# The Desk Authority Map for agent teams (free sample)

> One template that says what each agent may do without you, what it must ask for, what it never does and what proof it owes, with an example row and an audit prompt.

- URL: https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/desk-authority-map-for-agent-teams-free-sample/
- Type: Prompt pack
- Category: Solo business
- By: PaperChaseWebb
- Works with: Claude Code, Codex, Hermes (named in the listing); Plain .md
- Price: Free USD
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Setup time: 5 min
- Time to result: Five minutes per agent
- Format: Markdown (.md) file, desk-authority-map-for-agent-teams-free-sample.md
- Version: 1.0, updated 2026-10-26
- License: Personal and commercial use.

## What you end up with

Each agent's limits are written in one table you can check, and no agent signs off its own work.

## What you get

- The Desk Authority Map template
- An example row
- Five rules
- An audit prompt

## Who it is for

Anyone running agents who has never written down what each one is allowed to do alone.

## Tools needed

- Claude Code: subagent files link to the map
- Codex: AGENTS.md links to the map
- Hermes Agent: skills link to the map
- You need: At least one coding or research agent

Cost to run: Free.

## Sample prompt: Audit your map (Claude Code, Codex, Hermes)

```
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.
```

Run it again whenever you add an agent or a connector.

## Free preview of desk-authority-map-for-agent-teams-free-sample.md

````markdown
# 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
````

## Worth knowing

- A written limit only holds if the tool's permission settings match it.

## Questions

**What is in the full pack?** 7 subagent personas for Claude Code with Codex and Hermes versions, three role risk classes, a handoff packet, an evidence standard, a decision ledger, a reach inventory, 12 tests and 14 prompts.

## How to get it

Free sample. Download it directly at https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/desk-authority-map-for-agent-teams-free-sample/, no signup.

Seller: PaperChaseWebb Inc., mgmt@paperchasewebb.com