See how the model fits together.
Purpose-built diagrams show the method at a glance. The detailed figures below can be enlarged and zoomed without losing clarity.
Detailed model diagrams.
Governance hierarchy
Constitution and lifecycle governance lead into Root, Feature and Specialist responsibilities.
Text equivalent
- Engineering constitution: Rules and precedence
- AI-SDLC and ADLC: Software and agent lifecycle governance
- Root agent: Planning, routing and cross-domain review
- Feature A | Feature B | Feature C: Persistent owners of separate domains
- Task-scoped specialists: Bounded work under each feature owner
- Validation and handoff: Evidence returns to Feature and Root review
Parallel feature owners share governance, not authority.
Lifecycle integration
Intent moves through requirements, architecture, implementation, validation, evidence and release; production feedback informs the next cycle.
Text equivalent
- Intent and requirements: Define the engineering outcome
- Architecture, design and tasks: Translate intent into owned work
- Implementation: Execute with scoped agents and tools
- Validation, evaluation and security: Collect evidence against acceptance criteria
- Certification and release: Internal approval gates before delivery
- Production feedback: Inform the next intent and requirements cycle
ADLC governs agents throughout the software lifecycle.
Delegation sequence
A request is routed to a feature owner, delegated to a specialist, validated and returned with evidence.
Text equivalent
- 1 User to Root: Submit the engineering request
- 2 Root to Feature: Route and authorize the owned task
- 3 Feature to Specialist: Delegate scope, budget and permissions
- 4 Specialist to Validation: Execute work and produce checkable outputs
- 5 Validation to Evidence: Record checks, changes and remaining risks
- 6 Specialist to Feature: Return task evidence and handoff
- 7 Feature to Root: Review and submit the feature handoff
- 8 Root to User: Integrate and report the outcome
Completion depends on validation and acceptance.
Agent lifecycle
Agent lifecycle states separate creation, operation and retirement.
Text equivalent
- PROPOSED to DESIGNED: Define intent, ownership and contract
- DESIGNED to REGISTERED: Record a distinct agent identity
- REGISTERED to VALIDATED: Evaluate capabilities and constraints
- VALIDATED to CERTIFIED to ACTIVE: Internal approval followed by activation
- ACTIVE to SUSPENDED: Pause execution for review
- SUSPENDED to REVALIDATION to ACTIVE: Recheck the agent before resuming
- ACTIVE to DEPRECATED to RETIRED: Withdraw and retire the agent
- SUSPENDED to RETIRED: Terminate without resuming execution
Transitions follow the supplied agent lifecycle model.
Ownership boundaries
Feature ownership provides coordination boundaries for engineering work.
Text equivalent
- Root coordinator: Routes and coordinates work across domains
- Feature A owns features/a/**: Changes remain within the declared boundary
- Feature B owns features/b/**: A separate owner governs this domain
- Cross-feature change: Coordinate through Root and affected owners
- Review and traceability: Record approvals, changes and handoffs
Feature A and B are peers, not a delegation chain.
Delegation controls
Permissions and budgets constrain delegated authority.
Text equivalent
- Agent identity: Establish who is requesting the action
- Delegation contract: Identify the task and delegated authority
- Policy evaluation: Check applicable governance constraints
- Authorization: Decide whether the action is allowed
- Budget enforcement: Check remaining execution limits
- Side-effect control: Mediate writes and external actions
- Tool or target: Execute only the authorized operation
Host integrations must enforce these design controls.
Traceability
Evidence connects the engineering intent, implementation and review.
Text equivalent
- Intent and requirement: State what must be achieved
- Feature and agent: Identify accountable ownership
- Task and delegated specialist: Record the approved work boundary
- Implementation and tests: Connect code changes to validation
- Evaluation and evidence: Preserve results and acceptance checks
- Feature handoff and Root review: Review before integration
- Certification and release: Record internal approvals and delivery
- Production outcome: Link observed outcomes back to intent
Certification here means an internal engineering gate.
Reference architecture
A conceptual arrangement of governance, orchestration and execution components.
Text equivalent
- User or engineer: Defines intent and acceptance criteria
- Root orchestrator: Coordinates routing and integration
- Feature A | Feature B | Feature C: Parallel engineering ownership domains
- Scoped specialists: Execute delegated tasks for feature owners
- Validation and evidence: Shared checks and auditable outputs
- Root review and integration: Accept reviewed changes
- Release: Deliver with traceable approvals
Registry, policy and audit services support all roles.