diff --git a/cmdkit/contrib/__init__.py b/cmdkit/contrib/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/cmdkit/contrib/parallel.py b/cmdkit/contrib/parallel.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ca5083
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmdkit/contrib/parallel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 CmdKit Developers
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+"""
+Parallel execution Provider. The parallel provider extends functionality by allowing
+the safe and symantically simple support for parallel execution of applications(groups).
+
+TODO:
+    - unit testing
+    - doctests and examples
+"""
+
+# type annotations
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import cast, Any, Callable, Optional, TypeVar
+from types import ModuleType
+
+# system libraries
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+import pkg_resources
+from functools import wraps
+
+# external libraries
+import psutil # type: ignore
+
+# static analysis
+Intracomm = TypeVar('Intracomm', bound=Any)
+F = TypeVar('F', bound = Callable[..., Any])
+D = Callable[[F], F]
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# module access and module level @property(s)
+this = sys.modules[__name__]
+PROPERTIES = ('MPI', 'COMM_WORLD', 'rank', 'size', ) 
+
+# define library (public) interface
+__all__ = list(PROPERTIES) + ['ParallelError', 
+        'guard', 'guarantee', 'limit', 'safe', 'squash', 'single',
+        'is_loaded', 'is_lower', 'is_parallel', 'is_root', 'is_serial', 'is_supported', ]
+
+# default constants
+MPICMDS = ['mpirun', 'mpiexec']
+MPIDIST = 'mpi4py'
+ROOT, SIZE = 0, 1
+
+# python MPI interface access member
+_MPI: Optional[ModuleType] = None
+
+# internal member for forced parallel
+_parallel: Optional[bool] = None
+
+class ParallelError(Exception):
+    """Available for handling errors raised by parallel module"""
+
+def __getattr__(name: str) -> Any:
+    """Provide module level @property behavior."""
+    if name in PROPERTIES: return globals()[get_property(name)]()
+    raise AttributeError(f'module {__name__} has no attribute {name}')
+
+def assertion(method: str, message: str) -> D:
+    """Usefull decorater factory to implement supported assertions."""
+    def decorator(function: F) -> F:
+        @wraps(function)
+        def wrapper():
+            try:
+                assert(getattr(this, method)())
+            except AssertionError as error:
+                raise ParallelError(message) from error
+        return cast(F, wrapper)
+    return decorator
+
+def inject_property(name: str) -> D:
+    """Usefull decorator factory to provide access to module properties."""
+    def decorator(function: F) -> F:
+        @wraps(function)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            return function(getattr(this, get_property(name)), *args, **kwargs)
+        return cast(F, wrapper)
+    return decorator
+
+@assertion('is_loaded', 'Python MPI interface appears unloaded; asserted loaded!')
+def assert_loaded() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@assertion('is_parallel', 'Enviornment appears serial; asserted parallel!')
+def assert_parallel() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@assertion('is_registered', 'Unable to access python MPI interface; module may not be loaded!')
+def assert_registered() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@assertion('is_serial', 'Enviornment appears parallel; asserted serial!')
+def assert_serial() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@assertion('is_supported', 'Python MPI interface unsupported; asserted supported!')
+def assert_supported() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@assertion('is_unloaded', 'Python MPI interface appears loaded; asserted unloaded!')
+def assert_unloaded() -> None:
+    pass
+
+@inject_property('COMM_WORLD')
+def barrier(comm: Intracomm) -> None:
+    """MPI python interface world communicator."""
+    if is_parallel(): comm().Barrier()
+
+def force_parallel(state: bool = True) -> None:
+    """Force the assumption of a parallel or serial state."""
+    this._parallel = state # type: ignore
+    logger.debug('Force -- Parallel Enviornment!')
+
+def get_property(name: str) -> str:
+    """Provide lookup support for module properties."""
+    return f'property_{name}'
+
+def is_loaded() -> bool:
+    """Identify whether the python MPI interface is already loaded."""
+    return MPIDIST in sys.modules
+
+@inject_property('rank')
+def is_lower(rank: F, limit: int) -> bool:
+    """Determine if execution path is on a process within the processor limit; true if serial execution."""
+    return rank() < limit
+
+def is_parallel() -> bool:
+    """Attempt to identify if the python runtime was executed in parallel."""
+    if this._parallel is not None: return this._parallel # type: ignore
+    process = psutil.Process(os.getppid())
+    return process.name() in MPICMDS or any(command in MPICMDS for command in process.cmdline())
+
+@inject_property('rank')
+def is_root(rank: F) -> bool:
+    """Determine if local execution process is the root process; true is serial."""
+    return rank() == ROOT
+
+def is_registered() -> bool:
+    """Identify if the python MPI interface is accessable from Parallel class instances."""
+    return this._MPI is not None # type: ignore
+
+def is_serial() -> bool:
+    """Attemt to identify whether the python runtime was executed serially."""
+    return not is_parallel()
+
+def is_supported() -> bool:
+    """Identify if the python MPI interface is provided in the enviornment."""
+    try:
+        pkg_resources.get_distribution(MPIDIST)
+        return True
+    except pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:
+        return False
+
+def is_unloaded() -> bool:
+    """Identify if the python MPI interface is not loaded."""
+    return not is_loaded()
+
+def load() -> None:
+    """Attemt to load Python MPI interface; will throw if unsupported and will load even if in serial enviornment."""
