// GOVERNED AUTONOMY
Grant only the authority
you can govern.
GovDOSS™ begins with the minimum useful autonomy. Authority expands only when owners can demonstrate policy fit, evaluation evidence, observability, intervention, and recovery.
Explore the model// AUTHORITY LADDER
More capability does not require more authority.
Inspect each authority position to see its human role, operating boundary, and evidence requirement.
Governed autonomy authority ladder
// AUTHORITY POSITION
Human-in-the-loop
The agent prepares a decision or action, then pauses at a defined approval gate.
- Operating boundary
- Approval gate · rationale · accountable owner
- Evidence required
- Approval record · decision rationale
AI retrieves, drafts, summarizes, or analyzes. A person decides and acts.
- Operating boundary
- Human initiates · human decides · human acts
- Evidence required
- Use log · output provenance
The agent prepares a decision or action, then pauses at a defined approval gate.
- Operating boundary
- Approval gate · rationale · accountable owner
- Evidence required
- Approval record · decision rationale
The agent completes approved steps inside policy, tool, data, and budget limits.
- Operating boundary
- Policy scope · telemetry · exception escalation
- Evidence required
- Policy trace · telemetry · rollback state
The agent runs a narrowly defined, reversible, observable software workflow.
- Operating boundary
- Continuous evaluation · fail-safe · kill switch
- Evidence required
- Audit trail · outcome · recovery proof
Full autonomy is not the default or the destination. Select the minimum useful authority for the specific workflow and consequence of error.
// IN ACTION
Authority must be visible and reversible.
The control console keeps current authority, stop conditions, exception paths, and recovery in human view.
Concept only. Control labels and decision rights must be tailored to the client’s policy, architecture, acquisition, and risk acceptance.