Arckit Strategy

You are helping an enterprise architect create an Architecture Strategy document. This document synthesises insights from multiple strategic artifacts (principles, stakeholders, wardley maps, roadmap, business case) into a single coherent executive-level narrative.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

Prerequisites: Read Strategic Artifacts

Note: Before generating, scan projects/ for existing project directories. For each project, list all ARC-*.md artifacts, check external/ for reference documents, and check 000-global/ for cross-project policies. If no external docs exist but they would improve output, ask the user.

MANDATORY (warn if missing):

• PRIN (Architecture Principles, in 000-global) — Extract: Guiding principles, decision framework, technology standards
  • If missing: STOP and ask user to run $arckit-principles first. Strategy must be grounded in principles.
• STKE (Stakeholder Analysis) — Extract: Stakeholder drivers, goals, measurable outcomes, conflicts, engagement strategies
  • If missing: STOP and ask user to run $arckit-stakeholders first. Strategy must address stakeholder drivers.

RECOMMENDED (read if available, note if missing):

• WARD (Wardley Maps, in wardley-maps/) — Extract: Component evolution, build vs buy positioning, technology radar
• ROAD (Architecture Roadmap) — Extract: Timeline, phases, milestones, investment by year, capability evolution
• SOBC (Strategic Outline Business Case) — Extract: Investment figures, NPV, IRR, payback period, benefits timeline

OPTIONAL (read if available, skip silently if missing):

• RISK (Risk Register) — Extract: Strategic risks, mitigations, risk appetite

Prerequisites 1b: Read external documents and policies

• Read any external documents listed in the project context (external/ files) — extract existing strategies, strategic plans, vision documents
• Read any enterprise standards in projects/000-global/external/ — extract enterprise architecture strategy, digital transformation plans, cross-project strategic alignment documents
• If no external strategy docs found but they would improve the output, ask: "Do you have any existing strategy documents, vision statements, or strategic plans? I can read PDFs and images directly. Place them in projects/{project-dir}/external/ and re-run, or skip."
• Citation traceability: When referencing content from external documents, follow the citation instructions in .arckit/references/citation-instructions.md. Place inline citation markers (e.g., [PP-C1]) next to findings informed by source documents and populate the "External References" section in the template.

Instructions

1. Identify or Create Project

Identify the target project from the hook context. If the user specifies a project that doesn't exist yet, create a new project:

1. Use Glob to list projects/*/ directories and find the highest NNN-* number (or start at 001 if none exist)
2. Calculate the next number (zero-padded to 3 digits, e.g., 002)
3. Slugify the project name (lowercase, replace non-alphanumeric with hyphens, trim)
4. Use the Write tool to create projects/{NNN}-{slug}/README.md with the project name, ID, and date — the Write tool will create all parent directories automatically
5. Also create projects/{NNN}-{slug}/external/README.md with a note to place external reference documents here
6. Set PROJECT_ID = the 3-digit number, PROJECT_PATH = the new directory path

2. Gather Strategic Context

Read all available documents identified in the Prerequisites section above. Build a mental model of:

• What drives stakeholders (from stakeholders document)
• What principles guide decisions (from principles document)
• How technology should evolve (from Wardley maps if available)
• When capabilities will be delivered (from roadmap if available)
• Why this investment makes sense (from SOBC if available)
• What could go wrong (from risk register if available)

3. Read Strategy Template

Load the strategy template structure:

Read the template (with user override support):

• First, check if .arckit/templates-custom/architecture-strategy-template.md exists in the project root
• If found: Read the user's customized template (user override takes precedence)
• If not found: Read .arckit/templates/architecture-strategy-template.md (default)
• Then read .arckit/templates/_partials/RENDERING.md and resolve the <!-- DOC-CONTROL-HEADER --> marker in the template before writing. Do not hand-write the Document Control table: the partial RENDERING.md selects is the only source of the 14 standard fields and of the classification ladder.

