Arc Kit
Enterprise Architecture Governance & Vendor Procurement Toolkit
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ArcKit - Enterprise Architecture Governance Toolkit
Build better enterprise architecture through structured governance, vendor procurement, and design review workflows.
ArcKit is a toolkit for enterprise architects that transforms architecture governance from scattered documents into a systematic, AI-assisted workflow for:
- 🏛️ Establishing and enforcing architecture principles
- 👥 Analyzing stakeholder drivers, goals, and outcomes
- 🛡️ Risk management (HM Treasury Orange Book)
- 💼 Business case justification (HM Treasury Green Book SOBC)
- 📋 Creating comprehensive requirements documents
- 🗄️ Data modeling with ERD, GDPR compliance, and data governance
- 🔬 Technology research with build vs buy analysis (web search powered)
- ☁️ Azure-specific research using Microsoft Learn MCP for authoritative documentation
- 🗺️ Strategic planning with Wardley Mapping
- 📊 Generating visual architecture diagrams (Mermaid)
- 🤝 Managing vendor RFP and selection processes
- ✅ Conducting formal design reviews (HLD/DLD)
- 🔧 ServiceNow service management design
- 🔗 Maintaining requirements traceability
- 📎 Citation traceability for external documents (inline
[DOC-CN]markers with source quotes)
📖 The ArcKit Book
A comprehensive book-length guide to ArcKit — covering every subsystem (commands, agents, hooks, skills, MCP servers, multi-AI distribution, templates, autoresearch) — now lives in its own repository: tractorjuice/arckit-book.
Star History
Quick Start
Installation
Claude Code (premier experience) — install the ArcKit plugin (requires v2.1.121+):
First, make sure Claude Code is on the latest version:
claude install latest
Then in Claude Code:
/plugin marketplace add tractorjuice/arc-kit
Then install from the Discover tab.
Tip: lighter marketplace clone. The command above clones the full arc-kit monorepo (~100 MB) because it hosts five other AI-assistant distributions, 147 vendored Wardley maps, and research docs you don't need. To fetch just the plugin's directories, add the marketplace via the CLI with
--sparse:claude plugin marketplace add tractorjuice/arc-kit --sparse .claude-plugin arckit-claudeThis uses
git sparse-checkoutto limit the clone to.claude-plugin/(the marketplace catalog) andarckit-claude/(the plugin itself). Works with Claude Code's documented marketplace sparse flag. Claude Code is the primary development platform for ArcKit and provides the most complete experience: all 70 official commands (plus 46 community-contributed), 10 autonomous research agents, 5 automation hooks (session init, project context injection, filename enforcement, output validation, impact scan), bundled MCP servers (AWS Knowledge, Microsoft Learn, Google Developer Knowledge, govreposcrape), and automatic updates via the marketplace. See Why Claude Code? below.
Why v2.1.121? ArcKit now uses MCP
alwaysLoadto eager-load AWS Knowledge and Microsoft Learn tools at session start (skips a discovery round-trip on/arckit:aws-researchand/arckit:azure-research), and PostToolUsehookSpecificOutput.updatedToolOutputso provenance-stamp and manifest hooks surface their effects to the model in-band — both v2.1.121 features. The release flow usesclaude plugin tag --dry-run(v2.1.118) to validate plugin/marketplace version agreement, and the session-telemetry hook recordsduration_mson every tool call (v2.1.119). Carries forward the v2.1.117 unlocks: Opus 4.7/contextcorrectly sized to 1M instead of 200K (long research sessions no longer autocompact early) and agent frontmattermcpServersloading for--agentsessions; the v2.1.111+ unlocks: Opus 4.7xhigheffort tier, Auto mode without--enable-auto-mode, read-only bash glob patterns without permission prompts; and the v2.1.97 fixes:claude plugin updatecorrectly detects new commits for git-based plugins (critical for ArcKit distribution), MCP HTTP/SSE memory leak fix (~50 MB/hr, affects ArcKit's 5 bundled servers), proper 429 exponential backoff (benefits 10 research agents), Stop/SubagentStop hooks no longer fail on long sessions (affects session-learner), and subagent working directory leak fix.
Gemini CLI — install the ArcKit extension:
gemini extensions install https://github.com/tractorjuice/arckit-gemini
Zero-config: all 70 official commands (plus 46 community-contributed overlays), templates, scripts, and bundled MCP servers (AWS Knowledge, Microsoft Learn). Updates via gemini extensions update arckit.
GitHub Copilot (VS Code) — install the ArcKit CLI and scaffold prompt files:
# Install with pip
pip install git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
# Scaffold a project with Copilot prompt files
arckit init my-project --ai copilot
Creates .github/prompts/arckit-*.prompt.md (80 prompt files), .github/agents/arckit-*.agent.md (10 custom agents), and .github/copilot-instructions.md (repo-wide context). Invoke commands in Copilot Chat as /arckit-requirements, /arckit-stakeholders, etc.
Codex CLI — install the ArcKit CLI:
# Install with pip
pip install git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
# Or with uv
uv tool install arckit-cli --from git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
# Or run without installing
uvx --from git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git arckit init my-project
Latest Release: v4.19.2
Platform Support
| Platform | Claude Code Plugin | Gemini CLI Extension | GitHub Copilot | Codex / OpenCode CLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| macOS | Full support | Full support | Full support | Full support |
| Linux | Full support | Full support | Full support | Full support |
| Windows (WSL2) | Full support | Full support | Full support | Full support |
| Windows (native) | Full support | Full support | Full support | Partial |
Windows users: The Claude Code plugin, Gemini CLI extension, and GitHub Copilot prompt files work natively on all platforms. For Codex CLI / OpenCode CLI on native Windows (without WSL), some commands containing inline bash snippets may require Git Bash or WSL2. We recommend WSL2 for the best experience.
Initialize a Project
Claude Code: No initialization needed — the plugin provides everything.
GitHub Copilot (VS Code):
# Create a new architecture governance project
arckit init payment-modernization --ai copilot
# Or initialize in current directory
arckit init . --ai copilot
OpenCode CLI:
# Create a new architecture governance project
arckit init payment-modernization --ai opencode
# Or initialize in current directory
arckit init . --ai opencode
Codex CLI:
# Create a new architecture governance project
arckit init payment-modernization --ai codex
# Minimal install (skip docs and guides)
arckit init payment-modernization --ai codex --minimal
# Or initialize in current directory
arckit init . --ai codex
Start Using ArcKit
# GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
cd payment-modernization && code .
# In Copilot Chat, use ArcKit commands:
/arckit-principles Create principles for a financial services company
/arckit-requirements Build a payment processing system...
# Codex CLI
cd payment-modernization
codex
# Inside your AI assistant, use ArcKit commands:
/arckit.principles Create principles for a financial services company
/arckit.requirements Build a payment processing system...
/arckit.sow Generate RFP for vendor selection
Upgrading
Claude Code plugin: Updates are automatic via the marketplace — no action needed.
Gemini CLI extension: Updates via gemini extensions update arckit.
GitHub Copilot: Re-run arckit init --here --ai copilot to update prompt files, agents, and instructions.
Codex CLI:
# Step 1: Upgrade the CLI tool
pip install --upgrade git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
# Or with uv:
uv tool upgrade arckit-cli --from git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
# Step 2: Update your existing project (re-run init in place)
cd /path/to/your-existing-project
arckit init --here --ai codex
This updates commands, templates, scripts, and agents while preserving your project data (projects/) and custom templates (.arckit/templates-custom/).
If upgrading from v0.x, you may also need to migrate legacy filenames — see the upgrading guide for full details.
Explore Example Outputs
Public demonstration repositories showcase complete ArcKit deliverables:
- NHS Appointment Booking — arckit-test-project-v7-nhs-appointment: Digital health platform with NHS Spine integration and GDPR safeguards.
- M365 GCC-H Migration — arckit-test-project-v1-m365: Government cloud migration with compliance mapping and change management.
- HMRC Tax Assistant — arckit-test-project-v2-hmrc-chatbot: Conversational AI service covering PII protection and bilingual support.
- Windows 11 Deployment — arckit-test-project-v3-windows11: Enterprise OS rollout with policy migration and security baselines.
- Patent Application System — arckit-test-project-v6-patent-system: Intellectual property workflow automation using GOV.UK Pay and Notify.
- ONS Data Platform — arckit-test-project-v8-ons-data-platform: Official statistics analytics environment with Five Safes governance.
- Cabinet Office GenAI Platform — arckit-test-project-v9-cabinet-office-genai: Cross-government GenAI platform with responsible AI guardrails.
- UK Government Training Marketplace — arckit-test-project-v10-training-marketplace: AI training procurement platform with multi-sided marketplace design.
- National Highways Data Architecture — arckit-test-project-v11-national-highways-data: Strategic road network data platform modernization.
- Scottish Courts GenAI — arckit-test-project-v14-scottish-courts: Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service GenAI strategy with comprehensive MLOps and FinOps.
- Doctors Appointment System — arckit-test-project-v16-doctors-appointment: Online appointment booking system with NHS integration.
- UK Fuel Price Transparency — arckit-test-project-v17-fuel-prices: UK Government fuel price transparency service with real-time pricing data.
- Smart Meter Consumer App — arckit-test-project-v18-smart-meter: UK Smart Meter data consumer mobile app with DCC/SMIP integration.
- UK Government API Aggregator — arckit-test-project-v19-gov-api-aggregator: Unified access to 240+ UK Government APIs across 34+ departments.
Why ArcKit?
