1 Introduction
- 1.1 Core Concepts
- 1.2 Integration with Orthogramic Domains
- 1.3 JSON Schemas
- 1.4 Benefits and applications
- 1.5 Usage guidelines
- 1.6 Relationship with Domains
2 External organizations schema relationships with domains

Introduction

The External Organizations extension in the Orthogramic Metamodel provides a structure for representing third-party entities such as partners, regulators, and customers. This lightweight extension integrates seamlessly with primary domains like Stakeholders and Capabilities, enabling organizations to model relationships across organizational boundaries, coordinate shared value streams and initiatives, and trace accountability in collaborative delivery contexts.

This is an experimental schema, not yet tested in Orthogramic.

Core Concepts

The External Organizations extension includes several interconnected schemas:

External Organization

This is the definition for a new externalOrganization entity to represent third-party entities such as partners, regulators, and customers.

This lightweight extension includes:

Basic identification and classification
Jurisdictional information
Contact details
Type classification (Partner, Regulator, Customer, etc.)

Inter-Organizational Relationship

The interOrganizationalRelationship schema models links between internal and external units, including:

Directional relationships from source to target organizations
Relationship types like "Shares data with," "Provides services to," "Regulates"
Strength indicators (1-5 scale)
Duration of relationships
Links to affected domains (Capabilities, Services, etc.)

Shared Initiative

The sharedInitiative schema supports initiatives with multiple owning organizations:

Extends a base initiative structure
Includes role attribution (Lead, Sponsor, Funding partner)
Defines cross-organizational dependencies
Specifies governance models for cross-entity decision-making

Federated Governance Model

The federatedGovernanceModel schema addresses how multiple organizations co-own or co-steward:

Policies
Information assets
Services
Standards

This includes:

Participating organizations with different governance roles
Decision-making processes
Escalation paths
Meeting schedules and documentation

Integration with Orthogramic Domains

The External Organizations extension connects with several Orthogramic domains:

Organization: External organizations can be linked to internal organizational units
Capabilities: Capabilities may be shared across organizational boundaries
Initiatives: Initiatives can have multiple owning organizations
Information: Information assets may be governed by multiple entities
Services: Services may be delivered collaboratively across organizations
Policies: Policies may apply across organizational boundaries

JSON Schemas

The External Organizations extension consists of several individual schemas that work together to provide a comprehensive model for cross-organizational relationships.

External organization Schema
Inter-organizational relationship Schema
Shared initiative Schema
Federated governance model Schema
External organizations composite Schema (Optional for implementations that need to reference all schemas together)

See: Orthogramic Metamodel in Github

Benefits and applications

Adding the External Organizations extension to the Orthogramic Metamodel provides several key benefits:

Extended enterprise visibility: Gain a holistic view of relationships with partners, suppliers, regulators, and customers
Cross-boundary governance: Establish clear governance models for shared responsibilities
Collaborative initiative management: Manage complex initiatives spanning multiple organizations
Relationship strength analysis: Evaluate and optimize inter-organizational relationships
Accountability tracing: Track responsibilities across organizational boundaries
Dependency management: Identify and manage cross-organizational dependencies
Regulatory alignment: Model and align with regulatory relationships and requirements

Usage guidelines

When implementing the External Organizations extension:

Identify key external organizations that have significant relationships with your organization
Document formal relationships, including strength indicators and affected domains
For shared initiatives, clearly define roles, responsibilities, and governance models
Establish federated governance models for co-managed assets and services
Link external organizations to relevant internal capabilities, services, and information assets
Regularly review and update relationship strengths and dependencies

Relationship with Domains

The External Organizations extension connects with Orthogramic domains:

Organization: External organizations extend the organizational model beyond enterprise boundaries
Stakeholder: External organizations are often key stakeholders
Capabilities: Capabilities may be shared with or provided by external organizations
Services: Services may be delivered collaboratively with external organizations
Information: Information may be shared across organizational boundaries
Initiatives: Initiatives may involve multiple organizations
Policy: Policies may be influenced by or shared with external organizations

This set of schemas provides a foundation for modeling cross-enterprise scenarios while maintaining compatibility with the existing Orthogramic Metamodel, enabling organizations to model relationships across organizational boundaries, coordinate shared value streams and initiatives, and trace accountability in collaborative delivery contexts.

