[self-care:open-source-failures] Safe-output processing failures block multiple open-source workflows

Safe-output processing failures are blocking multiple public workflows in `githubnext/gh-aw-cao` and `github/gh-aw-mcpg`, with 13 failed runs in the bounded seven-day snapshot. The strongest evidence is repeated failure at the `safe_outputs` job step `Process Safe Outputs`, which points to the shared safe-output execution path rather than an individual workflow.

**Action:** Maintainers should assign this to Copilot to isolate and fix the shared safe-output processing path; accept when reruns of one affected workflow in each repository complete past `Process Safe Outputs` without new safe-output failures.

The same actionable signature recurred across these workflows:
- `githubnext/gh-aw-cao`: `.github/workflows/pr-sous-chef.lock.yml`, `.github/workflows/self-care-data-acquisition-audit.lock.yml`, `.github/workflows/software-development-practices-github-well-architected.lock.yml`
- `github/gh-aw-mcpg`: `.github/workflows/smoke-safeoutputs-issues.lock.yml`, `.github/workflows/smoke-safeoutputs-prs.lock.yml`

Representative runs:
- `githubnext/gh-aw-cao`: https://github.com/githubnext/gh-aw-cao/actions/runs/33971998496
- `github/gh-aw-mcpg`: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-mcpg/actions/runs/33967193750

Evidence-supported probable cause: a shared regression or outage in safe-output processing. The bounded snapshot does not identify the exact internal error, so implementation-level diagnosis is still required.

Agent prompt
Investigate the repeated `Process Safe Outputs` failures across `githubnext/gh-aw-cao` and `github/gh-aw-mcpg`.

Start from these representative runs:
- https://github.com/githubnext/gh-aw-cao/actions/runs/33971998496
- https://github.com/github/gh-aw-mcpg/actions/runs/33967193750

Determine whether the shared failure is caused by a safe-outputs service regression, contract/schema mismatch, or workflow payload bug. Produce the smallest safe fix that restores successful safe-output processing for both repositories, add or update regression coverage, and document the acceptance evidence.

Cluster evidence

- Severity: P0
- Normalized signature: `Process Safe Outputs`
- Run count in bounded snapshot: 13
- Confidence: medium
- Why P0: the same shared execution phase is failing across multiple public projects, indicating central workflow output handling is blocked.

### Control Plane
- Correlation ID: `33974803640-229`
- Central repository: `githubnext/gh-aw-cao`
- Control plane run: https://github.com/githubnext/gh-aw-cao/actions/runs/33974803640

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> - [x] expires on Sep 19, 2026, 3:34 PM UTC

Start with the representative GitHub Actions runs 33971998496 and 33967193750, then inspect the `Process Safe Outputs` step in the listed `.github/workflows/*.lock.yml` files. Trace the shared safe-output execution path and determine whether the failure is a service regression, contract mismatch, or payload issue. Done means regression coverage is updated and reruns in both repositories pass that step without new safe-output failures.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.