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AAOE
Founding Standard2 min read

Governance

Purpose

This document introduces Governance within AAOE.

Governance defines how engineering knowledge is created, validated, organized, versioned, and evolved. Governance preserves the integrity of the AAOE Body of Knowledge.

Governance governs engineering knowledge. It does not govern software projects, and it does not prescribe engineering execution. Those concerns belong to the Operating Model.

Why Governance Exists

Engineering knowledge accumulates over time. Without governance:

  • terminology diverges
  • observations become opinions
  • specifications conflict
  • evidence becomes disconnected
  • historical decisions become difficult to understand
  • engineering knowledge loses traceability

Governance provides the structure required for engineering knowledge to evolve while preserving its history and integrity.

Governance Scope

Governance applies to the evolution of:

  • Discoveries
  • Specifications
  • Architectural Decision Records (ADRs)
  • Case Studies
  • Reference Architectures
  • Knowledge Domains
  • Terminology
  • Versioning
  • Evidence

Governance does not prescribe:

  • implementation
  • programming languages
  • technology stacks
  • cloud providers
  • organizational structures
  • software delivery processes

Relationship to the Operating Model

The Operating Model defines how engineering work is performed. Governance defines how engineering knowledge evolves.

The Operating Model executes engineering. Governance preserves and evolves engineering knowledge. These concerns are complementary.

Relationship to Discoveries

Discoveries capture observed engineering knowledge. Governance defines how Discoveries become part of the AAOE Body of Knowledge.

Relationship to Specifications

Specifications generalize validated engineering knowledge. Governance defines how Specifications evolve while preserving their historical context.

Relationship to Case Studies

Case Studies provide the evidence from which Discoveries emerge. Governance ensures that evidence remains traceable throughout the evolution of engineering knowledge.

Governance Principles

AAOE Governance is founded on the following principles:

  • Evidence precedes guidance.
  • Knowledge evolves through validation.
  • History is preserved.
  • Discoveries remain immutable.
  • Specifications evolve transparently.
  • Terminology remains consistent.
  • Governance is explicit.
  • Traceability is maintained.

Future Evolution

This document introduces the Governance domain. Subsequent Governance Specifications define:

  • Body of Knowledge Governance
  • Knowledge Lifecycle
  • Evidence Standards
  • Discovery Acceptance
  • Specification Governance
  • Versioning
  • Knowledge Domains