Rationale Schema

Rationales are the reasoned justifications that bridge triggers (what happened) to responses (what we're doing). They document why the organization is taking action, providing the critical reasoning layer in the Strategic Response Model.

Schema: rationale.schema.json
Shared definitions: common.schema.json
Specification: JSON Schema Draft-07

Overview

What is a Rationale?

A rationale captures the logical reasoning that justifies a strategic response. It answers the questions:

• Why are we responding to this trigger?
• What factors influenced the decision?
• What alternatives were considered?
• What evidence supports this approach?

The Role of Rationales

Every rationale names the trigger it responds to in triggerReference (and any further triggers in triggerReferences). A strategic intent points to the rationales that justify it through its own rationaleReferences, and a rationale that pursues a strategic objective links it in strategicObjectiveReference.

Without rationales, organizations have triggers and responses but no documented reasoning. This creates:

• Audit gaps — "Why did we do this?"
• Knowledge loss — Reasoning leaves with people
• Inconsistency — Similar triggers get different responses
• Poor decisions — No structured thinking process

Rationale Drivers

Rationales are classified by their primary motivation in rationaleType, whether they respond to existing conditions or anticipate future ones in rationaleOrientation, and by the value they create or preserve in businessValueType. The common drivers correspond to these rationale types:

Driver	Typical rationaleType	Typical Triggers
Policy compliance	complianceFulfillment, complianceManagement	Regulatory, compliance, audit
Risk mitigation	riskMitigation, riskPrevention	Security incidents, audit findings
Stakeholder expectation	stakeholderExpectationManagement, customerNeedsBased	Customer feedback, investor pressure
Strategic alignment	strategicAdvancement, organizationalAlignment	Strategic planning, market opportunity
Operational efficiency	costOptimization, costReduction	Performance threshold, cost pressure
Competitive positioning	competitiveResponse, defensivePosition	Market intelligence, competitor action
Innovation opportunity	opportunistic, innovationAdvancement	Technology change, R&D breakthrough

Rationale Attributes

Core Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
rationaleID	String	✓	Unique identifier for the rationale
rationaleTitle	String	✓	Title or summary of the rationale
description	String	✓	Detailed explanation supporting a strategic response
triggerReference	String	✓	Primary trigger this rationale responds to
triggerReferences	Array[String]		Further triggers this rationale addresses
rationaleType	Enum	✓	The justification type for this rationale
rationaleOrientation	Enum	✓	Whether the rationale is responding to existing conditions or anticipating future conditions
linkedDomains	Array[Enum]		Business architecture domains influenced or justified by this rationale (shared domain list, e.g. policy, capability, valueStream)

Reasoning and Evidence Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
anticipatedOutcomes	Array[String]		For proactive rationales, the expected benefits or outcomes
alternativesConsidered	Array[Object]		Other strategic options that were evaluated but not selected
reasoningPattern	Enum		The logical structure of the rationale
evidenceBase	Enum		The foundation for the rationale
strategicObjectiveReference	String		Reference to the strategic objective this rationale supports
businessValueType	Enum		The nature of value creation or preservation, e.g. riskReduction, competitiveAdvantage, customerExperience
competitivePositioning	Object		How this rationale advances competitive positioning

Governance Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
dateCreated	Date		The date the rationale was first recorded
lastReviewed	Date		The most recent date of rationale review
effectivenessRating	Integer		Optional evaluation of rationale effectiveness, from 1 to 5
author	String		The person or team who documented the rationale
orgUnitTitle	String		The organisational unit that owns or authored the rationale
orgUnitID	String		ID of the organization unit named in orgUnitTitle
relatedRationales	Array[String]		References to other related rationales
relationshipTypes	Array[Enum]		Type of relationship with each related rationale: supports, contradicts, expands, duplicates, supersedes
relatedEntities	Array[Object]		Entities in any domain this rationale relates to, by domain and ID

Domain Insight Attributes

Each domain can record the source of the insight behind the rationale and an assessment of its implications.

