Intent Tracing
Intent tracing is the practice of maintaining continuity between the reasoning behind intent and direction and the course of execution, so that significant divergence and emerging evidence can be understood in relation to that reasoning and earlier reasoning can be reconsidered when needed.
What is intent tracing?
Execution inevitably brings situations that were not fully anticipated when the direction was established. Many can be addressed within the established direction, while others may significantly affect the target state or approach, or challenge the reasoning behind the intent. Intent tracing maintains the continuity needed to distinguish between them. It concerns more than whether needs, requirements, designs, and delivered components can be traced to one another. It keeps visible the reasoning that gives those elements significance. Intent tracing should be proportionate to the change: continuity needs to be strongest where divergence or emerging evidence could materially affect the reasoning behind the direction or intent.
Lost Reasoning Continuity
Lost reasoning continuity is the characteristic vulnerability of the Execution function: significant divergence or emerging evidence is not understood in relation to the reasoning behind the direction and intent, and earlier reasoning is not reconsidered when needed.
Reasoning continuity can be lost when the course of execution diverges from the chosen direction without the significance of that divergence being recognized, or when emerging evidence that bears on the reasoning behind the direction or intent is not connected back to it. Where divergence or emerging evidence is significant, the relevant reasoning can be reconsidered as far upstream as needed. One form of lost continuity is silent drift.
Not simply poor delivery of the chosen direction. Ineffective realization can also leave potential unrealized; lost continuity is the part of the execution gap that belongs to intent integrity.
What it is not
Not requirements traceability, which links artifacts to one another rather than to the reasoning that makes them worth having. A requirement may remain traceable to its source even when the reasoning that made it important has changed or no longer holds.
Where it sits
Intent tracing is the practice of the Execution function. It maintains continuity so that significant divergence and emerging evidence can be understood in relation to the reasoning behind intent and direction.
Intent tracing is not requirements traceability, which links artifacts to one another rather than to the reasoning that makes them worth having.
Primary effect: reduces the expected execution gap from lost continuity.
Related concepts
- Execution (function): Intent tracing is the practice of the Execution function, protecting against lost reasoning continuity.
- Lost Reasoning Continuity: Intent tracing is the practice of the Execution function, protecting against lost reasoning continuity.
- Silent Drift: Silent drift is one form of lost continuity that intent tracing is meant to make recognizable.
- Continuity: Intent tracing maintains the continuity of reasoning during execution.
Referenced by
Cite this page
Rozema, Lars. “Intent Tracing.” Intent Integrity. https://www.intent-integrity.com/intent-tracing. n.d.
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