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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
For Data Engineers

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:

  1. Workforce elements (workforceElements): Segments of the workforce, with size, location, skills, cost, risks and succession
  2. Culture elements (cultureElements): Cultural attributes, with current and desired state, behaviours and enablers
  3. Competency frameworks (competencyFrameworks): Competency categories, levels, assessment and development paths
  4. Knowledge assets (knowledgeAssets): Explicit and tacit knowledge, how it is captured, stored, shared and retained

Domain Attributes​

Core Attributes​

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
peopleIDStringUnique identifier for the people element✓
titleStringName or title of the people element✓
descriptionStringDetailed explanation of what the people element entails✓
talentCategoryEnumClassification of the people element (see below)✓
orgUnitTitleStringOrganization unit responsible for this people element✓
orgUnitIDStringID of the organization unit (see orgUnitTitle)
orgUnitRolesArray[String]Roles within the organization unit that manage this people element
orgUnitsCoveredArray[String]Organizational units affected by this people element
workforceSizeObjectWorkforce metrics: currentHeadcount, plannedHeadcount, timeframe, vacancies
skillsProfileObjectSkills represented: technicalSkills, coreCompetencies, criticalSkillGaps, skillAssessmentMethod
competencyFrameworkStringName of the competency structure used
talentDevelopmentApproachObjectApproach to developing talent: developmentMethodology, formalPrograms, learningResources, developmentBudget
talentAcquisitionStrategyObjectApproach to acquiring talent: sourcingChannels, selectionCriteria, onboardingProcess, timeToProductivity
culturalValuesArray[String]Core values represented
leadershipModelObjectLeadership approach: leadershipStyle, decisionMakingApproach, leaderToIndividualContributorRatio
engagementMetricsObjectEngagement measures: overallEngagementScore (Number), benchmarkComparison, keyDrivers, improvementAreas
knowledgeManagementApproachObjectHow knowledge is handled: primaryKnowledgeSharing, technicalDocumentation, knowledgeRetention
performanceManagementSystemObjectPerformance approach: reviewCycle, performanceCriteria, feedbackMechanisms
workforceFlexibilityObjectAdaptability: workModel, geographicDistribution, adaptabilityScore
diversityMetricsObjectDiversity and inclusion measures: genderDiversity, ethnicDiversity, inclusionScore (Number), diversityGoals
strategicAlignmentObjectAlignment with strategy: alignmentDescription, strategicObjectives (each objectiveID + alignmentDescription), alignmentStrength (low, medium, high, critical)
dependenciesArray[Object]Domains, processes or systems this element depends on: dependencyType (critical, important, supportive, optional), domainType, entityID (all three required), description
relatedPeopleElementsArray[Object]Other people elements related to this one: elementID, relationshipType, relationshipStrength (Integer 1–5) (all three required), description
workforceElementsArray[Object]Workforce segments (see Workforce Element)
cultureElementsArray[Object]Cultural attributes (see Culture Element)
competencyFrameworksArray[Object]Competency frameworks (see Competency Framework)
knowledgeAssetsArray[Object]Knowledge assets (see Knowledge Asset)
crossDomainRelationshipsArray[Object]Directional relationships from this record to entities in other domains (see Cross-Domain Relationships)

Strategic Empathy Attributes​

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
employeeEmpathyIndexStringHow empathetic employees perceive the organization to be
cultureOfPsychologicalSafetyBooleanWhether the culture promotes a safe environment for expressing concerns and vulnerability
leadershipEmpathyTrainingBooleanWhether leadership development includes training on empathetic leadership and emotional intelligence
internalCommunicationEmpathyGuidelinesBooleanWhether there are guidelines for empathetic communication across the organization
changeReadinessIndexStringReadiness for change, influenced by how well employee fears and concerns are addressed

Enumeration Values​

Talent Category (talentCategory)​

ValueDescriptionExample
technicalTechnical and engineering talentData Engineering Team
leadershipLeadership and management talentLeadership pipeline
administrativeAdministrative and support talentBusiness support staff
operationalOperations and delivery talentField operations crews
creativeCreative and design talentDesign studio
analyticalAnalytical and data talentAnalytics Team
customerFacingCustomer-facing talentCustomer service agents
crossFunctionalTalent spanning several functionsEnterprise-wide culture programme

Workforce Type (workforceType)​

ValueDescriptionExample
permanentPermanent employeesRegular staff
contractFixed-term contract staffProject-based
temporaryTemporary staffSeasonal cover
partTimePart-time employeesReduced hours
fullTimeFull-time employeesRegular staff
contingentContingent workers supplied by third partiesVendor or agency staff
remoteWorkers based remotelyDistributed engineers
hybridWorkers splitting time between office and remoteTwo office days a week
onSiteWorkers based on sitePlant operators

Skill Proficiency (skillProficiency)​

ValueDescriptionExample
basicBasic understandingEntry level
intermediateGrowing, working proficiencyJunior to mid level
advancedDeep expertiseSenior level
expertIndustry-leading expertiseStaff/Principal

Knowledge Type (knowledgeType)​

ValueDescriptionExample
explicitDocumented, codified knowledgeRunbooks
tacitExperience-based knowledge held by peopleTroubleshooting know-how
proceduralHow to perform tasksDeployment procedures
declarativeFacts and conceptsData definitions
technicalTechnical knowledgeSystem architecture
businessBusiness and domain knowledgeProduct rules
institutionalOrganizational history and contextPast decisions
hybridA mix of the aboveEngineering wiki

Relationship Type (relationshipType)​

Used in relatedPeopleElements.