Problem: Architecture Governance is Broken
Traditional enterprise architecture suffers from:
- ❌ Scattered documents across tools (Word, Confluence, PowerPoint)
- ❌ Inconsistent governance enforcement
- ❌ Manual vendor evaluation with bias
- ❌ Lost traceability between requirements and design
- ❌ Stale documentation that doesn't match reality
Solution: Structured, AI-Assisted Governance
ArcKit provides:
- ✅ Template-Driven Quality: Comprehensive templates ensure nothing is forgotten
- ✅ Systematic Workflows: Clear processes from requirements → procurement → design review
- ✅ AI Assistance: Let AI handle document generation, you focus on decisions
- ✅ Enforced Traceability: Automatic gap detection and coverage analysis
- ✅ Version Control: Git-based workflow for all architecture artifacts
UK Government Compliance
ArcKit includes dedicated commands for UK public sector delivery:
/arckit.tcop— Assess all 13 Technology Code of Practice points across delivery phases./arckit.ai-playbook— Produce responsible AI assessments aligned to the UK Government AI Playbook and ATRS./arckit.secure— Generate Secure by Design artefacts covering NCSC CAF, Cyber Essentials, and UK GDPR controls./arckit.mod-secure— Map MOD Secure by Design requirements (JSP 440, IAMM, clearance pathways)./arckit.jsp-936— Deliver JSP 936 AI assurance packs for defence AI systems.
See the demo repositories for end-to-end examples, especially arckit-test-project-v7-nhs-appointment (civilian services) and arckit-test-project-v9-cabinet-office-genai (AI governance).
EU, French & Austrian Regulatory Compliance (Community)
⚠️ Community-contributed. EU and French commands are domain-maintained by @thomas-jardinet; Austrian commands are a seed contribution inviting an Austrian domain maintainer. The 21 commands below cover EU regulations (GDPR, NIS2, AI Act, DORA, CRA, DSA, Data Act), French government standards (SecNumCloud, ANSSI, EBIOS, CNIL, DINUM, etc.), and Austrian government standards (DSG, NISG 2024, BVergG 2018). They are not part of the officially-maintained baseline — output should be reviewed by qualified DPO / CISO / Vergabejurist / legal counsel before reliance, and citations may lag current source text. Each command surfaces with a
[COMMUNITY]prefix in/helplistings and renders a warning banner before generating.
EU regulations (member-state-neutral baselines, applicable across EU/EEA):
/arckit.eu-rgpd— GDPR (EU 2016/679) compliance assessment — legal basis, data subject rights, transfers, DPIA screening, breach notification/arckit.eu-nis2— NIS2 Directive — operators of essential / important entities, Article 21 measures, incident reporting timelines/arckit.eu-ai-act— EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) — risk classification (prohibited / high-risk / GPAI), conformity routes/arckit.eu-dora— Digital Operational Resilience Act (EU 2022/2554) — financial sector ICT risk, TLPT, third-party register/arckit.eu-cra— Cyber Resilience Act (Regulation 2024/2847) — products with digital elements, SBOM, VDP, CE marking/arckit.eu-dsa— Digital Services Act (Regulation 2022/2065) — intermediaries, platforms, VLOPs, ARCOM/arckit.eu-data-act— Data Act (Regulation 2023/2854) — connected products, B2B FRAND, cloud switching, Article 27
French government (apply on top of the EU baseline for French deployments):
/arckit.fr-secnumcloud— SecNumCloud 3.2 qualification (sovereign cloud, OIV/OSE, extraterritorial risk)/arckit.fr-dinum— DINUM standards: RGI, RGAA, RGESN, RGS, doctrine cloud de l'État, FranceConnect, DSFR/arckit.fr-marche-public— French public procurement (code de la commande publique, UGAP, sovereignty clauses)/arckit.fr-rgpd— CNIL-specific GDPR layer (cookies Délibération 2020-091, HDS, age 15, DPO registration)/arckit.fr-ebios— EBIOS Risk Manager — 5-workshop study (VM/ER/SR/CO/SS/SO/MS IDs, MITRE ATT&CK, homologation)/arckit.fr-anssi— ANSSI Guide d'hygiène informatique (42 measures) + cloud security recommendations/arckit.fr-anssi-carto— ANSSI SI cartography across business / application / system / network levels/arckit.fr-dr— Diffusion Restreinte handling under II 901 / SGDSN / ANSSI/arckit.fr-algorithme-public— Public algorithm transparency notice (Article L311-3-1 CRPA, Loi République Numérique)/arckit.fr-pssi— Information System Security Policy (PSSI) per ANSSI / RGS/arckit.fr-code-reuse— Public code reuse assessment (code.gouv.fr, SILL, EUPL) — build-vs-reuse decision matrix
Austrian government (apply on top of the EU baseline for Austrian deployments — seed contribution pending a domain maintainer):
/arckit.at-dsgvo— Austrian DSG layer on GDPR (§§12–13 image processing, ELGA/GTelG health, §96a ArbVG employee monitoring, age 14 consent, DSB enforcement)/arckit.at-nisg— Austrian NISG 2024 (NIS2 transposition) — Essential/Important designation, GovCERT reporting, KSÖ, AT sectoral authorities/arckit.at-bvergg— Bundesvergabegesetz 2018 procurement — Oberschwellen/Unterschwellen, ANKÖ publication, Bestbieterprinzip, BVwG review
These layer cleanly on the existing baseline — fr-rgpd / at-dsgvo extend eu-rgpd, fr-pssi / at-nisg reference eu-nis2, and fr-secnumcloud integrates with arckit.research and arckit.evaluate for procurement workflows. Austrian commands carry extra [NEEDS VERIFICATION] markers reflecting their seed status — a future domain maintainer is expected to tighten the citations.
Canada Federal Overlay (12 commands)
Federal Canadian regulatory baseline as a [COMMUNITY] overlay — covering FITAA (Bill C-70 2024), federal privacy and access (Privacy Act, ATI Act), Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision-Making, Charter rights design review, ITSG-33 + Standard on Security Categorization, Security of Information Act handling, GC Cloud sovereign residency, GC Digital Standards conformance, Official Languages Act, federal procurement (PSPC + PSAB), and First Nations OCAP® data sovereignty.
| Command | Type code | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
/arckit:ca-fitaa | FITAA | Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act compliance assessment |
/arckit:ca-pia | PIA | Privacy Impact Assessment per Privacy Act + TBS Directive on PIA |
/arckit:ca-atip | ATIP | Access to Information / Privacy Act reconciliation and severance design |
/arckit:ca-aia | AIA | Algorithmic Impact Assessment per TBS Directive on Automated Decision-Making (Levels I–IV) |
/arckit:ca-charter | CHRT | Charter rights design review (s.2 / s.7 / s.8 / s.15) with Oakes proportionality |
/arckit:ca-itsg-33 | ITSG | ITSG-33 Statement of Applicability + Standard on Security Categorization |
/arckit:ca-soia | SOIA | Security of Information Act handling plan for SECRET / TOP SECRET systems |
/arckit:ca-cloud-residency | CACR | GC Cloud sovereign residency assessment with CLOUD-Act analysis |
/arckit:ca-gc-digital-standards | DIGSTD | Government of Canada Digital Standards conformance scorecard |
/arckit:ca-ola | OLA | Official Languages Act review (Parts IV / V / VI) |
/arckit:ca-pspc | PROC | Federal procurement strategy (PSPC Supply Manual + PSAB 5%) |
/arckit:ca-ocap | OCAP | First Nations OCAP® sovereignty assessment with FNIGC pre-engagement gate |
Help wanted: looking for a Canadian federal enterprise architect to co-maintain this overlay. Open an issue or DM @tractorjuice.
UAE Federal Overlay (Community-contributed)
⚠️ Community-contributed overlay. The 12 commands below cover UAE federal regulatory and digital-government instruments and ship as a community-contributed overlay (not part of the officially-maintained baseline of 68). They are anchored on the UAE Cabinet decree of 23 April 2026 mandating that 50% of federal services run on agentic AI by April 2028, and on the federal data, identity, AI governance, and procurement frameworks the decree references. The overlay is currently solo-maintained by @tractorjuice; a UAE domain co-maintainer is being recruited before the overlay can be re-evaluated for official-baseline promotion. Six citations are flagged
[NEEDS VERIFICATION]pending Executive Regulations and authority confirmations — seedocs/guides/uae-overlay-maintenance.md. Output should be reviewed by qualified UAE federal compliance counsel before reliance.
Set governance_framework: UAE Federal and classification_scheme: UAE Smart Data in plugin userConfig to switch the Document Control header into UAE Smart Data classification rendering across every artefact.
Federal data and security:
/arckit.uae-classification— UAE Smart Data Classification Register (Open / Shared / Confidential / Secret / Top Secret) with handling rules and declassification schedule/arckit.uae-pdpl— Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL) compliance assessment — DPIA, lawful-basis register, data-subject-rights procedure, cross-border transfer log/arckit.uae-ias— UAE Cybersecurity Council Information Assurance Standard v2 — Statement of Applicability against 188 controls (60 management M1–M6, 128 technical T1–T9), priority-tiered P1–P4/arckit.uae-cloud-residency— National Cloud Security Policy v2 sovereign cloud assessment — per-classification residency, approved CSPs (Core42 / G42, Microsoft UAE North/Central, TDRA FedNet, e& Sovereign Launchpad on AWS), shared-responsibility matrix, exit/portability plan
Federal identity:
/arckit.uae-uaepass— UAE Pass integration design (OIDC/OAuth flow, claim mapping, Basic vs Verified profile selection, Service Provider onboarding, e-signature audit trail)
Cabinet instruments:
/arckit.uae-zero-bureaucracy— Service Catalogue review under the UAE Code for Government Services and Zero Bureaucracy programme/arckit.uae-digital-records— Digital Records Plan under the UAE Government Services Digital Records Policy (source-of-truth register per service, retention schedule, official-source designation)/arckit.uae-data-sharing— Data Sharing Agreement under the UAE Government Services Data Sharing Policy ("collect once, use securely") with PDPL lawful basis per share/arckit.uae-priorities-alignment— National Priorities Alignment Statement under the UAE Federal Government Guide — reuse-vs-build, capability-reuse register (UAE Pass, FedNet), strategy alignment to NIS 2031 / AI 2031 / We the UAE 2031
AI governance:
/arckit.uae-ai-charter— UAE Charter for the Development and Use of AI compliance assessment (12 principles)/arckit.uae-ai-autonomy-tier— Three-tier AI autonomy posture (Tier 1 internal-productivity, Tier 2 investor-facing-with-approval, Tier 3 regulated/financial) with per-tier guard-rails, approval gates, audit obligations, tier-promotion criteria
Procurement:
/arckit.uae-procurement— Federal procurement strategy under Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2023 — ITT/RFP packs against MoF Digital Procurement Platform templates, In-Country Value (ICV) plan, evaluation report structure, contract register
The commands chain together in a canonical order from principles → uae-classification → uae-pdpl → uae-ias → uae-cloud-residency → uae-uaepass → uae-zero-bureaucracy → uae-digital-records → uae-data-sharing → uae-ai-charter → uae-ai-autonomy-tier → uae-priorities-alignment → uae-procurement → sobc → wardley → framework. The reference implementation is the arckit-test-project-v20-uae-moi-ipad test repo. Full guide: docs/guides/uae-overlay.md.
