People Domain
The People domain represents human aspects including workforce structure, roles, skills, competencies, and organizational culture. It provides a structured approach for modeling the human capital that enables organizational capabilities and drives business outcomes.
Schema: people.schema.json
Specification: JSON Schema Draft-07
Overview
What is the People Domain?
The People domain captures the human dimension of business architecture, connecting workforce elements to organizational capabilities and strategic objectives. The domain covers:
- Roles — Defined positions with responsibilities and authority
- Skills — Competencies and expertise needed for capability delivery
- Workforce Structure — Organization of teams and reporting relationships
- Culture — Values, behaviors, and ways of working
- Talent Management — Development, retention, and succession
The domain recognizes that people are the ultimate enablers of organizational capability—technology and process alone cannot deliver value without skilled, engaged workforce.
Purpose and Value
The People domain enables architects and planners to:
- Map skills to capabilities — Understand workforce requirements for capability delivery
- Plan workforce development — Align training and hiring with strategic needs
- Identify skill gaps — Highlight areas needing investment or recruitment
- Support transformation — Plan people aspects of organizational change
- Enable workforce planning — Connect headcount to business outcomes
The People domain maps directly to data team concepts:
- Role → Data Engineer, Analytics Engineer, Data Scientist
- Skills → SQL, Python, dbt, Spark, ML
- Workforce Structure → Data Team, Analytics Team
- Competency Level → Junior, Mid, Senior, Staff, Principal
- Talent Pipeline → Hiring plans, career paths
Core Components
A people record describes a workforce group, team or talent area. Within it, four kinds of named element give structure:
- Workforce elements (
workforceElements): Segments of the workforce, with size, location, skills, cost, risks and succession - Culture elements (
cultureElements): Cultural attributes, with current and desired state, behaviours and enablers - Competency frameworks (
competencyFrameworks): Competency categories, levels, assessment and development paths - Knowledge assets (
knowledgeAssets): Explicit and tacit knowledge, how it is captured, stored, shared and retained
Domain Attributes
Core Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
peopleID | String | Unique identifier for the people element | ✓ |
title | String | Name or title of the people element | ✓ |
description | String | Detailed explanation of what the people element entails | ✓ |
talentCategory | Enum | Classification of the people element (see below) | ✓ |
orgUnitTitle | String | Organization unit responsible for this people element | ✓ |
orgUnitID | String | ID of the organization unit (see orgUnitTitle) | |
orgUnitRoles | Array[String] | Roles within the organization unit that manage this people element | |
orgUnitsCovered | Array[String] | Organizational units affected by this people element | |
workforceSize | Object | Workforce metrics: currentHeadcount, plannedHeadcount, timeframe, vacancies | |
skillsProfile | Object | Skills represented: technicalSkills, coreCompetencies, criticalSkillGaps, skillAssessmentMethod | |
competencyFramework | String | Name of the competency structure used | |
talentDevelopmentApproach | Object | Approach to developing talent: developmentMethodology, formalPrograms, learningResources, developmentBudget | |
talentAcquisitionStrategy | Object | Approach to acquiring talent: sourcingChannels, selectionCriteria, onboardingProcess, timeToProductivity | |
culturalValues | Array[String] | Core values represented | |
leadershipModel | Object | Leadership approach: leadershipStyle, decisionMakingApproach, leaderToIndividualContributorRatio | |
engagementMetrics | Object | Engagement measures: overallEngagementScore (Number), benchmarkComparison, keyDrivers, improvementAreas | |
knowledgeManagementApproach | Object | How knowledge is handled: primaryKnowledgeSharing, technicalDocumentation, knowledgeRetention | |
performanceManagementSystem | Object | Performance approach: reviewCycle, performanceCriteria, feedbackMechanisms | |
workforceFlexibility | Object | Adaptability: workModel, geographicDistribution, adaptabilityScore | |
diversityMetrics | Object | Diversity and inclusion measures: genderDiversity, ethnicDiversity, inclusionScore (Number), diversityGoals | |
strategicAlignment | Object | Alignment with strategy: alignmentDescription, strategicObjectives (each objectiveID + alignmentDescription), alignmentStrength (low, medium, high, critical) | |