ValueDescription
enablesThis element enables the related element
dependsOnThis element depends on the related element
complementsThe elements complement each other
conflictsWithThe elements are in tension
precedesThis element comes before the related element
followsThis element comes after the related element
definesThis element defines the related element (e.g. a competency framework defining skill requirements)
implementsThis element implements the related element
supportsThis 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)​

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
workforceIDStringUnique identifier for the workforce element✓
workforceTitleStringName of the workforce segment✓
workforceDescriptionStringDetailed explanation of the workforce segment✓
workforceTypeEnumCategory of workforce (see above)✓
workforceSizeObjectheadcount, fullTimeEquivalent, contractorPercentage (Numbers)
workforceLocationObjectlocations: list of name and percentage
workSkillsObjectcriticalSkills (Array[String]), skillProficiency (Enum)
workExperienceObjectaverageYearsExperience (Number), seniorityProfile
workforceAvailabilityObjectutilizationRate, leaveRate, overtimePercentage
workforceCostObjectaverageSalary, fullyLoadedCost, annualCostIncrease
workforceRisksArray[Object]riskName, riskLevel (low … critical), mitigation
successionPlanningObjectcriticalRolesCovered, benchStrength
workforceStrategyObjectgrowthStrategy, developmentFocus

Culture Element (cultureElement)​

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
cultureIDStringUnique identifier for the culture element✓
cultureAttributeTitleStringName of the culture attribute✓
attributeDescriptionStringDetailed explanation of the culture attribute✓
currentStateObjectPresent condition: maturityLevel (shared maturity list), consistencyLevel
desiredStateObjectTarget condition: maturityLevel, consistencyLevel
culturalImportanceObjectimportanceLevel (low … critical), businessImpact
supportingBehaviorsArray[String]Behaviours reinforcing this attribute
counteringBehaviorsArray[String]Behaviours working against it
measurementApproachObjectassessmentMethod, leadingIndicators
reinforcementMechanismsObjectformalMechanisms, informalMechanisms
leadershipInfluenceObjectleadershipAlignment, keyLeadershipBehaviors
culturalBarriersArray[Object]barrierName, impactLevel (impact magnitude), mitigationApproach
culturalEnablersArray[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.

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
frameworkIDStringUnique identifier for the competency framework✓
frameworkTitleStringName of the competency framework✓
frameworkDescriptionStringDetailed explanation of the framework✓
competencyCategoriesArray[Object]Major categories: categoryName, description
competencyLevelsArray[Object]Progression levels: levelName, description
assessmentMethodsObjectprimaryMethod, calibrationProcess
developmentPathsArray[Object]Progression routes: pathName, description
certificationRequirementsObjectinternalCertifications, externalCertifications
competencyOwnerObjectprimaryOwner, supportingRoles
frameworkAdoptionObjectadoptionRate, implementationApproach
frameworkReviewCycleObjectreviewFrequency (shared frequency list), lastReviewDate (Date)
alignmentToStrategyObjectalignmentLevel (none, low, medium, high), strategicObjectives
industryStandardsObjectreferenceStandards

Knowledge Asset (knowledgeAsset)​

AttributeTypeDescriptionRequired
knowledgeIDStringUnique identifier for the knowledge element✓
knowledgeAssetTitleStringName of the knowledge asset✓
assetDescriptionStringDetailed explanation of the knowledge asset✓
knowledgeTypeEnumCategory of knowledge (see above)✓
knowledgeCriticalityObjectcriticalityLevel (low … critical), businessImpact
knowledgeSourcesObjectprimarySources, contributorRoles
knowledgeUsersObjectprimaryUsers, usageContext
captureMethodObjectmethod, captureProcess
storageApproachObjectstorageSystem, organizationMethod
accessControlsObjectaccessRestrictions, securityLevel
sharingMechanismsObjectformalMechanisms, informalMechanisms
utilizationMetricsObjectusageMetrics, utilizationRate
knowledgeRisksArray[Object]riskName, riskLevel (low … critical), mitigation
retentionStrategyObjectretentionMethod, successorProgram

Domain Relationships​

The People domain integrates with other metamodel domains:

Target DomainRelationship TypeDescription
OrganizationStructurePeople organized within org units
CapabilitiesEnablementPeople enable capability delivery
StrategyAlignmentWorkforce aligned to strategic goals
TechnologyUsagePeople use and manage technology
ServicesDeliveryPeople deliver services
PerformanceMeasurementWorkforce performance tracked
InitiativesParticipationPeople participate in initiatives
PolicyCompliancePeople comply with policies
StakeholderOverlapWorkforce are internal stakeholders
InformationKnowledgePeople 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​

  1. Align to capabilities — Map workforce to capability requirements
  2. Assess skill gaps — Regularly evaluate skills vs. needs
  3. Plan for the future — Anticipate skill needs from strategy
  4. Develop talent — Invest in training and career growth
  5. Manage succession — Plan for key role transitions

Skills-Capability Mapping​

OpenMetadata Integration​

For Data Platform Teams

When integrating with OpenMetadata, map People entities as follows:

Triodian ElementOpenMetadata EntityNotes
People recordTeamTeam ownership
Workforce elementTeam (child)Sub-teams
orgUnitRolesUser RoleRole-based access
skillsProfileCustom PropertySkill tags
Competency levelCustom PropertyLevel 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​


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