Skip to content
AAOE
Draft2 min read

Body of Knowledge Governance

Purpose

This specification defines the governance model for the AAOE Body of Knowledge. It establishes the principles that ensure engineering knowledge evolves through evidence while preserving consistency, traceability, and historical context.

Governance Objectives

The Body of Knowledge shall:

  • preserve engineering knowledge
  • organize engineering knowledge
  • maintain consistency
  • preserve historical decisions
  • evolve through evidence
  • remain technology agnostic
  • remain organization agnostic

Knowledge Hierarchy

Engineering knowledge evolves through progressively higher levels of abstraction. The Body of Knowledge recognizes the following hierarchy:

Evidence
        ↓
Case Studies
        ↓
Discoveries
        ↓
Architectural Decision Records (when applicable)
        ↓
Specifications
        ↓
Operating Model
        ↓
Reference Architectures

Each layer builds upon the layers below it. Higher-level artifacts shall remain traceable to supporting evidence.

Governance Principles

Engineering knowledge shall:

  • remain evidence-based
  • remain traceable
  • evolve incrementally
  • preserve historical context
  • distinguish observation from guidance
  • distinguish knowledge from implementation
  • remain internally consistent

Knowledge Classification

AAOE classifies engineering knowledge independently of artifact type. Knowledge Domains organize engineering concepts. Artifacts document those concepts. Multiple artifact types may contribute to the same Knowledge Domain.

Knowledge Evolution

Engineering knowledge evolves through accumulated evidence. New observations extend existing knowledge. Historical knowledge is preserved. Conflicting evidence results in refinement rather than deletion whenever possible.

Artifact Status

Repository artifacts use lifecycle states such as:

  • Draft
  • Accepted
  • Revised
  • Superseded
  • Archived

Artifact status governs the document itself.

Knowledge Maturity

Knowledge maturity is evaluated independently from artifact status.

Suggested maturity progression:

  • Observed
  • Repeated
  • Validated
  • Generalized

Knowledge maturity reflects confidence in the engineering knowledge, not the publication status of the document.

Traceability

Every Specification should be traceable to one or more supporting Discoveries, ADRs, or Case Studies. Every Discovery should remain traceable to supporting evidence whenever available.

Historical Preservation

AAOE does not rewrite engineering history. Knowledge evolves through refinement. Superseded artifacts remain part of the historical record.

Future Evolution

Subsequent Governance Specifications expand this model by defining:

  • Knowledge Lifecycle
  • Evidence Standards
  • Discovery Acceptance Process
  • Specification Governance
  • Versioning
  • Knowledge Domains