dependencies | Array[Object] | Domains, processes or systems this element depends on: dependencyType (critical, important, supportive, optional), domainType, entityID (all three required), description | |
relatedPeopleElements | Array[Object] | Other people elements related to this one: elementID, relationshipType, relationshipStrength (Integer 1–5) (all three required), description | |
workforceElements | Array[Object] | Workforce segments (see Workforce Element) | |
cultureElements | Array[Object] | Cultural attributes (see Culture Element) | |
competencyFrameworks | Array[Object] | Competency frameworks (see Competency Framework) | |
knowledgeAssets | Array[Object] | Knowledge assets (see Knowledge Asset) | |
crossDomainRelationships | Array[Object] | Directional relationships from this record to entities in other domains (see Cross-Domain Relationships) |
Strategic Empathy Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
employeeEmpathyIndex | String | How empathetic employees perceive the organization to be | |
cultureOfPsychologicalSafety | Boolean | Whether the culture promotes a safe environment for expressing concerns and vulnerability | |
leadershipEmpathyTraining | Boolean | Whether leadership development includes training on empathetic leadership and emotional intelligence | |
internalCommunicationEmpathyGuidelines | Boolean | Whether there are guidelines for empathetic communication across the organization | |
changeReadinessIndex | String | Readiness for change, influenced by how well employee fears and concerns are addressed |
Enumeration Values
Talent Category (talentCategory)
| Value | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
technical | Technical and engineering talent | Data Engineering Team |
leadership | Leadership and management talent | Leadership pipeline |
administrative | Administrative and support talent | Business support staff |
operational | Operations and delivery talent | Field operations crews |
creative | Creative and design talent | Design studio |
analytical | Analytical and data talent | Analytics Team |
customerFacing | Customer-facing talent | Customer service agents |
crossFunctional | Talent spanning several functions | Enterprise-wide culture programme |
Workforce Type (workforceType)
| Value | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
permanent | Permanent employees | Regular staff |
contract | Fixed-term contract staff | Project-based |
temporary | Temporary staff | Seasonal cover |
partTime | Part-time employees | Reduced hours |
fullTime | Full-time employees | Regular staff |
contingent | Contingent workers supplied by third parties | Vendor or agency staff |
remote | Workers based remotely | Distributed engineers |
hybrid | Workers splitting time between office and remote | Two office days a week |
onSite | Workers based on site | Plant operators |
Skill Proficiency (skillProficiency)
| Value | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
basic | Basic understanding | Entry level |
intermediate | Growing, working proficiency | Junior to mid level |
advanced | Deep expertise | Senior level |
expert | Industry-leading expertise | Staff/Principal |
Knowledge Type (knowledgeType)
| Value | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
explicit | Documented, codified knowledge | Runbooks |
tacit | Experience-based knowledge held by people | Troubleshooting know-how |
procedural | How to perform tasks | Deployment procedures |
declarative | Facts and concepts | Data definitions |
technical | Technical knowledge | System architecture |
business | Business and domain knowledge | Product rules |
institutional | Organizational history and context | Past decisions |
hybrid | A mix of the above | Engineering wiki |
Relationship Type (relationshipType)
Used in relatedPeopleElements.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
enables | This element enables the related element |
dependsOn | This element depends on the related element |
complements | The elements complement each other |
conflictsWith | The elements are in tension |
precedes | This element comes before the related element |
follows | This element comes after the related element |
defines | This element defines the related element (e.g. a competency framework defining skill requirements) |
implements | This element implements the related element |
supports | This element supports the related element |
Other people fields use the shared lists in common.schema.json: risk levels (low, medium, high, critical), maturity (initial, repeatable, defined, managed, optimizing), frequency (e.g. quarterly, annually), alignment level (none, low, medium, high) and impact magnitude (negligible, minor, moderate, major, severe).
