Documentation
The STRATA Protocol
A five-stratum governance framework that transforms AI-assisted software delivery from experimental to verifiable, repeatable, and trustworthy.
How STRATA Works
The STRATA Protocol is built on a single insight: AI is most valuable when governed, not autonomous. Five strata organize the complete lifecycle of AI-assisted software development — from project classification through artifact preservation. Each stratum answers a distinct foundational question, and each question must be answered before the next stratum can operate effectively.
The five strata build on each other. Stratum 1 classifies what you are building. Stratum 2 derives what you need to know. Stratum 3 establishes who decides and how. Stratum 4 runs the execution loop. Stratum 5 preserves the artifact trail. Together, they create the conditions under which an AI copilot becomes a governed partner in development — not a code generation service, but a thinking agent that operates inside a mandate.
The Five Strata
Stratum 1: Classification
Classify your project by business intent and continuity constraints. Project type determines everything downstream — architecture, process, and risk tolerance. Learn more in Stratum 1 — Classification.
Stratum 2: Derivation
Derive complete, challenged, and normative documents before implementation. Every artifact answers exactly one framing question, in dependency order. Learn more in Stratum 2 — Derivation.
Stratum 3: Authority Chain
Establish a constitutional framework that governs the AI copilot. The authority chain is a hierarchy of constraints, not a prompt — it operates for the entire session. Learn more in Stratum 3 — Authority Chain.
Stratum 4: Execution Loop
Run the structured, repeating cycle through which human and AI collaborate. No phase advances without explicit human sign-off — the human is the gate, not the reviewer. Learn more in Stratum 4 — Execution Loop.
Stratum 5: Artifact Trail
Preserve the living record of how the system came to be. The trail answers why decisions were made, enabling future engineers to understand intent, not just implementation. Learn more in Stratum 5 — Artifact Trail.