# Open Source Roadmap

The long-term vision for the Mandrel open source components.

Source: https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/overview/roadmap/

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The Mandrel open source ecosystem is planned in three phases: Core Foundation (current), Mesh Integration and Extensibility, and High-Assurance Tooling. Each phase covers [The Mandrel Spec](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/spec/index.md), the [Mandrel CLI](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/reference/cli.md), and the [Collet](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/reference/collet.md) runtime enforcement engine.

## Phase 1: Core Foundation (Current)
*Focus: Establishing the deterministic contract and basic enforcement.*

- **Mandrel Spec v1.0**: Stable schema for identity, network boundaries, and threshold-based governance matrices.
- **Mandrel CLI**: Static validator and declarative artifact generator for Kubernetes manifests and Open Policy Agent (OPA) policies.
- **Mandrel Collet (MVP)**: Local sidecar enforcement proxy for turn-level gRPC delegation, hop decrements, and basic proxying.
- **Chips Standard**: Baseline format for [Chip rate tables](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/spec/chip-rate-table.md) and per-model economic cost multipliers.

## Phase 2: Mesh Integration & Extensibility
*Focus: Enabling developer velocity, dynamic mesh topologies, and richer tool proxying.*

- **Subprocess Plugin System**: Dynamic discovery of custom validators and artifact generators in the CLI.
- **Advanced Action Enums**: Implementation of the `challenge-always` mandatory human-gate protocol.
- **Orchestrator Mode (Basic)**: Support for `permitted-intents` and intent-driven task routing as defined in the [orchestration specification](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/spec/orchestration.md).
- **Capability-Binding Egress Engine**: Collet-level runtime evaluation of dynamic delegate targets against declared capability schemas, namespaces, and risk profiles in `permitted-delegates`, avoiding brittle static name-pinning.
- **Governed MCP Reverse-Proxy Mode**: Native JSON-RPC proxying for Model Context Protocol (MCP) traffic, validating outbound `tools/call` payloads against declared threshold matrices and debiting chip costs against active budgets.
- **Local Development Kits**: Pre-configured containerized templates for rapid specialist development and integration testing.

## Phase 3: High-Assurance Tooling & Late-Binding Governance
*Focus: Strengthening the developer-to-production pipeline for autonomous, late-binding agent meshes.*

- **Spec v1.1 Evolution**: Refinements to the `orchestrator` stanza and compound identity claims based on community feedback.
- **Active Discovery API in Metrology Lab**: Queryable capability endpoint within the [Metrology Lab](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/reference/metrology-lab.md) allowing late-binding agent harnesses to dynamically resolve specialist targets by intent, schema, and risk envelope, returning verified endpoints bound to signed Realized Specs.
- **Explicit Turn Lifecycle Protocol**: Standardized gRPC metadata headers (`turn-start`, `turn-yield`, `turn-complete`) for deterministic lifecycle coordination between host harnesses and the Collet, replacing passive memory eviction sweeps with active turn-state tracking and fan-out reclamation.
- **Extended Validation (E-codes)**: Exhaustive pre-flight diagnostic checks for complex delegation patterns and deep graphs.
- **Open Standards Alignment**: Deepening compatibility with the Linux Foundation Agent2Agent (A2A) project and RFC-standard security protocols, including Continuous Access Evaluation (CAE) for real-time revocation.

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### Architectural Context

For detailed analysis of how these roadmap capabilities support dynamic multi-agent runtimes, see the white paper on [governing late-binding agent harnesses](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/white-papers/late-binding-agent-harnesses.md), as well as the [egress governance architecture](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/guides/egress-governance.md) and [workload maturity guide](https://mandrel-web-363efb.gitlab.io/docs/overview/workload-maturity.md).