Workforce, Culture, Competency and Knowledge Elements
Workforce Element (workforceElement)
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
workforceID | String | Unique identifier for the workforce element | ✓ |
workforceTitle | String | Name of the workforce segment | ✓ |
workforceDescription | String | Detailed explanation of the workforce segment | ✓ |
workforceType | Enum | Category of workforce (see above) | ✓ |
workforceSize | Object | headcount, fullTimeEquivalent, contractorPercentage (Numbers) | |
workforceLocation | Object | locations: list of name and percentage | |
workSkills | Object | criticalSkills (Array[String]), skillProficiency (Enum) | |
workExperience | Object | averageYearsExperience (Number), seniorityProfile | |
workforceAvailability | Object | utilizationRate, leaveRate, overtimePercentage | |
workforceCost | Object | averageSalary, fullyLoadedCost, annualCostIncrease | |
workforceRisks | Array[Object] | riskName, riskLevel (low … critical), mitigation | |
successionPlanning | Object | criticalRolesCovered, benchStrength | |
workforceStrategy | Object | growthStrategy, developmentFocus |
Culture Element (cultureElement)
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
cultureID | String | Unique identifier for the culture element | ✓ |
cultureAttributeTitle | String | Name of the culture attribute | ✓ |
attributeDescription | String | Detailed explanation of the culture attribute | ✓ |
currentState | Object | Present condition: maturityLevel (shared maturity list), consistencyLevel | |
desiredState | Object | Target condition: maturityLevel, consistencyLevel | |
culturalImportance | Object | importanceLevel (low … critical), businessImpact | |
supportingBehaviors | Array[String] | Behaviours reinforcing this attribute | |
counteringBehaviors | Array[String] | Behaviours working against it | |
measurementApproach | Object | assessmentMethod, leadingIndicators | |
reinforcementMechanisms | Object | formalMechanisms, informalMechanisms | |
leadershipInfluence | Object | leadershipAlignment, keyLeadershipBehaviors | |
culturalBarriers | Array[Object] | barrierName, impactLevel (impact magnitude), mitigationApproach | |
culturalEnablers | Array[Object] | enablerName, contributionLevel (low … critical) |
Competency Framework (competencyFramework)
The top-level competencyFramework attribute is the name of the framework in use; the competencyFrameworks list holds full framework elements.
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
frameworkID | String | Unique identifier for the competency framework | ✓ |
frameworkTitle | String | Name of the competency framework | ✓ |
frameworkDescription | String | Detailed explanation of the framework | ✓ |
competencyCategories | Array[Object] | Major categories: categoryName, description | |
competencyLevels | Array[Object] | Progression levels: levelName, description | |
assessmentMethods | Object | primaryMethod, calibrationProcess | |
developmentPaths | Array[Object] | Progression routes: pathName, description | |
certificationRequirements | Object | internalCertifications, externalCertifications | |
competencyOwner | Object | primaryOwner, supportingRoles | |
frameworkAdoption | Object | adoptionRate, implementationApproach | |
frameworkReviewCycle | Object | reviewFrequency (shared frequency list), lastReviewDate (Date) | |
alignmentToStrategy | Object | alignmentLevel (none, low, medium, high), strategicObjectives | |
industryStandards | Object | referenceStandards |
Knowledge Asset (knowledgeAsset)
| Attribute | Type | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
knowledgeID | String | Unique identifier for the knowledge element | ✓ |
knowledgeAssetTitle | String | Name of the knowledge asset | ✓ |
assetDescription | String | Detailed explanation of the knowledge asset | ✓ |
knowledgeType | Enum | Category of knowledge (see above) | ✓ |
knowledgeCriticality | Object | criticalityLevel (low … critical), businessImpact | |
knowledgeSources | Object | primarySources, contributorRoles | |
knowledgeUsers | Object | primaryUsers, usageContext | |