The ArcKit Workflow
ArcKit guides you through the enterprise architecture lifecycle:
Phase 0: Project Planning
/arckit.plan → Create project plan with timeline, phases, and gates
Visualize your entire project delivery:
- GDS Agile Delivery phases (Discovery → Alpha → Beta → Live)
- Mermaid Gantt chart with timeline, dependencies, and milestones
- Workflow diagram showing gates and decision points
- Tailored timeline based on project complexity
- Integration of all ArcKit commands into schedule
- Gate approval criteria for governance
Phase 1: Establish Governance
/arckit.principles → Create enterprise architecture principles
Define your organisation's architecture standards:
- Cloud strategy (AWS/Azure/GCP)
- Security frameworks (Zero Trust, compliance)
- Technology standards
- FinOps and cost governance
Phase 2: Stakeholder Analysis
/arckit.stakeholders → Analyze stakeholder drivers, goals, and outcomes
Do this BEFORE business case to understand who cares about the project and why:
- Identify all stakeholders (internal and external)
- Document underlying drivers (strategic, operational, financial, compliance, risk, personal)
- Map drivers to SMART goals
- Map goals to measurable outcomes
- Create Stakeholder → Driver → Goal → Outcome traceability
- Identify conflicts and synergies
- Define engagement and communication strategies
Phase 3: Risk Assessment
/arckit.risk → Create comprehensive risk register (Orange Book)
Do this BEFORE business case to identify and assess risks systematically:
- Follow HM Treasury Orange Book 2023 framework
- Identify risks across 6 categories (Strategic, Operational, Financial, Compliance, Reputational, Technology)
- Assess inherent risk (before controls) and residual risk (after controls)
- Apply 4Ts response framework (Tolerate, Treat, Transfer, Terminate)
- Link every risk to stakeholder from RACI matrix
- Monitor risk appetite compliance
- Feed into SOBC Management Case Part E
Phase 4: Business Case Justification
/arckit.sobc → Create Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC)
Do this BEFORE requirements to justify investment and secure approval:
- Use HM Treasury Green Book 5-case model (Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial, Management)
- Analyze strategic options (Do Nothing, Minimal, Balanced, Comprehensive)
- Map benefits to stakeholder goals (complete traceability)
- Provide high-level cost estimates (Rough Order of Magnitude)
- Economic appraisal (ROI range, payback period)
- Procurement and funding strategy
- Governance and risk management (uses risk register)
- Enable go/no-go decision BEFORE detailed requirements work
Phase 5: Define Requirements
/arckit.requirements → Document comprehensive requirements
Create detailed requirements informed by stakeholder goals (if SOBC approved):
- Business requirements with rationale
- Functional requirements with acceptance criteria
- Non-functional requirements (performance, security, scalability, compliance)
- Integration requirements (upstream/downstream systems)
- Data requirements (DR-xxx)
- Success criteria and KPIs
Phase 5.3: Platform Strategy Design (Optional - for Multi-Sided Platforms)
/arckit.platform-design → Design multi-sided platform strategy using Platform Design Toolkit
Use this phase when designing ecosystem-based platforms (Government as a Platform, marketplaces, data platforms):
- Ecosystem Canvas: Map supply side, demand side, supporting entities with relationship diagrams
- Entity-Role Portraits: Deep dive into 3-5 key entities (context, pressures, goals, gains)
- Motivations Matrix: Identify synergies and conflicts across entities with mitigation strategies
- Transactions Board: Design 10-20 transactions with cost reduction analysis (search, information, negotiation, coordination, enforcement)
- Learning Engine Canvas: 5+ services that help participants improve (data, feedback loops, network effects)
- Platform Experience Canvas: Journey maps with business model and unit economics
- MVP Canvas: Liquidity bootstrapping strategy to solve chicken-and-egg problem
- Platform Design Canvas: Synthesize all 8 canvases into cohesive platform strategy
- UK Government Context: Aligns with Government as a Platform (GaaP), TCoP Point 8 (share/reuse), Digital Marketplace
Use Cases: NHS appointment booking, local authority data marketplaces, training procurement platforms, citizen services portals
Phase 5.5: Data Modeling
/arckit.data-model → Create comprehensive data model with ERD
Create data model based on Data Requirements (DR-xxx):
- Visual Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) using Mermaid
- Detailed entity catalog with attributes, types, validation rules
- PII identification and GDPR/DPA 2018 compliance
- Data governance matrix (business owners, stewards, custodians)
- CRUD matrix showing component access patterns
- Data integration mapping (upstream sources, downstream consumers)
- Data quality framework with measurable metrics
- Requirements traceability (DR-xxx → Entity → Attribute)
Phase 5.7: Data Protection Impact Assessment
/arckit.dpia → Generate DPIA for UK GDPR Article 35 compliance
MANDATORY for high-risk processing - assess privacy risks before technology selection:
- ICO 9-criteria automated screening (sensitive data, large scale, vulnerable subjects, AI/ML, etc.)
- Auto-populated from data model (entities, PII, special category data, lawful basis)
- Risk assessment focused on impact on individuals (privacy harm, discrimination)
- Data subject rights implementation checklist (SAR, deletion, portability)
- Children's data assessment (age verification, parental consent)
- AI/ML algorithmic processing assessment (bias, explainability, human oversight)
- ICO prior consultation flagging for high residual risks
- International transfer safeguards (SCCs, BCRs, adequacy decisions)
- Bidirectional links to risk register (DPIA-xxx risk IDs)
- Links mitigations to Secure by Design security controls
Phase 5.8: Data Source Discovery
/arckit.datascout → Discover external data sources
Discover and evaluate external data sources to fulfil project data requirements:
- Data needs extraction from DR/FR/INT/NFR requirements
- UK Government open data portals (data.gov.uk, ONS, NHS Digital, Companies House, OS Data Hub)
- Commercial API providers and data marketplaces
- Free/freemium APIs and open source datasets
- Weighted evaluation scoring (Requirements Fit, Data Quality, License & Cost, API Quality, Compliance, Reliability)
- Gap analysis for unmet data needs
- Data model impact assessment (new entities, attributes, sync strategy)
- Requirements traceability (every DR-xxx mapped to a source or flagged as gap)
- TCoP Point 10 compliance (Make Better Use of Data)
Phase 6: Technology Research
/arckit.research → Research technology, services, and products
Research available solutions to meet requirements with build vs buy analysis:
- Dynamic category detection from requirements (authentication, payments, databases, etc.)
- Commercial SaaS options with pricing, reviews, and ratings (WebSearch)
- Open source alternatives with GitHub stats and community maturity
- UK Government GOV.UK platforms (One Login, Pay, Notify, Forms)
- Digital Marketplace suppliers (G-Cloud, DOS)
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comparison (3-year)
- Build vs Buy vs Adopt recommendations
- Vendor shortlisting for deeper evaluation
- Integration with Wardley mapping (evolution positioning)
- Feeds into SOBC Economic Case (cost data, options analysis)
Phase 6.5: Grants & Funding Research
/arckit.grants → Research UK government grants, charitable funding, and accelerator programmes
Identify and evaluate funding opportunities with eligibility scoring:
- UK Innovate UK grants and R&D funding (e.g. Smart Grants, KTP, SBRI)
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding calls
- Charitable foundations and philanthropic funding (e.g. National Lottery Heritage Fund, Wellcome Trust)
- Accelerator and incubator programmes (e.g. DCMS, DSIT-backed cohorts)
- EU Horizon Europe successor funding open to UK entities
- Eligibility scoring matrix against project requirements and stakeholder profile
- Application timeline, deadlines, and award values
- Strategic fit assessment (alignment with project goals and public sector context)
- Outputs a structured GRNT funding opportunity register
Phase 7: Strategic Planning with Wardley Mapping
/arckit.wardley → Create strategic Wardley Maps
Visualize strategic positioning with:
- Component evolution analysis (Genesis → Custom → Product → Commodity)
- Build vs Buy decision framework
- Vendor comparison and procurement strategy
- UK Government Digital Marketplace mapping
- Evolution predictions and strategic gameplay
Phase 7.5: Strategic Roadmap
/arckit.roadmap → Create multi-year architecture roadmap
Create strategic roadmap for multi-year transformation programs:
- Multi-year timeline: 3-5 year roadmap with Mermaid Gantt chart aligned to financial years (FY 2024/25, etc.)
- Strategic themes: Cloud migration, data modernization, security & compliance, DevOps transformation
- Capability evolution: Maturity progression from L1 (Initial) to L5 (Optimized) over time
- Investment planning: CAPEX/OPEX budget by financial year, ROI projections, benefits realization
- Governance framework: ARB monthly, Programme Board monthly, Steering Committee quarterly
- Service Standard gates: Alpha/Beta/Live assessment milestones (UK Government)
- Dependencies: Mermaid flowchart showing initiative sequencing and critical path
- Success metrics: Cloud adoption %, technical debt reduction, deployment frequency, time to market
- Traceability: Links roadmap themes to stakeholder drivers, architecture principles, requirements
- UK Government specifics: Spending Review alignment, TCoP compliance timeline, NCSC CAF progression
Use this when: You have a multi-year transformation program with multiple initiatives running in parallel. Roadmaps are strategic (multi-year, multi-initiative, executive communication) vs project plans which are tactical (single initiative, detailed tasks, team execution).