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
customerInsightSource	Enum		Source of customer insights: voiceOfCustomer, customerBehaviorAnalysis, marketResearch, customerServiceData, socialMediaAnalysis, customerJourneyMapping, customerFeedback, competitiveAnalysis
marketInsightSource	Enum		Source of market insights: marketResearch, competitiveIntelligence, industryAnalysis, customerFeedback, salesData, partnerNetwork, externalConsultant, strategicPlanning
competitiveImplications	Object		How this rationale affects competitive position
marketRisks	Array[Object]		Market risks associated with this rationale
financialInsightSource	Enum		Source of financial insights: financialAnalysis, performanceMetrics, investmentReview, budgetAnalysis, costStructureAssessment, revenueAnalysis, riskAssessment, capitalPlanning
financialImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of financial implications
financialRisks	Array[Object]		Financial risks associated with this rationale
riskInsightSource	Enum		Source of risk insights: riskAssessment, incidentAnalysis, controlMonitoring, auditFinding, industryIntelligence, scenarioAnalysis, expertJudgment
riskImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of risk implications
supplyChainInsightSource	Enum		Source of supply chain insights: performanceMetrics, supplyChainAnalytics, marketIntelligence, supplierFeedback, customerRequirements, riskAssessment, technologyEvaluation, complianceAnalysis
supplyChainImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of supply chain implications
innovationInsightSource	Enum		Source of innovation insights: experimentResults, innovationMetrics, prototypeFeedback, ideaManagementSystem, innovationAssessment, technologyScouting, portfolioAnalysis
innovationImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of innovation implications
sustainabilityInsightSource	Enum		Source of sustainability insights: esgAssessment, climateScenarioAnalysis, stakeholderMaterialityAssessment, sustainabilityReporting, externalEsgRating, environmentalImpactAnalysis, socialImpactAssessment
sustainabilityImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of sustainability implications
peopleInsightSource	Enum		Source of people insights: engagementAssessment, skillsAnalysis, culturalAssessment, competencyEvaluation, knowledgeAudit, exitInterviews, talentAnalytics, leadershipAssessment
peopleImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of workforce implications
technologyInsightSource	Enum		Source of technology insights: technologyAssessment, securityMonitoring, vendorNotification, technicalDebtAnalysis, architectureReview, technologyTrendAnalysis, systemPerformanceMonitoring
technologyImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of technology implications
channelInsightSource	Enum		Source of channel insights: channelPerformanceAnalysis, partnerFeedback, distributionNetworkAssessment, customerChannelPreference, competitiveChannelAnalysis, channelCostAnalysis, omnichannelIntegrationAssessment
channelImpactAssessment	Object		Assessment of channel implications

Related Entity (relatedEntities)

relatedEntities replaces the per-domain ID lists earlier versions carried (one list each for markets, budgets, risks, channels and so on). Each entry is a shared entity reference naming a domain and the ID of a record in it, for example { "domainType": "market", "entityID": "MKT-ENTSW-001" }.

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
domainType	Enum	✓	The domain of the referenced entity (shared domain list)
entityID	String	✓	Identifier of the record within its domain
title	String		Name of the referenced entity, for readability

Alternative Considered (alternativesConsidered)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
alternativeID	String		Identifier for this alternative
alternativeDescription	String	✓	Description of the alternative strategic option
reasonForRejection	String		Reasoning behind why this alternative was not selected

Competitive Positioning (competitivePositioning)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
positioningType	Enum		Type of competitive positioning strategy: differentiation, costLeadership, focusStrategy, blueOcean, industryLeadership, fastFollower, nicheDominance, strategicAlliance, innovationLeadership
positioningDescription	String	✓	Detailed description of how this advances competitive stance
competitiveTarget	String		Specific market segment, competitor, or industry position targeted

Competitive Implications (competitiveImplications)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
implicationType	Enum		Type of competitive implication: offensive, defensive, neutral, disruptive
targetCompetitors	Array[String]		Competitors targeted by this rationale
expectedResponse	String		Expected competitive response

Market Risk (marketRisks)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
riskDescription	String	✓	Description of the market risk
likelihood	Integer		Likelihood of this risk (1-5)
impact	Integer		Impact of this risk (1-5)
mitigation	String		Approach to mitigating this risk

Financial Impact Assessment (financialImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactType	Enum		Type of financial impact: revenue, cost, profitMargin, cashFlow, balanceSheet, incomeStatement, capitalStructure, investmentReturn
estimatedAmount	Number		Estimated financial impact amount
impactTimeframe	String		Timeframe for the financial impact

