Definition
A rationale describes the strategic reasoning behind a proposed initiative or business response. It provides a traceable link between a business decision and the motivation behind it—such as addressing a performance issue, fulfilling stakeholder expectations, responding to regulatory changes, or seizing market opportunities. Rationales help ensure that every action taken by the organisation is grounded in strategic intent.
Usage in business architecture
In the Orthogramic Metamodel, rationales serve to:
Justify why an initiative, policy, or change exists.
Link strategic drivers to responses in a structured way.
Support transparency and traceability from high-level drivers to operational change.
Rationales may be connected to multiple elements across the business architecture, including:
Initiatives and Strategies that require justification.
Policies, Capabilities, and Value Streams being introduced or adjusted.
Performance goals or KPIs in the Performance domain.
Relationship to strategic response model
Each rationale is categorised by a Driver Type, which is derived from the Strategic Response Model. This provides a consistent basis for understanding and classifying business responses across the organisation.
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 |
Implementation guidance
Classification: Each rationale must include a driver type. Multiple drivers may be selected if appropriate.
Traceability: Rationales should link to the relevant strategy, initiative, or performance goal.
Consistency: Use the Strategic Response Model trigger catalogue to guide classification.
Related pages
Inter-unit domain relationships: Clarify that rationales can help explain why inter-unit dependencies exist or are being adjusted.
Strategic Response Model: Ensure the trigger catalogue is up to date and explicitly referenced in this page to support rationale classification.
Let me know if you’d like a downloadable copy of the full DriverType reference artefact or any content converted into JSON, YAML, or Markdown formats for system integration.