External organizations schema relationships with domains

External organization schema - domain relationships

External Schema Element	Related Domain(s)	Relationship Type	Example

External Schema Element	Related Domain(s)	Relationship Type	Example
External Organization	Organization, Stakeholder	Extension	A regulatory agency like the FRA that influences railroad operations
Inter-Organizational Relationship	Organization, Capability, Information	Connection	Track Safety Division shares track inspection data with Class I Railroads
Shared Initiative	Initiative, Organization	Collaboration	Joint Track Technology Modernization Program between FRA and industry partners
Federated Governance Model	Policy, Information, Service	Co-ownership	Multi-agency oversight committee for railroad safety standards

External organization schema - field descriptions and examples

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain
`externalOrgID`	Unique identifier for external entity	`EXT-FRB-001`	Organization
`name`	Organization's official name	"Association of American Railroads"	Organization
`type`	Classification of relationship	"Partner"	Stakeholder
`jurisdiction`	Legal authority scope	"Federal"	Policy
`domain`	Industry sector	"Transportation"	Organization

Inter-organizational relationship schema - field descriptions and examples

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain
`relationshipID`	Unique identifier	`REL-FRA-AAR-001`	Organization
`sourceOrgID`	Origin organization	`ORG-FRA-001`	Organization
`targetOrgID`	Destination organization	`EXT-AAR-001`	Organization
`relationshipType`	Nature of relationship	"Regulates"	Policy
`strength`	Importance (1-5)	5 (very strong)	Capability
`linkedDomains`	Affected domains	Capability, Policy	Multiple

Shared initiative schema - field descriptions and examples

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain
`initiativeID`	Unique identifier	`INIT-PTC-001`	Initiative
`title`	Initiative name	"Positive Train Control Implementation"	Initiative
`owningOrganizations`	Participating entities	[{orgID: "ORG-FRA-001", role: "Lead"}, {orgID: "EXT-AAR-001", role: "Implementation partner"}]	Organization
`governanceModel`	Decision-making process	"Consensus-based committee with monthly oversight"	Policy
`crossOrgDependencies`	Inter-organization dependencies	[{dependencyType: "Approval", sourceOrgID: "EXT-AAR-001", targetOrgID: "ORG-FRA-001"}]	Initiative

Federated governance model schema - field descriptions and examples

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain

Field	Description	Example Value	Related Domain
`governanceID`	Unique identifier	`GOV-RSAC-001`	Policy
`name`	Governance structure name	"Railroad Safety Advisory Committee"	Organization
`domainType`	Type of governed domain	"Policy"	Policy
`participatingOrganizations`	Member organizations	[{orgID: "ORG-FRA-001", governanceRole: "Lead"}, {orgID: "EXT-AAR-001", governanceRole: "Participant"}]	Organization
`decisionProcess`	How decisions are made	"Majority vote with FRA having final authority"	Policy
`escalationPath`	Dispute resolution	"Escalation to Secretary of Transportation"	Policy

Examples of cross-domain use cases

Use Case	External Organization Schema	Domains	Example Implementation

Use Case	External Organization Schema	Domains	Example Implementation
Regulatory Oversight	External Organization + Inter-Organizational Relationship	Policy, Capability	FRA regulates railroad track safety standards across multiple railroad companies
Industry-Government Partnership	Shared Initiative + Federated Governance	Initiative, Organization	Joint public-private partnership for implementing PTC technology across the national rail network
Data Sharing Agreement	Inter-Organizational Relationship	Information, Capability	Track inspection data sharing between FRA inspection units and Class I railroads to improve safety monitoring
Cross-Agency Standards	Federated Governance Model	Policy, Service	Multi-agency committee that develops and maintains standards for rail crossing safety across federal, state and local entities

These tables illustrate how the External Organizations extension connects with Orthogramic domains to model cross-organizational relationships and governance structures, particularly in contexts like railroad safety management where multiple organizations must coordinate capabilities, share information, and develop joint initiatives.

External organizations