Financial Risk (financialRisks)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
riskDescription	String	✓	Description of the financial risk
financialExposure	Number		Potential financial exposure
likelihood	Integer		Likelihood of this risk (1-5)
mitigation	String		Approach to mitigating this risk

Risk Impact Assessment (riskImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactType	Enum		Type of risk impact: the shared risk category list plus cyber and healthSafety
impactSeverity	Enum		Severity of impact: the shared impact magnitude list plus critical
impactLikelihood	Enum		Likelihood of impact (shared five-point likelihood: veryLow to veryHigh)
confidenceLevel	Integer		Confidence in this assessment (1-5)

Supply Chain Impact Assessment (supplyChainImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactAreas	Array[Enum]		Areas of supply chain impacted: supplierNetwork, logistics, inventory, manufacturing, distribution, procurement, demandPlanning, fulfillment
impactSeverity	Enum		Severity of impact: the shared impact magnitude list plus critical
impactTimeframe	Enum		Timeframe for impact (shared time horizon list)

Innovation Impact Assessment (innovationImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactType	Enum		Type of innovation impact: acceleration, redirection, termination, expansion, contraction
affectedCapabilities	Array[String]		Innovation capabilities affected
timeframeChange	String		Impact on innovation timelines

Sustainability Impact Assessment (sustainabilityImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactDimensions	Array[String]		Sustainability dimensions affected
stakeholderExpectations	String		Expectations from stakeholders
complianceRelevance	String		Relevance to sustainability compliance requirements

People Impact Assessment (peopleImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactAreas	Array[String]		People areas impacted
affectedRoles	Array[String]		Specific roles affected
timeframeForChange	String		Timeframe for people changes

Technology Impact Assessment (technologyImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactAreas	Array[String]		Technology areas impacted
technicalDebt	String		Impact on technical debt
timeframeForImplementation	String		Timeframe for technology implementation

Channel Impact Assessment (channelImpactAssessment)

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
impactAreas	Array[String]		Channel areas impacted
customerJourneyEffects	String		Effects on customer journey
implementationComplexity	Enum		Complexity of implementation: low, medium, high

Rationale Types

Rationale Type (rationaleType)

General types apply to any domain; the others capture domain-specific reasoning.