Roadmap feeds into: /arckit.plan for detailed phase execution, /arckit.sobc for investment business case, /arckit.backlog for prioritized user stories, /arckit.strategy for executive-level synthesis.
Phase 7.6: Architecture Strategy Synthesis
/arckit.strategy → Synthesise strategic artifacts into executive-level Architecture Strategy
Create a comprehensive Architecture Strategy document that synthesises multiple strategic artifacts into a single coherent narrative:
- Strategic vision: 2-3 paragraphs articulating the transformation vision and success definition
- Strategic drivers: Summarised from stakeholder analysis with external drivers (regulatory, market, technology)
- Guiding principles: Key principles with strategic implications, compliance summary
- Current state assessment: Technology landscape, capability maturity baseline (L1-L5), technical debt, SWOT
- Target state vision: Future architecture, capability maturity targets, architecture vision diagram
- Technology evolution: Build vs buy decisions, technology radar (Adopt/Trial/Assess/Hold) from Wardley maps
- Strategic themes: 3-5 investment themes with objectives, initiatives, success criteria, principles alignment
- Delivery roadmap summary: Timeline, phases, milestones from roadmap artifact
- Investment summary: CAPEX/OPEX, NPV, IRR, payback period, benefits realisation from SOBC
- Strategic risks: Top risks with heat map, assumptions, constraints from risk register
- Success metrics: KPIs with baselines and year-over-year targets
- Governance model: Forums, decision rights, review cadence
- Traceability: Driver → Goal → Outcome → Theme → Principle → KPI chain
Use this when: You have multiple strategic artifacts (principles, stakeholders, wardley, roadmap, sobc) and need to create a single executive-level document that synthesises them into a coherent strategy. Ideal for Strategy Board presentations, executive briefings, or stakeholder communication.
Unique requirement: This is the only ArcKit command with TWO mandatory inputs (principles AND stakeholders). Strategy cannot be created without understanding both the decision framework and the stakeholder drivers.
Strategy feeds into: /arckit.requirements for detailed requirements, /arckit.roadmap for expanded timeline, /arckit.plan for project delivery.
Phase 7.7: Architecture Decision Records
/arckit.adr → Document architectural decisions
Create Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) following MADR v4.0 format enhanced with UK Government requirements:
- Decision metadata: Sequential numbering (ADR-001, ADR-002), status (Proposed/Accepted/Superseded), escalation level (Team/Cross-team/Department/Cross-government)
- Stakeholder RACI: Deciders (accountable), Consulted (SMEs, two-way), Informed (one-way communication)
- Context and problem statement: Why this decision is needed, business/technical/regulatory drivers
- Decision drivers: Technical forces (performance, security, scalability), business forces (cost, time), compliance forces (GDS Service Standard, TCoP, NCSC, UK GDPR)
- Options analysis: Minimum 2-3 options plus "Do Nothing" baseline, each with pros/cons, cost (CAPEX/OPEX/TCO), GDS Service Standard impact, Wardley evolution stage
- Y-Statement: Structured justification - "In the context of X, facing Y, we decided for Z to achieve A, accepting B"
- Consequences: Positive (benefits, capabilities), Negative (trade-offs, technical debt), Neutral (training, infrastructure), Risks and mitigations
- Validation: How implementation will be verified (design reviews, code reviews, testing, monitoring)
- Traceability: Links to requirements, principles, stakeholders, research, Wardley maps, diagrams, risk register
- UK Government specifics: Escalation levels (Team → Cross-team → Department → Cross-government), governance forums (ARB, TDA, Programme Board), Service Standard/TCoP compliance documentation
Use this when: Making significant architectural decisions that affect system structure, quality attributes, or behavior - technology choices (databases, frameworks, cloud services), integration patterns, security approaches, deployment strategies, data management.
ADR feeds into: /arckit.diagram (architecture diagrams reflect decisions), /arckit.hld-review and /arckit.dld-review (reviews verify decisions implemented), /arckit.traceability (decisions are key traceability artifacts).
Phase 8: Vendor Procurement (if needed)
/arckit.sow → Generate Statement of Work (RFP)
Create RFP-ready documents with:
- Scope of work and deliverables
- Technical requirements
- Vendor qualifications
- Evaluation criteria
- Contract terms
/arckit.dos → Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS) procurement 🇬🇧
For UK public sector organizations needing custom development:
- Generate DOS-compliant procurement documentation
- Extract requirements from project artifacts (BR/FR/NFR/INT/DR)
- Essential vs desirable skills from requirements
- Success criteria (technology-agnostic)
- Evaluation framework (40% Technical, 30% Team, 20% Quality, 10% Value)
- Audit-ready documentation for Digital Marketplace
/arckit.gcloud-search → G-Cloud service search with live marketplace search 🇬🇧
For UK public sector organizations needing off-the-shelf cloud services:
- Generate G-Cloud requirements document
- Live Digital Marketplace search using WebSearch
- Find actual services with suppliers, prices, features, links
- Service comparison table with recommendations
- Shortlist top 3-5 matching services
- Links to Digital Marketplace guidance (gov.uk)
/arckit.gcloud-clarify → G-Cloud service validation and gap analysis 🇬🇧
Validate G-Cloud services and generate supplier clarification questions:
- Systematic gap analysis (MUST/SHOULD requirements vs service descriptions)
- Detect gaps: ✅ Confirmed, ⚠️ Ambiguous, ❌ Not mentioned
- Generate prioritised questions (🔴 Critical / 🟠 High / 🔵 Medium / 🟢 Low)
- Risk assessment matrix for each service
- Email templates for supplier engagement
- Evidence requirements specification
- Next steps checklist
/arckit.evaluate → Create vendor evaluation framework
Set up systematic scoring:
- Technical evaluation criteria (100 points)
- Cost evaluation methodology
- Reference check templates
- Decision matrix
/arckit.evaluate (compare mode) → Compare vendor proposals
Side-by-side analysis of:
- Technical approaches
- Cost breakdowns
- Risk assessments
- Value propositions
Phase 9: Design Review
/arckit.hld-review → Review High-Level Design
Validate designs against:
- Architecture principles compliance
- Requirements coverage
- Security and compliance
- Scalability and resilience
- Operational readiness
/arckit.dld-review → Review Detailed Design
Implementation-ready validation:
- Component specifications
- API contracts (OpenAPI)
- Database schemas
- Security implementation
- Test strategy
Phase 10: Sprint Planning
/arckit.backlog → Generate prioritised product backlog
Transform requirements into sprint-ready user stories:
- Convert requirements (BR/FR/NFR/INT/DR) to GDS-format user stories
- Multi-factor prioritization (MoSCoW + risk + value + dependencies)
- Organise into sprint plan with capacity balancing
- Generate traceability matrix (requirements → stories → sprints)
- Export to Jira/Azure DevOps (CSV) or custom tools (JSON)
- Time savings: 75%+ (4-6 weeks → 3-5 days)
When to run: After HLD approval, before Sprint 1 (Alpha → Beta transition)
Phase 10.5: Backlog Export
/arckit.trello → Export product backlog to Trello
Push your backlog directly to Trello for sprint execution:
- Create Trello board with sprint-based lists (Product Backlog + per-sprint + In Progress + Done)
- Cards with priority labels, story points, and acceptance criteria checklists
- Colour-coded labels by MoSCoW priority and requirement type
- Rate-limit-aware Trello API integration
- Requires
TRELLO_API_KEYandTRELLO_TOKENenvironment variables
When to run: After /arckit.backlog generates the product backlog (requires JSON export)
Phase 11: ServiceNow Service Management Design
/arckit.servicenow → Generate ServiceNow service design
Bridge architecture to operations:
- CMDB design (derived from architecture diagrams)
- SLA definitions (derived from NFRs)
- Incident management design
- Change management plan
- Monitoring and alerting plan
- Service transition plan
Phase 12: Traceability
/arckit.traceability → Generate traceability matrix
Ensure complete coverage:
- Requirements → Design mapping
- Design → Test mapping
- Gap analysis and orphan detection
- Change impact tracking
Phase 13: Quality Assurance
/arckit.analyze → Comprehensive governance quality analysis
Periodically assess governance quality across all artifacts:
- Architecture principles compliance
- Requirements coverage and traceability
- Stakeholder alignment verification
- Risk management completeness
- Design review quality
- Documentation completeness and quality
- Gap identification and recommendations
When to use: Run periodically (before milestones, design reviews, or procurement decisions) to identify gaps and ensure governance standards are maintained.
Phase 14: Compliance Assessment (UK Government)
For UK Government and public sector projects:
/arckit.service-assessment → GDS Service Standard assessment preparation
Prepare for mandatory GDS Service Standard assessments:
- Analyze evidence against all 14 Service Standard points
- Identify gaps for alpha, beta, or live assessments
- Generate RAG (Red/Amber/Green) ratings and overall readiness score
- Provide actionable recommendations with priorities and timelines
- Include assessment day preparation guidance
- Map ArcKit artifacts to Service Standard evidence requirements
Run at end of Discovery (for alpha prep), mid-Beta (for beta prep), or before Live to ensure readiness.
