1Layer 1 · Principles
Principles: the five defaults of PMO as Code.
The layer that rarely changes and is owned by no one: what the standard defaults to, and what needs a documented reason to deviate.
Default over exception
Declarative sources of truthoverhand-maintained artifacts
Automation and auditovergates and approvals
Traceabilityoverdense documentation
Derived statusoverself-reported status
Composable definitionsoverone-off, siloed tools
The right-hand column is not banned. It is the exception, and exceptions get documented.
Every default gets its own explainer.
In the order they appear above.
01 · explainer
Declarative sources of truth over hand-maintained artifacts
Declare once; the matrix, the dashboards, and the registry become build outputs.
Read →
02 · explainer
Automation & audit over gates & approvals
The posture shifts from prevention to flow, and the gate becomes policy as code.
Read →
03 · explainer
Traceability over dense documentation
Value lives in the links between thin, richly connected artifacts.
Read →
04 · explainer
Derived status over self-reported status
Nobody types a color. Every verdict names its causes, and people can only pull a color down.
Read →
05 · explainer
Composable definitions over one-off, siloed tools
One grammar across every kind; profiles bundle kinds; a new kind is data, mostly.
Read →
Three layers, each clearly owned.
The structure keeps strong opinions and open implementation from blurring together, so a reader always knows which layer they're standing on.
1
Principles
Five defaults · rarely changes · owned by no one.
2
The Reference Approach
Our opinionated implementation: document model, kinds, checks · versioned · maintained by John Tanner at C4G.
3
Profiles
Named bundles others compose or fork: regulated-industry, lean-startup, agile-delivery · independent · owned by the community.
The standard is written down
Layer 2 is a versioned specification with conformance language, precise grammars, and blocking semantics. Anyone can implement it; docassert is the reference implementation.
Read the specification →The author statement, Why I wrote this, now lives on Why PMO as Code.