Value	Domain	Description
preventative	General	Acting to stop a problem before it occurs
remedial	General	Correcting an existing problem
opportunistic	General	Capitalizing on an emerging opportunity
proactive	General	Anticipating future conditions
reactive	General	Responding to conditions that have already arisen
complianceFulfillment	General	Meeting a mandatory legal, regulatory or policy requirement
strategicAdvancement	General	Advancing strategic objectives
customerNeedsBased	General	Responding to identified customer needs
marketTrendsBased	General	Responding to observed market trends
customerExperienceEnhancement	Customer	Enhancing customer experience
customerFeedbackResponse	Customer	Acting on customer feedback
customerRetentionFocus	Customer	Reducing customer churn
customerAcquisitionFocus	Customer	Winning new customers
competitiveResponse	Market	Responding to competitor action
marketOpportunity	Market	Pursuing a market opening
defensivePosition	Market	Protecting an existing market position
industryAdaptation	Market	Adapting to structural industry change
growthInitiative	Market	Pursuing market growth
innovationImperative	Market	Innovating to stay competitive
consolidationStrategy	Market	Consolidating market presence or portfolio
financialPerformanceImprovement	Finance	Improving financial results
costOptimization	Finance	Reducing operational costs
investmentJustification	Finance	Justifying an investment on its return
capitalAllocation	Finance	Directing capital to its best use
financialRiskManagement	Finance	Managing financial risk exposure
resourcePrioritization	Finance	Prioritizing scarce financial resources
financialSustainability	Finance	Securing long-term financial health
riskPrevention	Risk Management	Preventing a risk from materializing
riskMitigation	Risk Management	Reducing risk likelihood or impact
riskTransfer	Risk Management	Transferring risk through insurance or outsourcing
riskAcceptance	Risk Management	Accepting a risk within tolerance
controlEnhancement	Risk Management	Strengthening controls
responsePlanning	Risk Management	Preparing responses to potential events
complianceManagement	Risk Management	Ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance
disruptionResponse	Supply Chain	Responding to supply disruption
networkOptimization	Supply Chain	Optimizing the supply network
costReduction	Supply Chain	Lowering supply chain costs
serviceImprovement	Supply Chain	Improving supply chain service levels
capabilityDevelopment	Supply Chain	Building supply chain capability
technologyAdoption	Supply Chain	Adopting supply chain technology
innovationAdvancement	Innovation	Advancing innovation goals
capabilityEnhancement	Innovation	Enhancing innovation capability
portfolioOptimization	Innovation	Optimizing the innovation portfolio
experimentationNeed	Innovation	Testing concepts before committing
innovationCulture	Innovation	Building an innovation culture
innovationProcessImprovement	Innovation	Improving innovation processes
sustainabilityCompliance	Sustainability	Meeting sustainability obligations
environmentalStewardship	Sustainability	Reducing environmental impact
socialImpactEnhancement	Sustainability	Improving social impact
governanceImprovement	Sustainability	Strengthening governance
climateRiskMitigation	Sustainability	Reducing climate-related risk
stakeholderExpectationManagement	Sustainability	Meeting stakeholder expectations
circularEconomyAdvancement	Sustainability	Advancing circular economy practices
resourceEfficiencyImprovement	Sustainability	Using resources more efficiently
talentDevelopment	People	Developing workforce skills
cultureEnhancement	People	Strengthening organizational culture
knowledgeManagement	People	Retaining and sharing knowledge
workforceOptimization	People	Right-sizing or reshaping the workforce
talentAcquisition	People	Attracting needed talent
employeeExperienceImprovement	People	Improving employee experience
leadershipDevelopment	People	Developing leaders
organizationalAlignment	People	Aligning structure with strategy
technologyRefresh	Technology	Replacing ageing technology
legacyModernization	Technology	Modernizing legacy systems
securityEnhancement	Technology	Improving security posture
technologyIntegration	Technology	Integrating systems
technologyStandardization	Technology	Standardizing technology
architectureTransformation	Technology	Transforming technical architecture
digitalCapabilityBuilding	Technology	Building digital capability
technicalDebtReduction	Technology	Reducing technical debt
channelOptimization	Channel	Optimizing channel performance
channelExpansion	Channel	Adding or extending channels
partnerManagement	Channel	Managing channel partners
distributionEfficiency	Channel	Improving distribution efficiency
omnichannelIntegration	Channel	Integrating channels into a seamless experience
channelConflictResolution	Channel	Resolving conflict between channels
digitalChannelDevelopment	Channel	Developing digital channels
channelMixRebalancing	Channel	Rebalancing the channel mix

Rationale Orientation (rationaleOrientation)

Value	Description
reactive	Responds to existing conditions, typically a trigger that has occurred
proactive	Anticipates future conditions; record the expected benefits in anticipatedOutcomes

Reasoning Pattern (reasoningPattern)

Value	Description
causal	Cause and effect: the trigger leads to a consequence the response addresses
comparative	Options compared and the best chosen (trade-off or cost-benefit analysis)
normative	Driven by values, standards or obligations
predictive	Based on forecasts of future conditions
analogical	Similar past situation referenced
deductive	General principle applied to specific case
inductive	Pattern observed, generalization made
customerNeedsBased	Reasoning from identified customer needs
journeyFrictionBased	Reasoning from friction points in customer journeys
segmentValueBased	Reasoning from the value of a customer segment
experienceGapBased	Reasoning from the gap between expected and actual experience

Evidence Base (evidenceBase)

Value	Description
dataDriven	Quantitative data analysis
expertJudgment	Expert opinion or professional judgment
industryBestPractice	Recognized industry practice or benchmark
customerFeedback	Direct customer feedback
internalAnalysis	Internal analysis or review
externalResearch	External research, guidance or publications
competitiveAnalysis	Analysis of competitors
voiceOfCustomer	Structured voice-of-customer programs
customerBehaviorAnalysis	Observed customer behavior
marketResearch	Market research studies
customerServiceData	Customer service records
socialMediaAnalysis	Social media analysis
customerJourneyMapping	Customer journey maps
competitiveIntelligence	Competitive intelligence gathering
industryAnalysis	Industry structure analysis
salesData	Sales results
partnerNetwork	Insight from partners
externalConsultant	External consultant advice
strategicPlanning	Strategy development process
financialAnalysis	Financial analysis
performanceMetrics	Performance indicators and KPIs
investmentReview	Investment review
budgetAnalysis	Budget analysis
costStructureAssessment	Cost structure assessment
revenueAnalysis	Revenue analysis
riskAssessment	Risk assessment
capitalPlanning	Capital planning
incidentAnalysis	Analysis of incidents
controlMonitoring	Control monitoring results
auditFinding	Internal or external audit finding
industryIntelligence	Industry intelligence sources
scenarioAnalysis	Scenario analysis
supplyChainAnalytics	Supply chain analytics
marketIntelligence	Market intelligence
supplierFeedback	Supplier feedback
customerRequirements	Stated customer requirements
technologyEvaluation	Technology evaluation
complianceAnalysis	Compliance analysis
sustainabilityInsight	Sustainability assessment or reporting
peopleInsight	Workforce and people analytics
experimentResults	Results of experiments
prototypeFeedback	Feedback on prototypes

