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Guide Origin: Official | ArcKit Version: [VERSION]
/arckit:wardley.doctrine assesses organizational doctrine maturity across 4 phases and 40+ principles.
When to Use
Run this command to assess organizational maturity, identify capability gaps, and plan improvements. Doctrine assessment reveals how well an organization applies universal strategic principles -- independent of any specific map or context. Use it to:
- Baseline current organizational maturity
- Identify systemic weaknesses before they manifest in projects
- Plan targeted improvement programmes
- Re-assess periodically to measure progress
Inputs
| Artefact | Purpose |
|---|---|
Architecture principles (ARC-000-PRIN-v1.0.md) |
Mandatory -- Governance principles to assess against |
Wardley Map (ARC-<id>-WARD-*.md) |
Recommended -- Provides strategic context for scoring |
Stakeholder analysis (ARC-<id>-STKE-v1.0.md) |
Recommended -- Organizational context and drivers |
Command
/arckit:wardley.doctrine Assess doctrine maturity for <organisation>
Output: projects/<id>/wardley-maps/ARC-<id>-WDOC-v1.0.md (single instance per project)
Doctrine Structure
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Phase Assessment | Which of the 4 phases the organization has reached |
| Category Scores | Maturity scores across 6 doctrine categories |
| Principle-Level Detail | Individual 1-5 scoring for 40+ principles |
| Gap Analysis | Weaknesses and improvement priorities |
| Improvement Roadmap | Phased plan to advance doctrine maturity |
Key Concepts
The 4 Phases of Doctrine
| Phase | Name | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| I | Stop Self-Harm | Eliminate basic organizational dysfunctions |
| II | Becoming Context Aware | Develop situational awareness and mapping capability |
| III | Better for Less | Optimize through strategic play and efficiency |
| IV | Continuously Evolving | Anticipate and adapt to change systemically |
Organizations must master each phase before progressing to the next.
The 6 Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Communication | Common language, challenge assumptions, listen to ecosystems |
| Development | Use appropriate methods, think small, know your details |
| Learning | Use a systematic mechanism of learning, bias towards data |
| Leading | Move fast, be the owner, think big |
| Operations | Manage inertia, optimise flow, think aptitude and attitude |
| Structure | Provide purpose, use small teams, think standards |
Scoring (1-5)
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Not practiced -- principle is unknown or ignored |
| 2 | Ad hoc -- applied inconsistently |
| 3 | Developing -- recognized and partly systematized |
| 4 | Practiced -- systematically applied across the organization |
| 5 | Mastered -- deeply embedded, continuously improved |
Re-Assessment
Doctrine assessments support periodic re-assessment. When re-running the command, the previous assessment is read and scores are compared to show progress, regression, or stagnation.
Workflow
| Phase | Key Activities | ArcKit Commands |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Establish architecture principles | /arckit:principles |
| Assessment | Score doctrine maturity | /arckit:wardley.doctrine |
| Mapping | Create Wardley Maps with doctrine context | /arckit:wardley |
| Strategy | Synthesise into strategy | /arckit:strategy |
Review Checklist
- All 40+ principles scored with evidence.
- Phase classification is justified.
- Gap analysis identifies top priority improvements.
- Improvement roadmap has realistic timelines.
- Comparison with previous assessment included (if re-assessment).
- Scores reflect reality, not aspiration.
Tips
- Be honest -- Doctrine assessment only has value if scores reflect reality. Aspirational scoring hides problems.
- Involve multiple stakeholders -- A single assessor introduces bias; cross-functional input produces better scores.
- Start with Phase I -- If Phase I principles are not mastered, skip ahead at your peril.
- Re-assess quarterly -- Doctrine maturity changes slowly; quarterly cadence balances effort and insight.
- Link to principles -- Map each doctrine principle to your architecture principles for traceability.