# Free sample: the Desk Authority Map

From Governed Agent Teams by PaperChaseWebb. One template that answers the question most agent setups skip: what may each agent do without you?

An org chart says who reports to whom. An authority map says who may commit you to what. Fill one row per agent and link it from each agent's instruction file (Claude Code subagent, Codex AGENTS.md or Hermes skill).

## Template

| Agent | Job in one line | Does alone | Asks first | Never does | Evidence it owes | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [name] | [one line] | [undoable actions] | [actions, with the card it shows] | [actions] | [what proves done] | [a different agent or person] |

## Example row

| Agent | Job in one line | Does alone | Asks first | Never does | Evidence it owes | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Implements one planned task in a branch | Edit code in its branch, run tests | Add a dependency, change a schema | Push to main, change CI secrets | Diff, pasted test output, a handoff packet | Reviewer |

## Five rules

1. Anything under "Does alone" must be undoable.
2. "Evidence it owes" must be something a person can check in two minutes.
3. No agent checks its own work.
4. Every "Asks first" action says what, why and what happens on a no.
5. Review the map whenever you add an agent or a connector.

## Audit prompt

```text
Read this authority map: [paste]. Flag any action under Does alone that cannot be undone, any agent that checks its own work, and any Evidence cell a person could not verify in two minutes. Return a corrected map.
```

The full pack adds seven ready-to-paste subagent personas for Claude Code, Codex and Hermes, the handoff packet, the evidence standard, a decision ledger, a reach inventory, 12 tests and 14 prompts.