> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aigoframework.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AIGO Architecture

> The architecture of the AIGO Framework and its machine-readable governance layers.

# AIGO Architecture

The AIGO Framework is organized as a layered governance architecture that connects normative governance requirements, operational guidance, machine-readable representations, relationships, evaluation logic, and validation.

## Architecture layers

The AIGO architecture consists of the following principal layers:

* **Framework** — the normative governance model, including principles, domains, roles, lifecycle, risk management, controls, and maturity.
* **Guidance** — implementation guidance, procedures, templates, and examples that support practical application.
* **Schemas** — machine-readable representations of AI systems, risks, controls, assessments, approvals, monitoring, incidents, changes, assurance, evidence, management review, improvement, retirement, governance, and relationships.
* **Relationships** — machine-readable relationships connecting governance artifacts and supporting traceability.
* **Rules** — machine-readable governance rules defining conditions, actions, applicability, and governance requirements.
* **Evaluation** — mechanisms for applying governance rules to structured inputs and producing evaluation results.
* **Orchestration** — coordination of governance evaluations and their inputs, results, and outcomes.
* **Mappings** — relationships between AIGO and external frameworks and regulatory sources.
* **Validation** — structural and consistency checks supporting repository integrity.

## Relationship between the layers

The layers are complementary.

The framework defines the governance model. Guidance explains how that model may be implemented. Schemas provide structured representations of governance information. Relationships connect those representations. Rules and evaluation mechanisms provide machine-readable governance logic. Orchestration coordinates evaluations across governance contexts.

A simplified architecture is:

**framework → guidance → schemas → relationships → rules → evaluation → orchestration**

Validation operates across these layers to identify structural or consistency issues.

## Machine-readable governance

AIGO provides machine-readable components so that governance concepts can be represented consistently and integrated with governance tooling.

These components are intended to support:

* structured governance records
* traceability
* rule-based evaluation
* governance workflow integration
* evidence relationships
* automated validation
* interoperability

Machine-readable components should be interpreted together with the normative framework and applicable organizational requirements.

## Version boundaries

The current published normative baseline is **AIGO Framework v0.1**.

Supporting architectural components may have independent versions. In particular, rule and evaluation components may use a different version number from the core framework.

A component version therefore does not by itself indicate that the complete AIGO Framework has moved to that version.

## Architecture and implementation

Organizations may use the architecture to establish a governance operating model in which:

**AI systems → risks → controls → assessments → approvals → monitoring → evidence → assurance → improvement → retirement**

are connected through structured governance information and traceable relationships.

Rules and evaluations can provide additional machine-readable decision support across this lifecycle.

## Source authority

The canonical framework and machine-readable artifacts are maintained in the AIGO repository.

The documentation in `docs/` provides a human-readable presentation of those artifacts and does not replace the canonical source files.