| Table of Contents | ||
|---|---|---|
|
...
Rationales help ensure that every action taken by the organisation is grounded in strategic intent.
Every Rationale must reference the Trigger that prompted it. This is represented either by linking to a triggerID or embedding the full Trigger object (via schema reference). This linkage ensures traceability from external condition through to internal response.
Rationales may arise from performance insights, stakeholder needs, risk exposures, compliance obligations, or strategic opportunities.
Usage in business architecture
...
Each response includes a rationale object that captures the justification for action. It replaces previous references to rationaleId and allows richer traceability and reasoning.
Field | Description |
|---|---|
| A short name for the rationale |
| A detailed explanation of the reasoning behind the response |
| Categorises the driver (e.g. Regulatory, Risk, Market, Insight) |
| Reference to the originating insight, regulation, or analysis |
| KPIs that the response is intended to influence or improve |
| (Optional) Indicates urgency or importance (e.g. High, Medium, Low) |
...
The Strategic Response Model defines the following categories of drivers:
Driver Type | Description | Common Triggers | Example Rationales | Related Domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regulatory change | Changes in legal or regulatory requirements | New legislation, audits | Align with safety standards; address compliance risks | Policy, Initiatives, Capabilities, Performance |
Customer demand shift | Shifting customer expectations or behaviours | Feedback, usage patterns | Improve onboarding; redesign mobile services | Strategy, ValueStream, Capabilities, Stakeholders |
Operational risk | Threats to continuity or operational efficiency | System failure, safety incidents | Enhance cyber resilience; strengthen recovery plans | Capabilities, Performance, Information, Organisation |
Technology obsolescence | Legacy or unsupported systems impacting operations | End-of-life systems, innovation lag | Modernise tech stack; enable data interoperability | Information, Capabilities, Initiatives |
Cost pressure | Financial constraints requiring efficiency or cost optimisation | Budget cuts, benchmarking | Consolidate platforms; automate manual processes | Performance, Capabilities, Initiatives, Organisation |
Workforce change | Evolving workforce dynamics | Hybrid work, attrition | Reskill staff; adapt HR policies | Organisation, Policy, Capabilities |
Stakeholder expectation | Pressure or concern from internal or external stakeholders | Board expectations, ESG concerns | Increase transparency; implement ethical compliance | Stakeholders, Policy, Performance |
Market opportunity | New market trends or emerging business opportunities | Competitor gap, new segment demand | Launch services; localise products | Strategy, ValueStream, Capabilities, Initiatives |
...
By linking a rationale to its originating trigger, organisations can ensure transparency in decision-making, assess the consistency of responses over time, and identify patterns that inform future strategic planning. Rationales also provide auditability for governance, especially when responses involve major investments or policy changes.
Linked domains and rationale classification
A rationale may influence multiple business architecture domains. These are listed under the linkedDomains property and allow downstream actions to be traced back to justifying logic. The classification field allows rationales to be categorised according to:
Risk
Compliance
Opportunity
Mandate
Performance Insight
Stakeholder Need
Other
Schema reference
The trigger property in the Rationale schema is now defined using a JSON Schema $ref to the Trigger schema, which includes details such as:
triggerIDtitletriggerType(e.g. Regulatory, Risk, Opportunity, Performance Insight)
Rationale JSON schema
{ "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#", "title": "Rationale Schema", "description": "Schema for a Rationale object used in the Strategic Response Model to explain the reasoning behind strategic responses", "type": "object", "properties": { "rationaleTitle": { "type": "string", "description": "Title or summary of the rationale" }, "description": { "type": "string", "description": "A detailed explanation of the rationale supporting a strategic response" }, "trigger": { "$ref": "https://orthogramic.com/schemas/trigger.schema.json ", "description": "Trigger object that prompted this rationale, defined according to the Trigger schema" }, "linkedDomains": { "type": "array", "description": "List of business architecture domains influenced or justified by this rationale", "items": { "type": "string", "enum": [ "Strategy", "Capabilities", "Initiatives", "Policy", "Information", "Performance", "Products", "Services", "Stakeholder", "Value Stream" ] } }, "classification": { "type": "string", "description": "Optional category for the rationale (e.g. risk mitigation, compliance, opportunity, mandate)", "enum": [ "Risk", "Compliance", "Opportunity", "Mandate", "Performance Insight", "Stakeholder Need", "Other" ] }, "dateCreated": { "type": "string", "format": "date", "description": "The date the rationale was first recorded" }, "author": { "type": "string", "description": "The person or team who documented the rationale" }, "orgUnitTitle": { "type": "string", "description": "The organisational unit that owns or authored the rationale" } }, "required": [ "rationaleTitle", "description", "trigger" ]}