JSON Schema Definition

The full definition is rationale.schema.json. It requires rationaleID, rationaleTitle, description, triggerReference, rationaleType and rationaleOrientation, and rejects properties it does not define. linkedDomains, the relatedEntities entries and several assessment fields use shared definitions from common.schema.json.

Examples

Compliance Rationale

{
  "rationaleID": "RAT-001",
  "rationaleTitle": "Privacy Act Compliance Response",
  "description": "The organization must implement enhanced consent management and data subject request processing to comply with the Privacy Act Amendment 2024. Failure to comply would result in regulatory penalties up to $50M and reputational damage. The 12-month compliance window requires immediate action.",
  "triggerReference": "TRG-003",
  "linkedDomains": [
    "policy",
    "capability",
    "information",
    "technology"
  ],
  "rationaleType": "complianceFulfillment",
  "rationaleOrientation": "reactive",
  "alternativesConsidered": [
    {
      "alternativeID": "ALT-001",
      "alternativeDescription": "Minimal compliance approach - meet only mandatory requirements",
      "reasonForRejection": "High risk of regulatory interpretation challenges and future remediation costs"
    },
    {
      "alternativeID": "ALT-002",
      "alternativeDescription": "Outsource consent management to third-party provider",
      "reasonForRejection": "Data sovereignty concerns and ongoing dependency risk"
    }
  ],
  "reasoningPattern": "causal",
  "evidenceBase": "externalResearch",
  "businessValueType": "riskReduction",
  "dateCreated": "2024-07-01",
  "lastReviewed": "2024-07-01",
  "author": "Chief Risk Officer",
  "orgUnitTitle": "Risk and Compliance",
  "orgUnitID": "OU-RISK-001",
  "relatedEntities": [
    {
      "domainType": "policy",
      "entityID": "POL-007",
      "title": "Data Retention Policy"
    },
    {
      "domainType": "capability",
      "entityID": "CAP-014",
      "title": "Consent Management"
    }
  ],
  "riskInsightSource": "auditFinding",
  "riskImpactAssessment": {
    "impactType": "compliance",
    "impactSeverity": "severe",
    "impactLikelihood": "high",
    "confidenceLevel": 5
  }
}

Strategic Alignment Rationale

{
  "rationaleID": "RAT-002",
  "rationaleTitle": "AI-First Customer Service Transformation",
  "description": "Implementing AI-powered customer service capabilities will differentiate us from competitors, reduce cost-to-serve by 30%, and improve customer satisfaction through faster resolution times. This aligns with our 2025 strategy of becoming the most customer-centric provider in the market.",
  "triggerReference": "TRG-006",
  "linkedDomains": [
    "strategy",
    "capability",
    "technology",
    "customer",
    "performance"
  ],
  "rationaleType": "strategicAdvancement",
  "rationaleOrientation": "proactive",
  "anticipatedOutcomes": [
    "30% reduction in cost-to-serve",
    "24/7 customer support coverage",
    "Faster resolution times"
  ],
  "alternativesConsidered": [
    {
      "alternativeDescription": "Expand human customer service team",
      "reasonForRejection": "Does not scale cost-effectively and cannot provide 24/7 coverage"
    },
    {
      "alternativeDescription": "Outsource to BPO provider",
      "reasonForRejection": "Quality concerns and loss of customer relationship control"
    }
  ],
  "reasoningPattern": "comparative",
  "evidenceBase": "dataDriven",
  "strategicObjectiveReference": "OBJ-001",
  "businessValueType": "competitiveAdvantage",
  "competitivePositioning": {
    "positioningType": "differentiation",
    "positioningDescription": "Differentiate through always-available, fast-resolution AI service",
    "competitiveTarget": "Retail banking customers"
  },
  "dateCreated": "2024-02-15",
  "author": "Executive Committee",
  "orgUnitTitle": "Customer Experience",
  "customerInsightSource": "voiceOfCustomer"
}