/arckit.tcop → Technology Code of Practice assessment
Assess compliance with all 13 TCoP points:
- Point 1: Define user needs
- Point 2: Make things accessible
- Point 3: Be open and use open source
- Point 4: Make use of open standards
- Point 5: Use cloud first
- Point 6: Make things secure
- Point 7: Make privacy integral
- Point 8: Share, reuse and collaborate
- Point 9: Integrate and adapt technology
- Point 10: Make better use of data
- Point 11: Define your purchasing strategy
- Point 12: Meet the Digital Spend Controls
- Point 13: Define your responsible AI use
/arckit.secure → UK Government Secure by Design assessment
Security compliance assessment:
- NCSC Cloud Security Principles
- NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)
- Cyber Essentials / Cyber Essentials Plus
- UK GDPR and DPA 2018 compliance
- Security architecture review
- Threat modeling
/arckit.ai-playbook → UK Government AI Playbook compliance (for AI systems)
Responsible AI assessment:
- AI ethics principles
- Transparency and explainability
- Fairness and bias mitigation
- Data governance for AI
- Human oversight mechanisms
- Impact assessment
/arckit.atrs → Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard
Generate ATRS record for algorithmic decision-making:
- Algorithm details and logic
- Purpose and use case
- Data sources and data quality
- Performance metrics and monitoring
- Impact assessment and mitigation
For MOD Projects:
/arckit.mod-secure → MOD Secure by Design assessment
MOD-specific security compliance:
- JSP 440 (Defence Project & Programme Management)
- Information Assurance Maturity Model (IAMM)
- MOD Security clearances and vetting
- STRAP classification handling
- Security Operating Procedures (SyOPs)
- Supplier attestation requirements
/arckit.jsp-936 → MOD JSP 936 AI Assurance Documentation
For defence projects using AI/ML systems:
- JSP 936 (Dependable Artificial Intelligence in Defence)
- 5 Ethical Principles (Human-Centricity, Responsibility, Understanding, Bias & Harm Mitigation, Reliability)
- 5 Risk Classification Levels (Critical to Minor)
- 8 AI Lifecycle Phases (Planning to Quality Assurance)
- Approval pathways (2PUS/Ministerial → Defence-Level → TLB-Level)
- RAISOs and Ethics Manager governance
- Human-AI teaming strategy and continuous monitoring
Phase 14.5: Compliance Assessment (EU and French Government)
ArcKit includes commands for EU regulatory compliance and French public sector governance. These commands are applicable to organisations operating in the EU or under French jurisdiction — whether public sector or private.
EU Regulations
/arckit.eu-rgpd → GDPR compliance assessment (Regulation 2016/679)
Assess personal data processing obligations:
- Legal basis determination (consent, contract, legitimate interest, legal obligation)
- Data subject rights implementation (access, erasure, portability, objection)
- CNIL registration and DPO obligations (France)
- Cross-border transfer safeguards (SCCs, BCRs, adequacy decisions)
- Integration with DPIA (
/arckit.dpia) for high-risk processing
/arckit.eu-ai-act → EU AI Act compliance (Regulation 2024/1689)
Assess AI system obligations under the EU's risk-based AI framework:
- Risk classification (unacceptable / high-risk / limited-risk / minimal)
- High-risk system obligations: conformity assessment, CE marking, EUDB registration
- GPAI model obligations for providers of general-purpose AI
- Human oversight, transparency, and fundamental rights impact assessment
- Prohibited practices (social scoring, real-time biometric surveillance)
/arckit.eu-nis2 → NIS2 Directive compliance (Directive 2022/2555)
Assess cybersecurity obligations for essential and important entities:
- Sector classification (Annex I Essential vs Annex II Important)
- OIV/OSE designation under French transposition (LPM/LCEN)
- Governance, risk management, and incident reporting obligations
- Supply chain security and vulnerability disclosure
- ANSSI notification timeline (24h → 72h → 30-day final report)
/arckit.eu-dora → DORA compliance (Regulation 2022/2554) for financial entities
Digital Operational Resilience Act obligations for banks, insurers, and investment firms:
- ICT risk management framework (5 pillars)
- Major ICT-related incident classification and reporting (4h → 72h → monthly final)
- TLPT (Threat-Led Penetration Testing) requirements for significant institutions
- Third-party ICT provider management and critical provider designation
- Contractual requirements for ICT service agreements
/arckit.eu-cra → Cyber Resilience Act compliance (Regulation 2024/2847)
Mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements (hardware + software):
- Product classification (Default / Important Class I / Critical Class II)
- 12 Annex I Part I security-by-design requirements
- SBOM in SPDX or CycloneDX format (mandatory)
- Vulnerability Disclosure Policy and 24h ENISA reporting
- Conformity assessment route (internal control vs notified body)
- Full application deadline: 11 December 2027
/arckit.eu-dsa → EU Digital Services Act compliance (Regulation 2022/2065)
Tiered obligations for online intermediary services:
- Provider classification (mere conduit / hosting / platform / VLOP / VLOSE)
- VLOP/VLOSE designation threshold: 45M monthly active EU users
- Content moderation, recommender system transparency, advertising obligations
- ARCOM as French Digital Services Coordinator (DSC)
- Systemic risk assessment and independent audit for VLOPs
/arckit.eu-data-act → EU Data Act compliance (Regulation 2023/2854)
Data sharing obligations for connected products and cloud providers:
- Role determination: manufacturer / data holder / DAPS / public sector body
- User data access rights (Chapter II) and B2B sharing (Chapter III)
- Cloud switching obligations (Chapter VI) — egress fee elimination by September 2027
- International data transfer restrictions (Article 27)
- Application date: 12 September 2025
French Public Sector Governance
/arckit.fr-rgpd → French GDPR compliance with CNIL-specific requirements
Extends EU GDPR with French context:
- CNIL enforcement priorities and sector-specific guidelines
- French DPO registration and CNIL prior consultation obligations
- Biometric data processing under French law (CNIL authorisation required)
/arckit.fr-ebios → EBIOS Risk Manager methodology (ANSSI 2018)
French standard risk analysis for IS homologation:
- 5-workshop structure (Framework, Risk Sources, Strategic Scenarios, Operational Scenarios, Risk Treatment)
- OIV/OSE/public sector IS homologation evidence
- Attack path modelling and feared events
- Integration with PSSI and SecNumCloud qualification
/arckit.fr-anssi → ANSSI 42 Cybersecurity Hygiene Measures assessment
Assess compliance with ANSSI's foundational hygiene guide:
- 7 themes: administration, authentication, updates, monitoring, backups, network, workstations
- Cloud security recommendations (ANSSI cloud qualification matrix)
- Gap analysis with prioritised remediation (P1–P3)
- Integration with EBIOS and PSSI
/arckit.fr-anssi-carto → ANSSI SI Cartography (4-level IS mapping)
Generate structured IS cartography following ANSSI's 4-level methodology:
- Level 1: Business processes and core missions
- Level 2: Application and data mapping
- Level 3: Server, database, and system inventory
- Level 4: Network topology, firewall rules, interconnections
- Attack surface summary and sensitive flow identification
/arckit.fr-secnumcloud → SecNumCloud qualification assessment
Assess cloud provider and customer obligations under ANSSI's SecNumCloud referential:
- Visa vs qualification distinction (only full qualification satisfies OIV/ministerial use)
- IS homologation prerequisites for SecNumCloud deployment
- SecNumCloud-compatible architecture requirements
- Procurement clauses for public-cloud contracts
/arckit.fr-dinum → DINUM digital doctrine assessment
Assess compliance with French digital government doctrine:
- RGI (Référentiel Général d'Interopérabilité) — interoperability standards
- RGAA (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) — accessibility
- Doctrine cloud (cloud native, cloud first, SecNumCloud for sensitive data)
- SILL (Socle Interministériel de Logiciels Libres) — recommended open source stack
/arckit.fr-marche-public → French public procurement (Code de la Commande Publique)
Generate procurement documentation compliant with French public contract law:
- Marché public thresholds and procedures (below/above EU thresholds)
- CCAP, CCTP, RC documentation templates
- ANSSI-qualified provider requirements (PASSI, PRIS, PDIS)
- Achat public durable obligations (environmental and social clauses)
/arckit.fr-pssi → PSSI (Politique de Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information)
Generate IS security policy for French public sector entities:
- 9-section structure approved by the Highest Authority (AA)
- 7 security domains (network, workstations, applications, IS management, physical, personnel, continuity)
- RSSI, DPO, DSI, and FSSI roles
- Review cycle and integration with EBIOS and homologation
/arckit.fr-dr → Diffusion Restreinte (DR) handling compliance
Assess document and IS handling requirements under the DR administrative classification:
- II 901/SGDSN rules for DR document lifecycle
- Electronic storage, transmission, and physical handling obligations
- IS homologation for DR-processing systems
- Scope explicitly bounded: DR only — IGI 1300 (Confidentiel Défense and above) is out of scope
/arckit.fr-algorithme-public → French Public Algorithm Transparency Notice
Generate mandatory transparency notice under CRPA Art. L311-3-1:
- Scope determination: which automated decisions are covered
- Plain-language description per algorithm, parameters, and weights
- Human oversight mechanisms and appeal rights
- GDPR Art. 22 intersection (automated individual decisions)
- EU AI Act flagging for ML-based systems
- More legally binding than the UK ATRS equivalent
/arckit.fr-code-reuse → French Public Code Reuse Assessment (Circulaire 2021-1524)
Assess code reuse obligations before building or procuring:
- code.gouv.fr search (French public code catalogue)
- SILL (Socle Interministériel de Logiciels Libres) — ministerially recommended open source
- EU public code alternatives (Joinup, European Commission repositories)
- Licence compatibility matrix (EUPL-1.2 recommended for public code publication)
- Decision matrix: reuse / fork / SILL adoption / procure / build
- Circulaire 2021 publication obligation: modified public code must be released back
Phase 15: Project Story & Reporting
/arckit.story → Generate comprehensive project story
Create narrative historical record with complete timeline analysis:
- Timeline Analysis: 4 visualization types (Gantt chart, linear flowchart, detailed table, phase duration pie chart)
- Timeline Metrics: Project duration, velocity, phase analysis, critical path identification
- Complete Timeline: All events from git log or file modification dates with days-from-start
- 8 Narrative Chapters: Foundation → Business Case → Requirements → Research → Procurement → Design → Delivery → Compliance
- Traceability Demonstration: End-to-end chains with Mermaid diagrams showing stakeholder → goals → requirements → stories → sprints
- Governance Achievements: Showcase compliance (TCoP, Service Standard, NCSC CAF), risk management, decision rationale
- Strategic Context: Wardley Map insights, build vs buy decisions, vendor selection rationale
- Lessons Learned: Pacing analysis, timeline deviations, recommendations for future projects
- Comprehensive Appendices: Artifact register, chronological activity log, DSM, command reference, glossary
When to use: At project milestones or completion to create shareable story for stakeholders, leadership, or portfolio reporting. Perfect for demonstrating systematic governance and ArcKit workflow value.