+    if is_registered(): return 
+    assert_supported()
+    first = is_unloaded()
+    from mpi4py import MPI # type: ignore
+    this._MPI = MPI # type: ignore
+    if first and MPI.COMM_WORLD.Get_rank() == 0:
+        logger.info(f'\nLoaded Python MPI interface, using the {MPIDIST} library.\n')
+
+@inject_property('MPI')
+def property_COMM_WORLD(mpi: F) -> Intracomm:
+    """MPI python interface world communicator."""
+    return mpi().COMM_WORLD
+
+def property_MPI() -> ModuleType:
+    """MPI python interface access handle."""
+    load()
+    assert this._MPI is not None # type: ignore
+    return this._MPI # type: ignore
+
+@inject_property('COMM_WORLD')
+def property_rank(comm: F) -> int:
+    """Rank of local execution process."""
+    if is_parallel(): return comm().Get_rank()
+    return ROOT
+
+@inject_property('COMM_WORLD')
+def property_size(comm: F) -> int:
+    """Number of parallel execution processes (serial defined as {SIZE})."""
+    if is_parallel(): return comm().Get_size()
+    return SIZE
+
+def guard(function: F) -> F:
+    """Decorator which assures that neither the python MPI interface is loaded or the python runtime is 
+    executed in parallel; this should be used when it is unsafe to run in a parallel enviornment."""
+    @wraps(function)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        assert_unloaded()
+        assert_serial()
+        logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (Guard) a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+        return function(*args, **kwargs)
+    return cast(F, wrapper)
+
+def guarantee(*, strict: bool = False) -> D:
+    """Decorator which assures that the python MPI interface is loaded prior to the call, and parallel if strict; 
+    this should be used in cases were the wrapped function uses the provided infrastructure and also requires 
+    access to the underlying MPI object or communicators. If only rank and size are needed should consider using 
+    just the support decorator instead, as decorated fuction can likely be run in either parallel or serial naively."""
+    def decorator(function: F) -> F:
+        @wraps(function)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            if strict: assert_parallel()
+            load()
+            logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (Guarantee) a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+            return function(*args, **kwargs)
+        return cast(F, wrapper)
+    return decorator
+
+def limit(number: int) -> D:
+    """Decorator which assures that only processes less than the limit execute the decorated funtion; 
+    this should be used when it is acceptable to run in a parallel enviornment but is unsafe for more 
+    than limit processes to run the function. Decorator will throw if enviornment is parallel
+    and python MPI interface unsupported."""
+    def decorator(function: F) -> F:
+        @wraps(function)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            if not is_lower(number): return 
+            logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (limit) a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+            return function(*args, **kwargs)
+        return cast(F, wrapper)
+    return decorator
+
+def many(number: Optional[int] = None, *, root: bool = True) -> D:
+    """Decorator like limit, but joins the parallel execution back together by broadcasting result of each process;
+    this should be used when either (root == False) each process needs to know what the other returned,
+    or many processes are needed for the decorated function but only the result or root is desired on return."""
+    def decorator(function: F) -> F:
+        @wraps(function)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            if is_serial(): return function(*args, **kwargs)
+            load()
+            if number is None or is_lower(number):
+                logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (many) a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+                result = function(*args, **kwargs)
+            else:
+                result = None
+            if root: return this._MPI.COMM_WORLD.bcast(result, root=ROOT)
+            logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Gathering (many) results of a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+            return this._MPI.COMM_WORLD.allgather(result)
+        return cast(F, wrapper)
+    return decorator
+
+def safe(function: F) -> F:
+    """Decorator which passes straight through to decorated function; this should be used
+    in cases were the wrapped fuction does not use the provided infrastructure but is
+    safe (and sensical) to call in both parallel and serial enviornments."""
+    @wraps(function)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Passing (safe) through the call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+        return function(*args, **kwargs)
+    return cast(F, wrapper)
+
+def squash(function: F) -> F:
+    """Decorator which assures that only the root processes executes the decorated funtion; this should be used 
+    when it is acceptable to run in a parallel enviornment but is unsafe for processes other than root to run the function.
+    Decorator will throw if enviornment is parallel and python MPI interface unsupported."""
+    @wraps(function)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        if not is_root(): return
+        logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (squash) the call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+        return function(*args, **kwargs)
+    return cast(F, wrapper)
+
+def single(function: F) -> F:
+    """Decorator like squash, but joins the parallel execution back together by broadcasting result of root."""
+    @wraps(function)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        if is_serial(): return function(*args, **kwargs)
+        load()
+        if is_root():
+            logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Guarded (single) the call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+            result = function(*args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            result = None
+        logger.debug(f'Parallel -- Distributing (single) result of a call into <{function.__name__}>.')
+        return this._MPI.COMM_WORLD.bcast(result, root=ROOT)
+    return cast(F, wrapper)
+
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 115f3a0..05568a9 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 
 
 # core dependencies
-DEPENDENCIES = []
-
+DEPENDENCIES = ['psutil', ]
 
 # add dependencies for readthedocs.io
 if os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS') == 'True':
@@ -58,5 +57,6 @@
     extras_require   = {
         'toml': ['toml>=0.10.1', ],
         'yaml': ['pyyaml>=5.3.1', ],
+        'mpi' : ['mpi4pi', ],
     },
 )