Tip: Users can customize templates with $arckit-customize strategy

4. Generate Architecture Strategy

Create a comprehensive Architecture Strategy document that synthesises insights from the strategic artifacts. The document should:

Document Control

• Generate Document ID: ARC-[PROJECT_ID]-STRAT-v1.0 (for filename: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STRAT-v1.0.md)
• Set owner, dates, strategic horizon
• Review cycle: Quarterly (default for strategy documents)

Executive Summary

• Strategic Vision: 2-3 paragraphs articulating the transformation vision
• Strategic Context: Business challenge, opportunity, investment, risk appetite
• Key Strategic Decisions: Build vs buy, cloud strategy, vendor strategy, integration approach
• Strategic Outcomes: 5 measurable outcomes that will define success

Strategic Drivers (from stakeholders)

• Summarise top 5-7 business drivers with stakeholder ownership
• List external drivers (regulatory, market, technology, competitive)
• Include stakeholder power/interest grid

Guiding Principles (from principles)

• Summarise foundational, technology, and governance principles
• Show strategic implications of each principle
• Include principles compliance summary

Current State Assessment

• Technology landscape overview
• Capability maturity baseline (L1-L5)
• Technical debt summary
• SWOT analysis

Target State Vision

• Future architecture description
• Capability maturity targets
• Architecture vision diagram (Mermaid)

Technology Evolution Strategy (from Wardley maps)

• Strategic positioning (Genesis → Commodity)
• Build vs buy decisions table
• Technology radar summary (Adopt/Trial/Assess/Hold)

Strategic Themes & Investment Areas

• Define 3-5 strategic themes (e.g., Cloud Migration, Data Modernisation, Security)
• For each theme: objective, investment, initiatives, success criteria, principles alignment

Delivery Roadmap Summary (from roadmap)

• Strategic timeline (Mermaid Gantt)
• Phase summary table
• Key milestones

Investment Summary

• Cross-reference the SOBC (ARC-[PROJECT_ID]-SOBC-v*.md) if available
• Include only: total investment envelope (single figure), investment horizon, and a "See SOBC for detailed financial analysis" note
• Do NOT duplicate NPV, IRR, BCR, payback, benefits realisation, or year-by-year breakdowns — these belong in the SOBC

Strategic Risks & Mitigations (from risk register)

• Top 5-7 strategic risks with mitigations
• Risk heat map (ASCII or Mermaid)
• Assumptions and constraints

Success Metrics & KPIs

• Strategic KPIs with baseline and targets by year
• Leading indicators (early warning)
• Lagging indicators (final proof)

Governance Model

• Governance structure (forums, frequency, participants)
• Decision rights
• Review cadence

Traceability

• List source documents with document IDs
• Traceability matrix: Driver → Goal → Outcome → Theme → Principle → KPI

Next Steps & Recommendations

• Immediate actions (30 days)
• Short-term actions (90 days)
• Recommended follow-on artifacts with ArcKit commands

5. UK Government Specifics

If the user indicates this is a UK Government project, include:

• Financial Year Notation: Use "FY 2024/25", "FY 2025/26" format
• Spending Review Alignment: Reference SR periods
• GDS Service Standard: Reference Discovery/Alpha/Beta/Live phases
• TCoP (Technology Code of Practice): Reference 13 points
• NCSC CAF: Security maturity progression
• Cross-Government Services: GOV.UK Pay, Notify, Design System
• G-Cloud/DOS: Procurement alignment

6. MOD Specifics

If this is a Ministry of Defence project, include:

• JSP 440: Defence project management alignment
• Security Clearances: BPSS, SC, DV requirements
• IAMM: Security maturity progression
• JSP 936: AI assurance (if applicable)

7. Load Mermaid Syntax References

Read .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/flowchart.md and .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/gantt.md for official Mermaid syntax — node shapes, edge labels, date formats, task statuses, and styling options.

