Metadata-Version: 2.4
Name: measuring-autonomy
Version: 2.0.0
Summary: Measure and manage autonomy: safe-level scoring, Autonomy Ledger health checks, and framework tooling.
Author: Emmanuel A. Otchere
License: MIT
Project-URL: Homepage, https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy
Project-URL: Changelog, https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
Keywords: autonomy,governance,maturity-model,management,org-design
Classifier: Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable
Classifier: Environment :: Console
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Developers
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Information Technology
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Classifier: Operating System :: OS Independent
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13
Classifier: Topic :: Office/Business
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development :: Quality Assurance
Requires-Python: >=3.9
Description-Content-Type: text/markdown
License-File: LICENSE
Requires-Dist: pyyaml>=5.4
Dynamic: license-file

# Measuring and Managing Autonomy

Autonomy from a business and systems point of view can be challenging to
manage. This project defines a framework by which managing and measuring
autonomy can be designed and implemented.

Most organizations manage autonomy implicitly — it emerges from trust, tenure,
and accidents of structure, and is therefore felt but not measured, expanded
but never designed, and revoked arbitrarily. This framework makes autonomy an
**explicit, designed, measurable property** of the organization.

## The framework in one diagram

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[Design<br>decision + blast radius] --> B[Grant<br>autonomy contract]
    B --> C[Measure<br>ledger + telemetry]
    C --> D[Manage<br>expand / contract / re-shape]
    D -->|re-grant, next horizon| B
```

## What's here

| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Framework](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/framework.md) | Definitions, the three axes, definitive levels L1–L5 above the Submarine Line (L0), autonomy contracts |
| [Maturity model](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/maturity-model.md) | Six dimensions × five levels grid, scoring rules, the Autonomy Ledger |
| [Assessment](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/assessment.md) | The questionnaire and scoring procedure — the practical instrument |
| [Governance loop](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/governance-loop.md) | Grant → Instrument → Observe → Review, with cadence and anti-patterns |
| [Positioning](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/positioning.md) | Related work, lineage, open questions, BibTeX |
| [Worked example](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/examples/README.md) | One team, scored end to end, producing a governance move |
| [AI agents as units](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/agents-as-units.md) | First-pass extension: scoring agent units with the same instrument |
| [Ledger format](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/ledger-format.md) | Machine-readable Autonomy Ledger (YAML v1) + health checks |
| [Contract template](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/contract-template.md) | Autonomy contract + review agenda, ready to copy |
| [Versioning](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/versioning.md) | Ruleset/ledger versioning policy — how assessments stay comparable |
| [Changelog](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) | Every change, classified by comparability impact |

## Install

**No Python needed** — standalone binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows are
attached to each [GitHub Release](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/releases):
download `autonomy-score-<os>-<arch>` and `ledger-health-<os>-<arch>`, mark
them executable, run.

**With Python 3.9+** (installs the `autonomy-score` and `ledger-health`
commands):

```bash
pipx install measuring-autonomy    # or: pip install measuring-autonomy
```

**From a clone**, the zero-install form keeps working with no packaging step:
`python3 tools/autonomy_score.py ...` (the `tools/` scripts are shims over
`src/measuring_autonomy/`).

## Quick start: score a team

```bash
python3 tools/autonomy_score.py 2 4 3 3 2 2 --current 2
```

Scores are D1 clarity, D2 capability, D3 guardrails, D4 telemetry,
D5 transparency, D6 accountability (0–5 each: definitive levels 1–5, and
0 — the **Submarine Line** — for no autonomy at all). The tool applies the
weakest-link rule — `min(guardrails, telemetry, accountability)` — and
outputs the safe grant level and recommended move.

```bash
python3 tools/autonomy_score.py --self-test   # verify the scoring rules
```

Track granted autonomy in a machine-readable **Autonomy Ledger** (v1 YAML
format, [`examples/ledger.yaml`](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/examples/ledger.yaml)) and check its health:

```bash
python3 tools/ledger_health.py examples/ledger.yaml   # requires PyYAML (pip install pyyaml)
```

## Try it without a terminal

A dependency-free web version of the assessment lives in [`site/`](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/tree/main/site/)
(and is published to GitHub Pages when enabled — repo **Settings → Pages →
Source: GitHub Actions**). Open `site/index.html` locally, tick the items
with evidence, and print the scorecard.

## The three questions

1. **Design** — What autonomy should this unit have, and why? →
   [contracts](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/framework.md#5-autonomy-contracts)
2. **Measurement** — How much autonomy exists, and how well is it used? →
   [maturity model](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/maturity-model.md) + [assessment](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/assessment.md)
3. **Management** — When should autonomy expand, contract, or re-shape? →
   [governance loop](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/governance-loop.md)

## Roadmap

See [docs/roadmap.md](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/docs/roadmap.md). Current status: **v0.1 draft** — the
written framework, maturity model, and assessment instrument are complete;
next up are validation against real teams and optional tooling.

## Contributing

Feedback, corrections, and real-world applications are very welcome — see
[CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md). Use the issue templates to report
framework feedback or submit a case study.

## License

[MIT](https://github.com/emmanuel-a-otchere/MeasuringAndManagingAutonomy/blob/main/LICENSE)
