[Code Quality] Fix Issue Monster workflow dependencies for pre-fetched issue list

[github-actions]

Description

The Issue Monster workflow is experiencing missing data failures because it expects a pre-fetched issue list from a search job, but these outputs are not available in the current environment. This issue affects workflow functionality and was identified in the Agentic Workflow Audit Report #12865.

Problem

The workflow expects needs.search_issues.* outputs but these are not available, causing the workflow to fail silently without processing issues.

Example Errors

1. Run §21537378474:

   "Pre-searched issue list outputs (needs.search_issues.*) are not available in this environment, so no issues can be selected or assigned."

2. Run §21538018360:

   "Need the pre-fetched issue list (issue_numbers or issue_list) generated by the search job to select candidate issues to assign to Copilot."

Files Affected

• .github/workflows/issue-monster.md (source workflow)
• .github/workflows/issue-monster.lock.yml (compiled workflow)

Suggested Fix

Ensure proper job dependencies and output passing:

1. Add job dependency:

   jobs:
     search_issues:
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       outputs:
         issue_list: ${{ steps.search.outputs.issue_list }}
       steps:
         - name: Search for issues
           id: search
           # ... search logic ...
     
     issue_monster:
       needs: [search_issues]  # ✅ Add dependency
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       steps:
         - name: Process issues
           env:
             ISSUE_LIST: ${{ needs.search_issues.outputs.issue_list }}
           # ... process logic ...

2. Validate outputs in the search_issues job to ensure issue_list is populated

3. Recompile workflow: make recompile

Success Criteria

• Issue Monster workflow has proper needs: dependency on search_issues job
• search_issues job correctly passes issue_list via outputs
• Issue Monster workflow successfully receives and processes issue list
• No "missing data" errors in subsequent workflow runs
• Workflow recompiled and tested

Priority

Medium - Workflow functionality issue affecting automated issue management.

Estimated Effort

Small (1 hour to update workflow configuration and test)

Source

Extracted from Agentic Workflow Audit Report #12865

AI generated by Discussion Task Miner - Code Quality Improvement Agent

• expires on Feb 14, 2026, 5:19 AM UTC