Rationale

Introduction

A Rationale provides the logical reasoning behind a strategic or operational response. It is triggered by a specific condition (Trigger), and it guides the alignment of actions across one or more business architecture domains. Rationales are formalised objects in the Strategic Response Model and are central to decision transparency and traceability. See: https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/286228485

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

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.

Strategic Response Model drivers

The Strategic Response Model defines the following categories of drivers:

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 https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/290914315#Trigger-Catalogue to guide classification.

Relationship to Triggers

Every rationale originates in response to a defined Trigger—an external event, internal insight, or strategic condition that prompts consideration or action. The Rationale captures the logical reasoning for why a specific response is necessary, based on that triggering context. This link is formalised via the trigger field, which connects each rationale directly to its source condition using the

For further details on how triggers are defined, classified, and managed, see: https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/290914315 and the associated https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/290914315#Trigger-Catalogue, which outlines recognised types such as Regulatory, Risk, Opportunity, and Performance Insight.

Rationale Classification Framework

Rationales in the Orthogramic Metamodel follow a structured classification system that supports analytics, reuse, and auditability. Each rationale is categorized according to:

1. Primary Driver: The fundamental reasoning type (Risk, Compliance, Opportunity, etc.)

2. Reasoning Pattern: The logical structure of the rationale (Causal, Comparative, Normative, etc.)

3. Evidence Base: The foundation for the rationale (Data-driven, Expert judgment, Regulatory requirement, etc.)

4. Strategic Alignment: How the rationale connects to organizational strategy (Direct support, Indirect enablement, Risk mitigation, etc.)

5. Business Value Type: The nature of value creation or preservation (Cost reduction, Revenue growth, Risk reduction, etc.)

This classification framework enables organizations to:

• Trace patterns in decision-making across similar situations

• Evaluate the distribution of rationales by type, evidence base, and strategic alignment

• Establish a rationale library that can be referenced for similar future decisions

• Support knowledge management and organizational learning

The framework enhances governance by providing a consistent structure for documenting decision rationales, making it easier to audit decision-making processes and demonstrate the logical foundation for strategic responses.

How rationales are formed in response to specific triggers

Rationales are formed by analysing the implications of a specific trigger—whether external (e.g. regulatory change, market shift) or internal (e.g. performance trend, operational failure)—and articulating the reasoning behind a proposed strategic response. Each rationale provides the logical and contextual justification for why a response is appropriate, necessary, or valuable. This step bridges the gap between situational awareness (the trigger) and deliberate action (the response), ensuring decisions are traceable, defensible, and aligned with organisational goals.

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

Rationale JSON schema

See: https://github.com/Orthogramic/Orthogramic_Metamodel

Schema properties

These updated schema properties tables provide a clear overview of the enhanced Trigger and Rationale schemas, including field types, requirement status, descriptions, and example values. The tables reflect the expanded taxonomy features that enable better categorization, analytics, and auditability within the Orthogramic Metamodel.

This schema supports structured reasoning and traceability across strategy, policy, and initiative development, ensuring that every response is grounded in a documented justification.