Risk Mitigation Rationale

{
  "rationaleID": "RAT-003",
  "rationaleTitle": "Core Banking Platform Modernization",
  "description": "The legacy core banking platform reaches end-of-support in December 2025, creating unacceptable operational and security risks. Modernization to a cloud-native platform will eliminate vendor dependency risk, improve resilience, and enable future capability development.",
  "triggerReference": "TRG-004",
  "linkedDomains": [
    "technology",
    "capability",
    "risk"
  ],
  "rationaleType": "legacyModernization",
  "rationaleOrientation": "reactive",
  "alternativesConsidered": [
    {
      "alternativeDescription": "Negotiate extended support with vendor",
      "reasonForRejection": "Vendor declined; no commercial terms available"
    },
    {
      "alternativeDescription": "In-house maintenance without vendor support",
      "reasonForRejection": "Unacceptable security risk and regulatory concerns"
    }
  ],
  "reasoningPattern": "causal",
  "evidenceBase": "technologyEvaluation",
  "businessValueType": "systemReliability",
  "dateCreated": "2024-04-30",
  "author": "Board Technology Committee",
  "orgUnitTitle": "Enterprise Technology",
  "relatedEntities": [
    {
      "domainType": "technology",
      "entityID": "TECH-CBS-001",
      "title": "Core Banking Platform"
    },
    {
      "domainType": "risk",
      "entityID": "RISK-042",
      "title": "Unsupported platform risk"
    }
  ],
  "technologyInsightSource": "vendorNotification",
  "technologyImpactAssessment": {
    "impactAreas": [
      "Core banking",
      "Integration"
    ],
    "technicalDebt": "Retires 15 years of platform customisations",
    "timeframeForImplementation": "18 months"
  }
}

Domain-Specific Attributes

Domain-specific reasoning is recorded in the rationale's own domain insight attributes rather than in a free-form extension. The snippets below show typical use.

Customer Domain

{
  "customerInsightSource": "customerBehaviorAnalysis",
  "relatedEntities": [
    { "domainType": "customer", "entityID": "CUST-001", "title": "Affluent Professionals" }
  ]
}

Finance Domain

{
  "financialInsightSource": "investmentReview",
  "financialImpactAssessment": {
    "impactType": "investmentReturn",
    "estimatedAmount": 5000000,
    "impactTimeframe": "24 months"
  },
  "financialRisks": [
    {
      "riskDescription": "Implementation cost overrun",
      "financialExposure": 750000,
      "likelihood": 3,
      "mitigation": "Phased funding released at stage gates"
    }
  ]
}

Risk Management Domain

{
  "riskInsightSource": "controlMonitoring",
  "riskImpactAssessment": {
    "impactType": "operational",
    "impactSeverity": "major",
    "impactLikelihood": "medium",
    "confidenceLevel": 4
  }
}

Usage Guidelines

Writing Effective Rationales

1. State the reasoning clearly — Explain the "why" in plain language
2. Link to evidence — Record the evidenceBase and the relevant insight source
3. Document alternatives — Show what else was considered in alternativesConsidered
4. Assess honestly — Don't overstate certainty; review with lastReviewed and effectivenessRating
5. Record ownership — Name the author and owning orgUnitTitle

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Problem	Solution
Vague reasoning	"Because we need to" doesn't explain	Be specific about why
Missing evidence	Assertions without support	Cite sources and data
No alternatives	Appears predetermined	Document what else was considered
Wrong rationale type	Misclassifies the motivation	Choose the primary rationaleType carefully
No owner	Lacks governance	Record the author and owning unit

For Data Engineers

Rationales can be enriched with data lineage information showing which data assets informed the decision. Consider linking relatedEntities to Information domain records to create full traceability from data to business decisions.

Related Documentation

• Strategic Response Model Overview — Full SRM documentation
• Trigger Schema — What prompts rationales
• Performance Indicators — How success is measured
• Trigger and rationale walkthrough — Worked examples in the composite form