Project change monitor

Use an agent when monitoring is an ongoing responsibility and new findings should remain in one conversation. The value comes from a precise significance rule, not from checking as frequently as possible.

Define the boundary

Create the agent and activate only the project systems it must inspect. In its guidance, name:

• the approved sources and scope;
• the baseline or previous state to compare;
• what counts as material;
• who should be notified;
• what evidence every escalation must include; and
• what it must never change automatically.

For example: “Escalate only a changed delivery date, owner, blocked dependency, or decision that affects the committed milestone. Ignore formatting, routine comments, and unchanged status.”

Prove normal and edge cases

Test a material change, an irrelevant change, no change, and a failed source read. A source failure should be reported as incomplete monitoring, never as “no change.” Where operation controls are available, keep outbound messages and mutations ask-gated until the classifier is reliable; otherwise use read-only credentials and human delivery.

Choose the wake pattern

Use a routine heartbeat when the agent should inspect its responsibility and decide what is due. Use a task-specific scheduled wakeup when a concrete future check has its own name and instructions. Start with the slowest cadence that still meets the operational need and set a daily budget.

Periodically review the continuing conversation for repeated noise or stale assumptions. Refine the significance rule instead of increasing the model or check frequency first.