The DIR is the core artefact of the Declared Intent proposal.
It is designed to be:
- minimal
- cross-domain
- human-legible
- machine-parseable
- immutable once active
Core Fields
Identity & Lifecycle
- Intent_ID — unique identifier
- Declared_By — accountable role or function
- Declared_At — timestamp (UTC)
- Status — Draft / Approved / Active / Superseded / Retired
Structured Intent
- WHAT — The action the system is intended to perform
- ON — The subject, dataset, or object acted upon
- FOR — The intended beneficiary or decision-maker
- HOW — Mode of authority (assistive, advisory, automated, batch analysis, etc.)
- LIMITS — Explicit exclusions and constraints
- EXPECTED_OUTPUT — Form and intended use of output
Assurance Hooks
- Impact_Level — Low / Medium / High (self-declared)
- Relevant_Regimes — e.g. GDPR, Equality Act, sector rules
- Human_Oversight_Expectation — Required / Optional / None
Immutability Principle
Once a system begins execution under a declared Intent_ID:
- The DIR cannot be edited
- Corrections require a new DIR
- Supersession preserves version history
Immutability may be achieved through:
- append-only logs
- cryptographic signing
- trusted timestamping
- other verifiable mechanisms
The requirement is immutability — not a specific technology.
Example (Simplified)
WHAT: Generate eligibility recommendations
ON: Applicant-submitted financial data
FOR: Caseworker decision support
HOW: Assistive only
LIMITS: No automated determinations; no inference of protected characteristics
EXPECTED_OUTPUT: Ranked support options with explanation
Human_Oversight: Required
This creates a factual baseline for approval, execution, and audit.
Scope
The DIR does not:
- grant authority
- determine legality
- enforce runtime behaviour
It provides a fixed reference point that other governance layers evaluate against.