/arckit.presentation → Generate MARP slide deck from project artifacts
Create presentation slides from existing architecture artifacts:
- MARP Format: Markdown-based slides with
---separators — exports to PDF, PPTX, or HTML - Focus Modes: Executive (board-level), Technical (architecture detail), Stakeholder (benefits-focused), Procurement (RFP briefings)
- Artifact-Driven: Reads all available project artifacts and extracts key content into slides
- Mermaid Diagrams: Gantt charts, C4 diagrams, pie charts, and quadrant charts embedded natively
- Configurable: Choose slide count (6-8, 10-12, 15-20) and MARP theme (default, gaia, uncover)
- Doc type code:
PRES
When to use: Before governance boards, stakeholder briefings, gate reviews, or quarterly portfolio presentations. Run after creating most project artifacts for the richest slide deck.
Phase 16: Documentation Publishing
/arckit.pages → Generate documentation site
Publish all project documentation as an interactive website:
- Static Site Generation: Generates
docs/index.htmlanddocs/manifest.json— deployable to any static host (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, S3, etc.) - Mermaid Diagram Rendering: All architecture diagrams render inline with mermaid.js
- Project Navigation: Sidebar with collapsible project tree, document categories, and version badges — documents with multiple versions show an inline dropdown selector
- GOV.UK Styling: Professional government design system styling
- Document Index: Manifest.json provides programmatic access to all artifacts
- LLM Discovery: Generates
docs/llms.txt(llmstxt.org format) so LLM agents and crawlers can index every artifact, guide, and project. Hand-curateddocs/llms.txtfiles (without the ArcKit generation marker) are preserved on re-runs
When to use: When you want to share project documentation with stakeholders via a professional web interface, or to create a portfolio view of all architecture artifacts.
Supported AI Assistants
| Assistant | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | ✅ Premier | Primary platform. Plugin with agents, hooks, MCP servers, and auto-updates |
| Gemini CLI | ✅ Full | Extension with commands, MCP servers, and auto-updates |
| GitHub Copilot | ✅ Core | VS Code prompt files, custom agents, and repo-wide instructions (arckit init --ai copilot) |
| OpenAI Codex CLI | ✅ Core | CLI with commands and templates. ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Enterprise (Setup Guide) |
| OpenCode CLI | ✅ Core | CLI with commands and templates |
Platform Support: ArcKit is developed and tested on Linux. Windows has limited support — hooks (session init, project context, filename validation, MCP auto-allow) require bash and jq which are not available on stock Windows. For the best experience on Windows, use a devcontainer or WSL2.
Why Claude Code?
Claude Code is the primary development platform for ArcKit and provides capabilities not available in other formats:
| Feature | Claude Code | Gemini CLI | Copilot | Codex / OpenCode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 cross-AI slash commands (plus 46 community-contributed) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
/arckit:build parallel build harness (Claude-only — depends on parallel Agent dispatch) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Templates & scripts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bundled MCP servers (AWS, Azure, GCP, DataCommons, govreposcrape) | ✅ | ✅ (3 servers) | — | Manual setup |
| Autonomous research agents (10 agents for research, datascout, cloud research, gov code discovery, grants, framework) | ✅ | — | ✅ (10 agents) | — |
| SessionStart hook (auto-detect version + projects) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| UserPromptSubmit hook (project context injection on every prompt) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| PreToolUse hook (ARC filename auto-correction) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| PermissionRequest hook (auto-allow MCP documentation tools) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Per-command Stop hooks (output validation, e.g. Wardley Map math checks) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Wardley Mapping skill (with Pinecone MCP book corpus) | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Mermaid Syntax Reference skill (23 diagram types + config) | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ |
| Automatic marketplace updates | ✅ | ✅ | Manual reinstall | Manual reinstall |
| Zero-config installation | ✅ | ✅ | arckit init required | arckit init required |
Agents run research-heavy commands (market research, data source discovery, cloud service evaluation) in isolated context windows, keeping the main conversation clean and enabling dozens of WebSearch/WebFetch/MCP calls without context bloat.
Hooks provide automated governance: filenames are auto-corrected to ArcKit conventions, project context is injected into every prompt so commands know what artifacts exist, MCP tools are auto-approved, and generated outputs like Wardley Maps are validated for mathematical consistency before being finalized.
Gemini CLI provides a strong experience with all commands and MCP servers but lacks agent delegation and hooks. GitHub Copilot provides all 70 official commands (plus 46 community-contributed overlays) as prompt files and 10 custom agents but lacks hooks and MCP servers. Codex CLI and OpenCode CLI provide core command functionality but require manual setup and arckit init scaffolding.
Why Commands, Not Skills
Claude Code automatically exposes ArcKit commands as skills (they appear in the skills list and can be matched by natural language). ArcKit intentionally uses slash commands rather than standalone skills because:
- Deliberate invocation required — Every command generates a heavyweight governance document (requirements spec, risk register, DPIA, etc.). Auto-triggering from conversational intent would waste significant time and tokens.
- Dependency ordering — Commands follow a deliberate sequence (principles → stakeholders → requirements → data-model → etc.). Skills that auto-trigger could run out of order.
- User input via
$ARGUMENTS— Most commands accept context from the user (project name, scope, constraints). The command system handles this with$ARGUMENTSsubstitution. - Best of both worlds — Since Claude Code exposes commands as skills automatically, users get explicit
/arckit.requirementsinvocation AND natural language matching when Claude recognises intent — no restructuring needed.
Using with GitHub Copilot
For GitHub Copilot users in VS Code, ArcKit commands are delivered as prompt files and custom agents:
# Install and create project (3 steps, zero config)
pip install git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
arckit init my-project --ai copilot
cd my-project && code .
# Then use ArcKit commands in Copilot Chat
/arckit-principles Create principles for financial services
/arckit-stakeholders Analyze stakeholders for cloud migration
/arckit-requirements Create comprehensive requirements
This creates .github/prompts/arckit-*.prompt.md (67 prompt files), .github/agents/arckit-*.agent.md (9 custom agents), and .github/copilot-instructions.md (repo-wide context).
Using with Codex CLI
For OpenAI Codex CLI users, ArcKit commands are delivered as skills and auto-discovered:
# Install and create project (3 steps, zero config)
pip install git+https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
arckit init my-project --ai codex
cd my-project && codex
# Then use ArcKit skills
$arckit-principles Create principles for financial services
$arckit-stakeholders Analyze stakeholders for cloud migration
$arckit-requirements Create comprehensive requirements
See .codex/README.md for full Codex CLI setup and usage.
Project Structure
ArcKit creates this structure:
payment-modernization/
├── .arckit/
│ ├── scripts/
│ │ └── bash/ # Automation scripts
│ ├── templates/ # Default templates (refreshed by arckit init)
│ └── templates-custom/ # Your customizations (preserved across updates)
├── projects/
│ ├── 000-global/
│ │ └── ARC-000-PRIN-v1.0.md # Global principles
│ └── 001-payment-gateway/
│ ├── ARC-001-STKE-v1.0.md # Stakeholder analysis
│ ├── ARC-001-RISK-v1.0.md # Risk register (Orange Book)
│ ├── ARC-001-SOBC-v1.0.md # Strategic Outline Business Case
│ ├── ARC-001-REQ-v1.0.md # Comprehensive requirements
│ ├── ARC-001-DATA-v1.0.md # Data model with ERD, GDPR compliance
│ ├── wardley-maps/ # Strategic Wardley Maps
│ │ ├── ARC-001-WARD-001-v1.0.md # Current architecture positioning
│ │ ├── ARC-001-WARD-002-v1.0.md # Target architecture vision
│ │ ├── ARC-001-WARD-003-v1.0.md # Gap analysis
│ │ └── ARC-001-WARD-004-v1.0.md # Build vs buy decisions
│ ├── ARC-001-SOW-v1.0.md # Statement of Work (RFP)
│ ├── ARC-001-EVAL-v1.0.md # Vendor evaluation framework
│ ├── vendors/
│ │ ├── acme-corp/
│ │ │ ├── proposal.pdf
│ │ │ ├── scoring.md
│ │ │ ├── hld-v1.md
│ │ │ └── reviews/
│ │ │ └── hld-v1-review.md
│ │ ├── beta-systems/
│ │ │ └── ...
│ │ └── comparison.md
│ ├── ARC-001-SNOW-v1.0.md # Service management design
│ ├── ARC-001-TRAC-v1.0.md # Traceability matrix
│ └── final/
│ ├── selected-vendor.md
│ ├── approved-hld.md
│ └── dld/
├── .agents/skills/ # Codex CLI skills (auto-discovered)
├── .codex/
│ ├── agents/ # Agent configs
│ └── config.toml # MCP servers + agent roles
├── .github/
│ ├── prompts/arckit-*.prompt.md # GitHub Copilot prompt files (70 official + community overlays)
│ ├── agents/arckit-*.agent.md # GitHub Copilot custom agents (10 agents)
│ └── copilot-instructions.md # Repo-wide Copilot context
└── .opencode/commands/ # OpenCode CLI commands
Template Customization
Customize ArcKit templates without modifying defaults:
# Inside your AI assistant
/arckit.customize requirements # Copy requirements template for editing
/arckit.customize all # Copy all templates
/arckit.customize list # See available templates
How it works:
- Default templates live in
.arckit/templates/(refreshed byarckit init) - Your customizations go in
.arckit/templates-custom/(preserved across updates) - Commands automatically check for custom templates first, falling back to defaults
Common customizations:
- Add organization-specific document control fields
- Include mandatory compliance sections (ISO 27001, PCI-DSS)
- Add department-specific approval workflows
- Customize UK Government classification banners
Complete Command Reference
All 67 ArcKit commands with maturity status and example outputs from public test repositories (43 public test repos across v0–v48).
Status Legend
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Live | Production-ready, extensively tested |
| 🔵 Beta | Feature-complete, actively refined |
| 🟠 Alpha | Working, limited testing |
| 🟣 Experimental | New in v0.11.x, early adopters |
Example Repositories
| Code | Repository | Description |
|---|---|---|
| v1 | arckit-test-project-v1-m365 | Microsoft 365 GCC-H Migration |
| v2 | arckit-test-project-v2-hmrc-chatbot | HMRC Tax Assistant Chatbot |
| v3 | arckit-test-project-v3-windows11 | Windows 11 Enterprise Deployment |
| v6 | arckit-test-project-v6-patent-system | IPO Patent Application System |
| v7 | arckit-test-project-v7-nhs-appointment | NHS Appointment Booking |
| v8 | arckit-test-project-v8-ons-data-platform | ONS Data Platform Modernisation |
| v9 | arckit-test-project-v9-cabinet-office-genai | Cabinet Office GenAI Platform |
| v10 | arckit-test-project-v10-training-marketplace | UK Government Training Marketplace |
| v11 | arckit-test-project-v11-national-highways-data | National Highways Data Architecture |
| v14 | arckit-test-project-v14-scottish-courts | Scottish Courts GenAI Strategy |
| v16 | arckit-test-project-v16-doctors-appointment | Doctors Online Appointment System |
| v17 | arckit-test-project-v17-fuel-prices | UK Government Fuel Price Transparency Service |
| v18 | arckit-test-project-v18-smart-meter | UK Smart Meter Data Consumer App |
| v19 | arckit-test-project-v19-gov-api-aggregator | UK Government API Aggregator |
| v21 | arckit-test-project-v21-criminal-courts | Independent Review of the Criminal Courts — Tech & AI |
| v22 | arckit-test-project-v22-genai-playbook | UK Government GenAI Playbook |
| v23 | arckit-test-project-v23-ccs-procurement-ai | CCS AI Procurement Intelligence Platform |
| v24 | arckit-test-project-v24-cabinet-office-ai | Cabinet Office Cross-Government AI Governance |
| v25 | arckit-test-project-v25-dbt-trade-ai | DBT International Trade AI Analytics |
| v26 | arckit-test-project-v26-dfe-education-ai | DfE AI in Education Governance & Standards |
| v27 | arckit-test-project-v27-defra-environment-ai | DEFRA Environmental AI & Ecological Data |
| v28 | arckit-test-project-v28-desnz-energy-ai | DESNZ Energy Grid AI & Net Zero Modelling |
| v29 | arckit-test-project-v29-dhsc-health-ai | DHSC Health & Social Care AI Governance |
| v30 | arckit-test-project-v30-dluhc-planning-ai | DLUHC Planning & Housing Data Intelligence |
| v31 | arckit-test-project-v31-dsit-responsible-ai | DSIT Responsible AI & Innovation Standards |
| v32 | arckit-test-project-v32-dft-transport-ai | DfT Transport Network AI & Journey Intelligence |
| v33 | arckit-test-project-v33-dwp-benefits-ai | DWP Benefits Processing AI & Employment Intelligence |
| v34 | arckit-test-project-v34-fcdo-diplomatic-ai | FCDO Diplomatic Intelligence & Consular AI |
| v35 | arckit-test-project-v35-gld-legal-ai | GLD Legal AI & Litigation Intelligence |
| v36 | arckit-test-project-v36-hmlr-land-ai | HMLR Land Registration AI & Property Intelligence |
| v37 | arckit-test-project-v37-hmrc-tax-ai | HMRC Tax Compliance AI & Revenue Intelligence |
| v38 | arckit-test-project-v38-hmt-fiscal-ai | HMT Fiscal Modelling AI & Economic Intelligence |
| v39 | arckit-test-project-v39-home-office-borders-ai | Home Office Borders, Immigration & Security AI |
| v40 | arckit-test-project-v40-mod-defence-ai | MoD Defence AI Strategy & Operational Assurance |
| v41 | arckit-test-project-v41-moj-justice-ai | MoJ Justice System AI & Court Innovation |
| v42 | arckit-test-project-v42-no10-ds-policy-ai | No.10 Data Science Policy Intelligence Platform |
| v43 | arckit-test-project-v43-iai-gov-ai-products | i.AI Government AI Products & Delivery |
| v44 | arckit-test-project-v44-australian-gov | Australian Government — Architecture Governance (non-UK PoC) |
| v45 | arckit-test-project-v45-nsi-rainbow | NS&I Digital Modernisation Programme (Project Rainbow) |
| v46 | arckit-test-project-v46-gds-local | GDS Local |
| v46 | arckit-test-project-v46-sdg | ArcKit SDG Mono-Repo (17 UN SDGs, 78 UK Gov projects) |
| v47 | arckit-test-project-v47-dft-transforming-city-regions | DfT Transforming City Regions funding system |
| v48 | arckit-test-project-v48-arckit-as-a-service | ArcKit as a Service for UK Government |
Foundation
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.init | Initialize ArcKit project structure with numbered project directories and global artifacts | — | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.start | Get oriented with ArcKit — check project status, explore available commands, and choose your next step | — | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.plan | Create project plan with timeline, phases, gates, and Mermaid diagrams | v3/001 v3/002 v3/004 v3/005 v8 v9 v10 v11 v14 v17 v18 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.principles | Create or update enterprise architecture principles | v1 v2 v3 v6 v8 v9 v10 v11 v7 v14 v16 v17 v18 v19 | 🟢 Live |
Strategic Context
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.stakeholders | Analyze stakeholder drivers, goals, and measurable outcomes | v1 v2 v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v3/005 v3/006 v3/007 v6 v8 v9 v10 v11 v14 v16 v17 v18 v19 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.risk | Create comprehensive risk register following HM Treasury Orange Book principles | v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v3/005 v3/006 v3/007 v8 v9 v11 v14 v16 v17 v18 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.sobc | Create Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) using UK Government Green Book 5-case model | v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v3/005 v3/007 v8 v9 | 🟢 Live |
Requirements & Data
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.requirements | Create comprehensive business and technical requirements | v1 v2 v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v3/005 v3/006 v3/007 v6 v8 v9 v10 v11 v7 v14 v16 v17 v18 v19 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.data-model | Create comprehensive data model with entity relationships, GDPR compliance, and data governance | v3/001 v3/002 v8 v9 v10 v11 v14 v16 v17 v18 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.data-mesh-contract | Create federated data product contracts for mesh architectures with SLAs, governance, and interoperability guarantees | — | 🟠 Alpha |
/arckit.dpia | Generate Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for UK GDPR Article 35 compliance | v3 v8 v9 v14 v16 v17 v18 | 🔵 Beta |
Research & Strategy
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.platform-design | Create platform strategy using Platform Design Toolkit (8 canvases for multi-sided ecosystems) | v8 v10 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.research | Research technology, services, and products to meet requirements with build vs buy analysis | v3/001 v3/002 v14 v17 v18 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.grants | Research UK government grants, charitable funding, and accelerator programmes with eligibility scoring | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.wardley | Create strategic Wardley Maps for architecture decisions and build vs buy analysis | v3 v6 v11 v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.wardley.value-chain | Decompose user needs into value chains for Wardley Mapping | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.wardley.doctrine | Assess organizational doctrine maturity (4 phases, 40+ principles) | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.wardley.gameplay | Analyze strategic plays from 60+ gameplay patterns | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.wardley.climate | Assess 32 climatic patterns affecting mapped components | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.strategy | Synthesise strategic artifacts into executive-level Architecture Strategy document | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.roadmap | Create strategic architecture roadmap with multi-year timeline, capability evolution, and governance | v3 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.framework | Transform architecture artifacts into a structured, reusable framework with principles, patterns, and implementation guidance | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.adr | Document architectural decisions with options analysis and traceability | v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v3/005 v3/007 v14 | 🔵 Beta |
Cloud Research (MCP)
These commands use Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to access authoritative cloud provider documentation in real-time. The Claude Code plugin bundles both MCP servers automatically. Gemini and Codex users need to install them separately.
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.azure-research | Research Azure services and architecture patterns using Microsoft Learn MCP | v3/001 v3/002 v14 v17 v18 v19 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.aws-research | Research AWS services and architecture patterns using AWS Knowledge MCP | v14 v17 v18 v19 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.gcp-research | Research Google Cloud services and architecture patterns using Google Developer Knowledge MCP | — | 🟣 Experimental |
Data Source Discovery
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.datascout | Discover external data sources (APIs, datasets, open data portals) to fulfil project requirements | v17 v18 v19 | 🟣 Experimental |
Note: The Google Developer Knowledge MCP requires an API key (
GOOGLE_API_KEYenvironment variable). See the GCP Research guide for setup instructions.
Government Code Discovery
These commands use the govreposcrape MCP server to search 24,500+ UK government repositories. The Claude Code plugin bundles the MCP server automatically. No API key required.