captureMethod | Object | method, captureProcess | |
storageApproach | Object | storageSystem, organizationMethod | |
accessControls | Object | accessRestrictions, securityLevel | |
sharingMechanisms | Object | formalMechanisms, informalMechanisms | |
utilizationMetrics | Object | usageMetrics, utilizationRate | |
knowledgeRisks | Array[Object] | riskName, riskLevel (low … critical), mitigation | |
retentionStrategy | Object | retentionMethod, successorProgram |
Domain Relationships
The People domain integrates with other metamodel domains:
| Target Domain | Relationship Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Structure | People organized within org units |
| Capabilities | Enablement | People enable capability delivery |
| Strategy | Alignment | Workforce aligned to strategic goals |
| Technology | Usage | People use and manage technology |
| Services | Delivery | People deliver services |
| Performance | Measurement | Workforce performance tracked |
| Initiatives | Participation | People participate in initiatives |
| Policy | Compliance | People comply with policies |
| Stakeholder | Overlap | Workforce are internal stakeholders |
| Information | Knowledge | People hold organizational knowledge |
Examples
Example 1: Product Engineering Team
{
"peopleID": "PEOPLE-WORKFORCE-001",
"title": "Product Engineering Team",
"description": "Core product development engineering workforce responsible for design, development, and maintenance of enterprise software products.",
"talentCategory": "technical",
"orgUnitTitle": "Engineering Division",
"orgUnitRoles": [
"Chief Technology Officer",
"VP of Engineering",
"Talent Acquisition Manager"
],
"orgUnitsCovered": [
"Product Development",
"Quality Engineering",
"DevOps"
],
"workforceSize": {
"currentHeadcount": 125,
"plannedHeadcount": 150,
"timeframe": "EOY 2025",
"vacancies": 15
},
"skillsProfile": {
"technicalSkills": [
"Full-stack development",
"Cloud architecture",
"DevOps",
"AI/ML implementation"
],
"coreCompetencies": [
"Problem solving",
"Technical design",
"Agile methodology"
],
"criticalSkillGaps": [
"Quantum computing expertise",
"Advanced AI model development"
],
"skillAssessmentMethod": "Annual technical skills assessment with peer review"
},
"competencyFramework": "Engineering Excellence Framework",
"talentDevelopmentApproach": {
"developmentMethodology": "70-20-10 learning model",
"formalPrograms": [
"Technical mentorship program",
"Engineering leadership pathway"
],
"learningResources": [
"Internal knowledge base",
"Conference participation",
"Online learning subscriptions"
],
"developmentBudget": "$4,200 per employee annually"
},
"talentAcquisitionStrategy": {
"sourcingChannels": [
"Technical referrals",
"University partnerships",
"Tech community events"
],
"selectionCriteria": [
"Technical assessment",
"Culture-fit interview",
"Problem-solving challenge"
],
"onboardingProcess": "6-week structured technical onboarding with mentor assignment",
"timeToProductivity": "3 months for junior roles, 1 month for senior roles"
},
"culturalValues": [
"Innovation",
"Technical excellence",
"Continuous learning",
"Collaboration"
],
"leadershipModel": {
"leadershipStyle": "Servant leadership with technical expertise",
"decisionMakingApproach": "Distributed authority with clear escalation paths",
"leaderToIndividualContributorRatio": "1:8"
},
"engagementMetrics": {
"overallEngagementScore": 82,
"benchmarkComparison": "7 points above technology industry average",
"keyDrivers": [
"Technical challenge",
"Learning opportunities",
"Work-life balance"
],
"improvementAreas": [
"Recognition programs",
"Career path clarity"
]
},
"knowledgeManagementApproach": {
"primaryKnowledgeSharing": "Documentation-as-code in internal wiki",
"technicalDocumentation": "Mandatory for all systems and processes",
"knowledgeRetention": "Pair programming and cross-training on critical systems"
},
"performanceManagementSystem": {
"reviewCycle": "Quarterly objectives with annual in-depth review",
"performanceCriteria": [
"Technical contribution",
"Knowledge sharing",
"Innovation",
