Rename the delegate and consultant roles to helper and expert

Architecture L9's role names, for the two roles with a direct
counterpart: the delegation role is now 'helper' and the ask_expert role
'expert', in RoleMap, configuration (roles.helper, roles.expert),
recorded events and tests. 'planner' and 'executor' stay distinct for
now; they become 'driver' when the new loop merges them (Development
Plan M2.3).

Configurations must rename their keys: nisse-dev.example.yaml and
tests/integration/nisse-test.yaml are updated here.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01PPQ14L3LikyefCMFBqEbKE

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/agent.py

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from nisse_dev.worker import SerialWorker
 # manager allows for a stop, and a hard exit mid-work is already safe.
 SHUTDOWN_WAIT_S = 10.0
 
-TOOL_DRIVING_ROLES = ("planner", "executor", "delegate")
+TOOL_DRIVING_ROLES = ("planner", "executor", "helper")
 
 
 def discover_models(config: AgentConfig, oplog: OpLog) -> ModelCatalog:
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ def build_agent(
     expert = ExpertDesk(
         normalized, store, config.roles, budget=tuning.expert.consult_budget
     )
-    delegate_model = config.roles.resolve("delegate")
+    delegate_model = config.roles.resolve("helper")
     delegation = Delegation(
         select_client(delegate_model, normalized, passthrough, catalog),
         store,

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/bench/runner.py

@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def run_task(
         meter = MeteringClient(client, facts)
         trims_before = getattr(client, "trimmed_requests", 0)
         model = facts.alias
-        roles = RoleMap(executor=model, planner=model, delegate=model, consultant=model)
+        roles = RoleMap(executor=model, planner=model, helper=model, expert=model)
         executor = LLMExecutor(
             meter,
             store,

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/config.py

@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ REQUIRED_KEYS = (
     "llm.token",
     "roles.executor",
     "roles.planner",
-    "roles.delegate",
-    "roles.consultant",
+    "roles.helper",
+    "roles.expert",
     "matrix.homeserver",
     "matrix.user_id",
     "matrix.token",
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ class AgentConfig:
             roles=RoleMap(
                 executor=str(values["roles.executor"]),
                 planner=str(values["roles.planner"]),
-                delegate=str(values["roles.delegate"]),
-                consultant=str(values["roles.consultant"]),
+                helper=str(values["roles.helper"]),
+                expert=str(values["roles.expert"]),
             ),
             matrix=MatrixConfig(
                 homeserver=str(values["matrix.homeserver"]).rstrip("/"),
@@ -371,5 +371,5 @@ class AgentConfig:
             "repo": self.gitea_repo,
             "planner": self.roles.planner,
             "executor": self.roles.executor,
-            "delegate": self.roles.delegate,
+            "helper": self.roles.helper,
         }

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/delegation.py

@@ -184,9 +184,7 @@ class Delegation:
         # a reason, and the next step is to talk about that reason.
         self._cancel = cancel or Cancel()
 
-    def run(
-        self, *, brief: str, branch: str, role: str = "delegate"
-    ) -> DelegationResult:
+    def run(self, *, brief: str, branch: str, role: str = "helper") -> DelegationResult:
         started_at = self._now()
         base_branch = self._git.current_branch()
         # Recorded before the branch exists, so a crash anywhere after this

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/executor.py

@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class LLMExecutor:
             # that it is circling and should get on with the work or fail.
             return ToolOutcome(str(exc), success=False)
         except LLMError as exc:
-            return ToolOutcome(f"the consultant did not answer: {exc}", success=False)
+            return ToolOutcome(f"the expert did not answer: {exc}", success=False)
 
     def _scope(self) -> tuple[str | None, int]:
         """The approved plan, and where this milestone's events begin.

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/expert.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ memory: it survives a restart, and it is observable from outside the model,
 which is the same reasoning L9 applies to escalation triggers.
 
 Consults are recorded as ``delegation_started`` / ``delegation_completed`` with
-role ``consultant``. That is deliberate — L9 wants a "consult/delegation eval
+role ``expert``. That is deliberate — L9 wants a "consult/delegation eval
 set", and reusing the composite events gets consult evaluation for free rather
 than inventing a parallel record.
 """
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ from nisse_dev.canonical import (
 from nisse_dev.llm import LLMClient, LLMError, RoleMap
 from nisse_dev.state import StateStore
 
-CONSULTANT_ROLE = "consultant"
+EXPERT_ROLE = "expert"
 DEFAULT_BUDGET = 3
 
 SYSTEM_PROMPT = """You are a consultant answering one self-contained question.
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ class ExpertDesk:
         return sum(
             1
             for e in self._store.read_events(after=since_event_id)
-            if isinstance(e.event, DelegationStarted)
-            and e.event.role == CONSULTANT_ROLE
+            if isinstance(e.event, DelegationStarted) and e.event.role == EXPERT_ROLE
         )
 
     def ask(self, question: str, *, since_event_id: int = 0) -> ExpertAnswer:
@@ -122,11 +121,11 @@ class ExpertDesk:
                 f"consult budget of {self._budget} is spent for this task "
                 f"({used} used); escalate or ask the operator instead"
             )
-        model = self._roles.resolve(CONSULTANT_ROLE)
+        model = self._roles.resolve(EXPERT_ROLE)
         self._store.append_event(
             DelegationStarted(
                 brief=question,
-                role=CONSULTANT_ROLE,
+                role=EXPERT_ROLE,
                 model=model,
                 caps={"consults": self._budget, "used": used},
             )

nisse-dev/src/nisse_dev/llm.py

@@ -109,10 +109,10 @@ class LLMClient(Protocol):
 class RoleMap:
     executor: str
     planner: str
-    delegate: str
-    consultant: str
+    helper: str
+    expert: str
 
-    ROLES: ClassVar[tuple[str, ...]] = ("executor", "planner", "delegate", "consultant")
+    ROLES: ClassVar[tuple[str, ...]] = ("executor", "planner", "helper", "expert")
 
     def resolve(self, role: str) -> str:
         if role not in self.ROLES: