Error Handling in the RavenClaw Dialog Management Framework

We describe the error handling architecture underlying the RavenClaw dialog management framework. The architecture provides a robust basis for current and future research in error detection and recovery. Several objectives were pursued in its development: task-independence, ease-ofuse, adaptability and scalability. We describe the key aspects of architectural design which confer these properties, and discuss the deployment of this architecture in a number of spoken dialog systems spanning several domains and interaction types. Finally, we outline current research projects supported by this architecture.