"Reliability"
],
"feedbackMechanisms": [
"360-degree feedback",
"Continuous peer feedback platform"
]
},
"workforceFlexibility": {
"workModel": "Hybrid with 2 core in-office days",
"geographicDistribution": "65% headquarters, 35% distributed",
"adaptabilityScore": "High - demonstrated ability to reorganize for strategic initiatives"
},
"diversityMetrics": {
"genderDiversity": "28% women in engineering roles vs. industry average of 25%",
"ethnicDiversity": "Representation matches regional demographics with 15% underrepresented minorities",
"inclusionScore": 76,
"diversityGoals": "35% women in engineering roles by 2026, 20% underrepresented minorities"
},
"strategicAlignment": {
"alignmentDescription": "Engineering workforce directly enables product innovation strategy and technical excellence pillar",
"strategicObjectives": [
{
"objectiveID": "STRAT-PROD-2025-01",
"alignmentDescription": "Technical capabilities support cloud-native product transformation"
},
{
"objectiveID": "STRAT-INNO-2025-02",
"alignmentDescription": "AI/ML skills enable new product features and capabilities"
}
],
"alignmentStrength": "high"
},
"dependencies": [
{
"dependencyType": "critical",
"domainType": "capability",
"entityID": "CAP-DEV-001",
"description": "Software development capability"
},
{
"dependencyType": "important",
"domainType": "technology",
"entityID": "TECH-CLOUD-002",
"description": "Cloud platform expertise"
}
],
"relatedPeopleElements": [
{
"elementID": "CULT-INNO-001",
"relationshipType": "enables",
"relationshipStrength": 5,
"description": "Innovation culture element supports engineering excellence"
},
{
"elementID": "COMP-ENG-001",
"relationshipType": "defines",
"relationshipStrength": 5,
"description": "Engineering competency framework defines skill requirements"
}
]
}
Example 2: Competency Framework
{
"peopleID": "PEOPLE-DATA-002",
"title": "Data & Analytics Competency Framework",
"description": "Framework defining skills and competencies for data and analytics roles, used for consistent skill assessment, career development and hiring across data teams",
"talentCategory": "analytical",
"orgUnitTitle": "Data and Analytics Division",
"orgUnitID": "OU-DATA-001",
"orgUnitRoles": ["Chief Data Officer"],
"competencyFramework": "Data & Analytics Competency Framework",
"competencyFrameworks": [
{
"frameworkID": "COMP-DATA-001",
"frameworkTitle": "Data & Analytics Competency Framework",
"frameworkDescription": "Defines data engineering, data analysis and communication competencies across four proficiency levels",
"competencyCategories": [
{ "categoryName": "Data Engineering", "description": "Building and operating data pipelines and platforms" },
{ "categoryName": "Data Analysis", "description": "Turning data into business insight" },
{ "categoryName": "Communication", "description": "Explaining findings to non-specialists" }
],
"competencyLevels": [
{ "levelName": "Foundational", "description": "Understands data pipeline concepts, can write basic SQL" },
{ "levelName": "Proficient", "description": "Can build production pipelines independently" },
{ "levelName": "Advanced", "description": "Architects scalable data solutions" },
{ "levelName": "Expert", "description": "Industry-recognized expertise, sets direction and standards" }
],
"assessmentMethods": {
"primaryMethod": "Technical assessment, code review and project evaluation",
"calibrationProcess": "Quarterly calibration panel across data teams"
},
"developmentPaths": [
{ "pathName": "Data Engineering Bootcamp", "description": "Structured training for new data engineers" },
{ "pathName": "Cloud Certification", "description": "Cloud platform certifications" },
{ "pathName": "Pipeline Project Lead", "description": "Lead a production pipeline project" }
],
"certificationRequirements": {
"externalCertifications": ["AWS Certified Data Engineer", "Azure Data Engineer Associate"]
},
"competencyOwner": {
"primaryOwner": "Chief Data Officer",
"supportingRoles": ["Head of Data Engineering", "HR Business Partner"]
},
"frameworkReviewCycle": {
"reviewFrequency": "annually",