8. Mermaid Diagram Requirements

Include at least 2 Mermaid diagrams:

1. Architecture Vision Diagram (graph/flowchart showing target architecture)
2. Strategic Timeline (Gantt chart showing phases and milestones)

Syntax Rules:

• ✅ Gantt: Use dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD, no <br/> in task names
• ✅ Flowcharts: Node labels can use <br/>, edge labels cannot
• ✅ Use subgraphs for architecture layers

CRITICAL - Auto-Populate Document Control Fields:

Before completing the document, populate ALL document control fields in the header:

Construct Document ID:

• Document ID: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STRAT-v{VERSION} (e.g., ARC-001-STRAT-v1.0)

Populate Required Fields:

Auto-populated fields (populate these automatically):

• [PROJECT_ID] → Extract from project path (e.g., "001" from "projects/001-project-name")
• [VERSION] → "1.0" (or increment if previous version exists)
• [DATE] / [YYYY-MM-DD] → Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
• [DOCUMENT_TYPE_NAME] → "Architecture Strategy"
• ARC-[PROJECT_ID]-STRAT-v[VERSION] → Construct using format above
• [COMMAND] → "arckit.strategy"

User-provided fields (extract from project metadata or user input):

• [PROJECT_NAME] → Full project name from project metadata or user input
• [OWNER_NAME_AND_ROLE] → Document owner (prompt user if not in metadata)
• Classification → comes from the resolved Document Control header, not from a placeholder. _partials/RENDERING.md fixes the ladder from the artefact's own regime; ${default_classification} applies only where that regime falls through to user config.

Calculated fields:

• [YYYY-MM-DD] for Next Review Date → Current date + 30 days

Pending fields (leave as [PENDING] until manually updated):

• [REVIEWER_NAME] → [PENDING]
• [APPROVER_NAME] → [PENDING]
• [DISTRIBUTION_LIST] → Default to "Project Team, Architecture Team" or [PENDING]

Populate Revision History:

| 1.0 | {DATE} | ArcKit AI | Initial creation from `$arckit-strategy` command | [PENDING] | [PENDING] |

Populate Generation Metadata Footer:

The footer should be populated with:

**Generated by**: ArcKit `$arckit-strategy` command
**Generated on**: {DATE} {TIME} GMT
**ArcKit Version**: {ARCKIT_VERSION}
**Project**: {PROJECT_NAME} (Project {PROJECT_ID})
**AI Model**: [Use actual model name, e.g., "Claude Sonnet 5 (session default)"]
**Generation Context**: [Brief note about source documents used]

Before writing the file, read .arckit/references/quality-checklist.md and verify all Common Checks plus the STRAT per-type checks pass. Fix any failures before proceeding.

9. Write the Strategy File

IMPORTANT: The strategy document will be a LARGE document (typically 350-500 lines). You MUST use the Write tool to create the file, NOT output the full content in chat.

Create the file at:

projects/[PROJECT_ID]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STRAT-v1.0.md

Use the Write tool with the complete strategy content following the template structure.

10. Show Summary to User

After writing the file, show a concise summary (NOT the full document):

## Architecture Strategy Created

**Document**: `projects/[PROJECT_ID]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STRAT-v1.0.md`
**Document ID**: ARC-[PROJECT_ID]-STRAT-v1.0

### Strategy Overview
- **Strategic Horizon**: FY [START_YEAR] - FY [END_YEAR] ([N] years)
- **Total Investment**: £[AMOUNT] ([% CAPEX] / [% OPEX])
- **Expected ROI**: [%]% by FY [YEAR]
- **Risk Appetite**: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH]

### Key Strategic Decisions
- **Build vs Buy**: [Build / Buy / Hybrid]
- **Cloud Strategy**: [Cloud-Native / Hybrid / On-Premises]
- **Vendor Strategy**: [Single / Multi / Platform]

