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; margin-bottom: 4px; }
+.itemsreq-title { font-weight: 600; font-size: 13px; color: var(--ink); }
+.itemsreq-note { font-size: 12px; color: var(--muted); margin-bottom: 4px; }
+.itemsreq-item { display: flex; gap: 9px; padding: 7px 0; border-top: 1px solid var(--line); }
+.itemsreq-num { color: var(--faint); font-size: 12px; padding-top: 1px; }
+.itemsreq-body { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 2px; min-width: 0; }
+.itemsreq-item-title { font-size: 12.5px; color: var(--ink); }
+.itemsreq-ac { font-size: 11.5px; color: var(--muted); }
+.itemsreq-ac b { font-weight: 600; }
+.itemsreq-more { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 5px; border: 0; background: transparent; color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; cursor: pointer; padding: 6px 0; }
+.itemsreq-grant { font-size: 11.5px; color: var(--faint); }

surfaces/gui/src/types.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export type EventType =
   | "question_requested"
   | "plan_proposed"
   | "team_proposed"
+  | "items_proposed"
   | "tool_started"
   | "tool_finished"
   | "iteration_end"
@@ -164,6 +165,13 @@ export type Item =
       note?: string;
       resolved?: "approved" | "rejected";
     }
+  | {
+      // The decomposition gate: a lead proposes work items; approval creates them.
+      kind: "itemsreq";
+      items: { title: string; criteria: string; description?: string }[];
+      note?: string;
+      resolved?: "approved" | "rejected";
+    }
   | {
       // A live ask_user prompt (attended sessions answer inline; unattended ones route to the Inbox).
       kind: "question";