"lastReviewDate": "2025-01-15"
},
"alignmentToStrategy": {
"alignmentLevel": "high",
"strategicObjectives": ["Build a world-class data organization"]
}
}
],
"strategicAlignment": {
"alignmentDescription": "Supports talent strategy for building a world-class data organization",
"alignmentStrength": "high"
}
}
Example 3: Cultural Values
{
"peopleID": "PEOPLE-CULT-003",
"title": "Data-Driven Culture Initiative",
"description": "Cultural transformation to embed data-driven decision making across the organization",
"talentCategory": "crossFunctional",
"orgUnitTitle": "Enterprise",
"orgUnitRoles": ["Chief Data Officer"],
"culturalValues": ["Data-Driven Decision Making", "Data Quality Ownership"],
"cultureElements": [
{
"cultureID": "CULT-DATA-001",
"cultureAttributeTitle": "Data-Driven Decision Making",
"attributeDescription": "Base decisions on data and evidence, not just intuition",
"currentState": { "maturityLevel": "repeatable", "consistencyLevel": "Strong in analytics teams, patchy elsewhere" },
"desiredState": { "maturityLevel": "managed", "consistencyLevel": "Consistent across all business units" },
"culturalImportance": { "importanceLevel": "high", "businessImpact": "Better, faster decisions grounded in evidence" },
"supportingBehaviors": [
"Ask 'what does the data say?'",
"Challenge assumptions with facts",
"Measure outcomes"
],
"measurementApproach": {
"assessmentMethod": "Annual data literacy survey (current score 3.8/5)",
"leadingIndicators": ["Dashboard adoption 72%", "Self-service usage 45%"]
},
"leadershipInfluence": {
"leadershipAlignment": "Executive team role-models data-driven decisions",
"keyLeadershipBehaviors": [
"Role model data-driven decisions",
"Invest in data literacy",
"Celebrate data-driven wins"
]
}
},
{
"cultureID": "CULT-DATA-002",
"cultureAttributeTitle": "Data Quality Ownership",
"attributeDescription": "Everyone is responsible for data quality",
"supportingBehaviors": [
"Report data issues immediately",
"Validate data before using",
"Document data definitions"
],
"culturalBarriers": [
{ "barrierName": "Unclear data ownership", "impactLevel": "moderate", "mitigationApproach": "Assign data owners and stewards for each dataset" }
]
}
],
"cultureOfPsychologicalSafety": true,
"strategicAlignment": {
"alignmentDescription": "Foundation for digital transformation and operational excellence",
"alignmentStrength": "critical"
}
}
Implementation Guidelines
Workforce Planning Best Practices
- Align to capabilities — Map workforce to capability requirements
- Assess skill gaps — Regularly evaluate skills vs. needs
- Plan for the future — Anticipate skill needs from strategy
- Develop talent — Invest in training and career growth
- Manage succession — Plan for key role transitions
Skills-Capability Mapping
OpenMetadata Integration
When integrating with OpenMetadata, map People entities as follows:
| Triodian Element | OpenMetadata Entity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| People record | Team | Team ownership |
| Workforce element | Team (child) | Sub-teams |
orgUnitRoles | User Role | Role-based access |
skillsProfile | Custom Property | Skill tags |
| Competency level | Custom Property | Level tagging |
# Example: Create team in OpenMetadata
def create_data_team(people_element):
"""
Map Triodian People element to OpenMetadata Team
"""
return {
"name": people_element["title"].lower().replace(" ", "_"),
"displayName": people_element["title"],
"description": people_element["description"],
"teamType": "Department",
"parents": [{"name": people_element["orgUnitTitle"].lower().replace(" ", "_")}],
"children": [
{"name": segment["workforceTitle"].lower().replace(" ", "_")}
for segment in people_element.get("workforceElements", [])
],
"extension": {"triodianPeopleID": people_element["peopleID"]},
"defaultRoles": ["DataConsumer"],
"policies": ["DataAccessPolicy"],
"isJoinable": True
}
Schema Reference
- Repository:
Triodian/Triodian_Metamodel - Schema: people.schema.json
- Specification: JSON Schema Draft-07
- License: Apache License 2.0
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