### Strategic Themes
1. **[Theme 1]**: £[INVESTMENT] - [Brief description]
2. **[Theme 2]**: £[INVESTMENT] - [Brief description]
3. **[Theme 3]**: £[INVESTMENT] - [Brief description]
4. **[Theme 4]**: £[INVESTMENT] - [Brief description]

### Strategic Outcomes
1. [Measurable outcome 1]
2. [Measurable outcome 2]
3. [Measurable outcome 3]
4. [Measurable outcome 4]
5. [Measurable outcome 5]

### Synthesised From
- ✅ Architecture Principles: ARC-000-PRIN-v[N].md
- ✅ Stakeholder Analysis: ARC-[PID]-STKE-v[N].md
- [✅/⚠️] Wardley Maps: [Status]
- [✅/⚠️] Architecture Roadmap: [Status]
- [✅/⚠️] Strategic Business Case: [Status]
- [✅/⚠️] Risk Register: [Status]

### Top Strategic Risks
1. **[Risk 1]**: [Mitigation summary]
2. **[Risk 2]**: [Mitigation summary]
3. **[Risk 3]**: [Mitigation summary]

### Next Steps
1. Review strategy with Strategy Board / Architecture Review Board
2. Validate investment with Finance / Spending Review
3. Confirm strategic direction with Executive Sponsor
4. Create detailed requirements: `$arckit-requirements`
5. Expand roadmap: `$arckit-roadmap`
6. Begin detailed design: `$arckit-diagram`

### Traceability
- Aligns to [N] architecture principles
- Addresses [N] stakeholder drivers
- Delivers [N] strategic outcomes
- Mitigates [N] strategic risks

**File location**: `projects/[PROJECT_ID]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STRAT-v1.0.md`

Important Notes

1. Synthesis, Not Generation: This command synthesises existing artifacts into a coherent narrative. It should NOT generate new information but rather consolidate and present existing strategic decisions.

2. Use Write Tool: The strategy document is typically 350-500 lines. ALWAYS use the Write tool to create it. Never output the full content in chat.

3. Mandatory Prerequisites: Unlike other commands, this command has TWO mandatory prerequisites (principles AND stakeholders). Strategy cannot be created without understanding both the decision framework and the stakeholder drivers.

4. Executive Audience: The strategy document is intended for executive stakeholders (CTO, CIO, Strategy Board). Use appropriate language and focus on business outcomes rather than technical details.

5. Traceability is Critical: Every element of the strategy should trace back to source documents. This ensures the strategy is grounded in agreed artifacts, not assumptions.

6. Gap Identification: If recommended documents are missing, include a "Gaps" section noting what additional artifacts would strengthen the strategy (e.g., "A Wardley Map would improve build vs buy decisions").

7. Principles Compliance: Show how each strategic theme aligns to specific principles. This demonstrates that strategy is principles-driven.

8. Integration with Other Commands:

   • Strategy feeds into: $arckit-requirements (detailed requirements), $arckit-roadmap (expanded timeline), $arckit-plan (project delivery)
   • Strategy is informed by: $arckit-principles, $arckit-stakeholders, $arckit-wardley, $arckit-sobc, $arckit-risk

9. Version Management: If a strategy already exists (ARC--STRAT-v.md), create a new version (v2.0) rather than overwriting. Strategies should be versioned to track evolution.

10. Financial Years: For UK Government, use "FY 2024/25" notation (April-March). For US/other contexts, use appropriate fiscal year notation.

• Markdown escaping: When writing less-than or greater-than comparisons, always include a space after < or > (e.g., < 3 seconds, > 99.9% uptime) to prevent markdown renderers from interpreting them as HTML tags or emoji

Suggested Next Steps

After completing this command, consider running:

• $arckit-requirements -- Create detailed requirements from strategy
• $arckit-roadmap -- Expand strategic timeline into detailed roadmap
• $arckit-diagram -- Create architecture vision diagrams