I'm seeking clarification on when certain agenda cards that are kept secret are discarded. Specifically, I'm not clear on when to discard secret agendas whose discard conditions do not seem to be triggered by activating the agenda's effect. Examples of this include Hired Help (For the Right Price) and Advanced Prototypes (The Empire's Reach).

After these cards are purchased during an Imperial upgrade, when do they need to be discarded? Do their Discard conditions activate as soon as they are purchased or when their effect is activated? For example, if I purchased "Advanced Prototypes" after one mission, and then for whatever reason chose not to activate it in the following mission, is the agenda card lost?

Other secret agendas (e.g. Impending Doom from Imperial Discipline) clearly use the word "Then" to indicate that discard conditions are triggered after the agenda's effect has been used. It's possible that it's just an oversight on the cards of concern. These cards also state the effect can be used on "Any mission", but IMO that doesn't really resolve the question, as the phrase could refer to "Any mission after the card is purchased " as easily as it could mean "Any mission regardless of mission quality " (Mission quality refering to Story/Forced/Side missions, or locations e.g. Tatooine, Deep Space, Facility, Wilderness, etc).

I figure the intent is that you can purchase the secret agenda and hold onto it until you decided to activate it, whether it's in the next mission, or 5 missions late. However after several passes of the rules, I haven't found any clarifications on when the text of an unactivated agenda is relevant.

Any guidance is appreciated, Thanks

Page 4 of the rule reference guide

under Agenda - Types of Agenda's - 4th bullet point

i would say you keep it till you use it then it's discarded

Page 4 of the rule reference guide

under Agenda - Types of Agenda's - 4th bullet point

Kept Secret: If the card says “keep this card secret” the Imperial player keeps the card hidden from the Rebel players.

He resolves the effect at a later point in the campaign as instructed on the card. These Agendas are kept with the

Imperial player’s components between sessions until resolved.

All of these cards cost one influence but may cost additional influence when resolved.

i would say you keep it till you use it then it's discarded

Yup, I'd say that resolves the question pretty handily, thanks!