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.gov-code-search | Search 24,500+ UK government repositories using natural language | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.gov-landscape | Map the UK government code landscape for a domain | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.gov-reuse | Discover reusable UK government code before building from scratch | — | 🟣 Experimental |
Procurement
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.sow | Generate Statement of Work (SOW) / RFP document for vendor procurement | v1 v2 v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v6 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.dos | Generate Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS) procurement documentation for UK Digital Marketplace | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.gcloud-search | Find G-Cloud services on UK Digital Marketplace with live search and comparison | v3 v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.gcloud-clarify | Analyze G-Cloud service gaps and generate supplier clarification questions | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.evaluate | Create vendor evaluation framework and score vendor proposals | v1 v2 v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/005 v6 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.score | Score vendor proposals with structured storage, side-by-side comparison, sensitivity analysis, and audit trail | — | 🔵 Beta |
Design & Architecture
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.diagram | Generate architecture diagrams using Mermaid for visual documentation | v1 v3/001 v3/005 v3/007 v10 v14 v17 v19 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.hld-review | Review High-Level Design (HLD) against architecture principles and requirements | v3 v14 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.dld-review | Review Detailed Design (DLD) for implementation readiness | — | 🔵 Beta |
Operations
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.backlog | Generate prioritised product backlog from ArcKit artifacts - convert requirements to user stories, organise into sprints | v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v3/004 v9 v14 v17 v19 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.trello | Export product backlog to Trello - create board, lists, cards with labels and checklists from backlog JSON | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.servicenow | Create comprehensive ServiceNow service design with CMDB, SLAs, incident management, and change control | v3 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.devops | Create DevOps strategy with CI/CD pipelines, IaC, container orchestration, and developer experience | v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.mlops | Create MLOps strategy with model lifecycle, training pipelines, serving, monitoring, and governance | v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.finops | Create FinOps strategy with cloud cost management, optimization, governance, and forecasting | v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.operationalize | Create operational readiness pack with support model, runbooks, DR/BCP, on-call, and handover documentation | v14 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.traceability | Generate requirements traceability matrix from requirements to design to tests | v1 v2 v3/001 v3/002 v3/003 v6 v9 v14 | 🟢 Live |
Quality & Governance
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.analyze | Perform comprehensive governance quality analysis across architecture artifacts | v6 v9 v11 v14 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.principles-compliance | Assess compliance with architecture principles and generate scorecard with evidence, gaps, and recommendations | v3 v14 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.story | Generate comprehensive project story with timeline analysis, traceability, and governance achievements | v3 v8 v9 v14 | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.presentation | Generate MARP slide deck from project artifacts for governance boards and stakeholder briefings | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.conformance | Assess architecture conformance — ADR decision implementation, cross-decision consistency, architecture drift, technical debt, and custom constraint rules | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.health | Scan projects for stale research, forgotten ADRs, unresolved review conditions, orphaned requirements, missing traceability, and version drift | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.impact | Analyse blast radius of changes — reverse dependency tracing | — | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.search | Search across all project artifacts by keyword, document type, or requirement ID | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.navigator | Project-level GPS — show coverage against the essential ArcKit baseline, surface DRAFT/stale/orphan artifacts, and recommend the next slash command to run | — | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.graph-report | Governance metrics dashboard — coverage by category, cross-reference density, compliance readiness, and project comparison across all working projects | — | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.customize | Copy templates to .arckit/templates-custom/ for customization (preserved across updates) | — | 🟢 Live |
/arckit.maturity-model | Generate capability maturity model with current-state assessment, target-state definition, and improvement roadmap | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.template-builder | Create new document templates through interactive interview — generates community-origin templates, guides, and optional shareable bundles | — | 🟠 Alpha |
UK Government
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.service-assessment | Prepare for GDS Service Standard assessment - analyze evidence against 14 points, identify gaps, generate readiness report | v16 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.tcop | Generate a Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) review document for a UK Government technology project | v6 v8 v9 v11 v14 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.secure | Generate a Secure by Design assessment for UK Government projects (civilian departments) | v8 v9 v11 v14 v16 v17 v18 v19 | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.ai-playbook | Assess UK Government AI Playbook compliance for responsible AI deployment | v9 v14 | 🟠 Alpha |
/arckit.atrs | Generate Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) record for AI/algorithmic tools | v2 v9 v14 | 🟠 Alpha |
UK MOD
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.mod-secure | Generate a MOD Secure by Design assessment for UK Ministry of Defence projects using CAAT and continuous assurance | v3/001 v3/006 | 🟣 Experimental |
/arckit.jsp-936 | Generate MOD JSP 936 AI assurance documentation for defence AI/ML systems | — | 🟣 Experimental |
Documentation & Publishing
| Command | Description | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
/arckit.glossary | Generate comprehensive project glossary with terms, definitions, acronyms, and cross-references | — | 🔵 Beta |
/arckit.pages | Generate documentation site with Mermaid diagram support | v1 v2 v3 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v14 v16 v17 v18 v19 | 🟠 Alpha |
Wardley Mapping for Strategic Architecture
ArcKit uses Wardley Maps to expose the strategic position of every component before you commit to a solution. The /arckit.wardley command produces ready-to-visualise maps that:
- Trace user needs through the supporting value chain so gaps and duplicated effort are obvious.
- Plot evolution from Genesis → Commodity to reveal when to build, buy, reuse, or retire capabilities.
- Feed procurement, vendor evaluation, and design reviews with shared situational awareness.
Maps are emitted in the Open Wardley Map format — paste them straight into https://create.wardleymaps.ai for a visual view. Full example outputs live in the public demos such as arckit-test-project-v3-windows11 (enterprise OS rollout strategy) and arckit-test-project-v14-scottish-courts (GenAI platform strategy).
Architecture Diagrams with Mermaid
ArcKit generates visual architecture diagrams using Mermaid for clear technical communication.
What are Architecture Diagrams?
Architecture diagrams visualize system structure, interactions, and deployment for:
- Technical Communication: Share architecture with stakeholders
- Design Documentation: Document current and future state
- Vendor Evaluation: Compare vendor technical approaches
- UK Government Compliance: Visualize Cloud First, GOV.UK services, PII handling
Diagram Types
ArcKit supports 6 essential diagram types based on the C4 Model and enterprise architecture best practices:
| Diagram Type | Level | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 Context | Level 1 | System in context with users and external systems | After requirements, to show system boundaries |
| C4 Container | Level 2 | Technical containers and technology choices | After HLD, for vendor review |
| C4 Component | Level 3 | Internal components within a container | After DLD, for implementation |
| Deployment | Infrastructure | Cloud resources and network topology | Cloud First compliance, cost estimation |
| Sequence | Interaction | API flows and request/response patterns | Integration requirements, API design |
| Data Flow | Data | How data moves, PII handling, GDPR compliance | UK GDPR, DPIA requirements |
Use /arckit.diagram directly, or supply an explicit type such as context, container, sequence, or dataflow. Outputs bundle component inventories with Wardley evolution tags, built-in GOV.UK compliance scaffolding (Notify, Pay, Design System), Cloud First network patterns, GDPR annotations, and traceability back to requirements and tests. For full examples, browse the diagram folders in arckit-test-project-v3-windows11 and arckit-test-project-v14-scottish-courts.
ServiceNow Service Management Design
ArcKit turns architecture artefacts into an operations-ready ServiceNow pack. The /arckit.servicenow command builds:
- CMDB hierarchies, SLAs, and change risk straight from requirements, diagrams, and Wardley Maps.
- ITIL-aligned runbooks covering incident, change, monitoring, and transition activities.
- UK government extras such as GDS Service Standard, Technology Code of Practice, and GOV.UK Pay/Notify dependencies when relevant.
For full outputs, explore the public demos (for example arckit-test-project-v3-windows11) where the generated ServiceNow design files and checklists are published end-to-end.
Documentation
Key references live in docs/ and top-level guides:
- Quick tour: docs/index.html mirrors the public landing page.
- Lifecycle visuals: WORKFLOW-DIAGRAMS.md and DEPENDENCY-MATRIX.md cover command flow and relationships.
- Core guides: docs/guides/principles.md, docs/guides/requirements.md, docs/guides/procurement.md, docs/guides/design-review.md.
- Traceability: docs/guides/traceability.md documents end-to-end coverage patterns.
- DDaT Role Guides: docs/guides/roles/ — 18 guides mapping ArcKit commands to UK Government DDaT Capability Framework roles (Enterprise Architect, Solution Architect, Product Manager, etc.).
Comparison to Other Tools
| Feature | ArcKit | Sparx EA | Ardoq | LeanIX | Confluence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI-Assisted | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Wardley Mapping | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ | ❌ |
| Version Control | ✅ Git | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Limited |
| Vendor RFP | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Manual |
| Design Review Gates | ✅ | ⚠️ Manual | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ Manual |
| Traceability | ✅ Automated | ⚠️ Manual | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ |
| Cost | Free | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$ |
| Learning Curve | Low | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Requirements
- Python 3.11+
- Git (optional but recommended)
- AI Coding Agent: Claude Code v2.1.121+ (via plugin), Gemini CLI (via extension), OpenCode CLI (via CLI), or OpenAI Codex CLI (via CLI)
- uv for package management: Install uv
Installation from Source
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tractorjuice/arc-kit.git
cd arc-kit
# Install in development mode
pip install -e .
# Run the CLI
arckit init my-project
Documentation
Full guidance lives in docs/ and the static site.
- Quick tour: docs/index.html (mirrors the public landing page).
- Core guides: docs/guides/principles.md, docs/guides/requirements.md, docs/guides/procurement.md, docs/guides/design-review.md.
- Reference packs: WORKFLOW-DIAGRAMS.md and DEPENDENCY-MATRIX.md cover lifecycle visualisations and the 67×67 command matrix.
- Traceability: docs/guides/traceability.md documents end-to-end requirements coverage.
Relationship to Spec Kit
ArcKit is inspired by Spec Kit but targets a different audience:
| Spec Kit | ArcKit | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Product Managers, Developers | Enterprise Architects, Procurement |
| Focus | Feature development (0→1 code generation) | Architecture governance & vendor management |
| Workflow | Spec → Plan → Tasks → Code | Requirements → RFP → Design Review → Traceability |
| Output | Working code | Architecture documentation & governance |
Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Areas we need help:
- Integration with enterprise tools (Jira, Azure DevOps)
- Additional AI agent support
- Template improvements based on real-world usage
- Documentation and examples
- ServiceNow API integration for automated CI creation
Tips
Continuous Governance Monitoring
Use the /loop command to run health checks on a recurring interval during long architecture sessions:
/loop 30m /arckit.health SEVERITY=HIGH
This runs /arckit.health every 30 minutes, surfacing stale research, forgotten ADRs, and unresolved review conditions as they appear.
Troubleshooting
Token Limit Error
If you see: API Error: Claude's response exceeded the 32000 output token maximum
The Problem: ArcKit generates large documents that can exceed Claude's 32K token output limit.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Your Claude subscription plan determines the maximum tokens:
- 🔴 Free/Pro plans: 32K max (cannot be increased)
- ✅ Team/Enterprise plans: Can increase to 64K via environment variable
Solutions:
-
For Team/Enterprise plans - Increase token limit:
export CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS=64000 -
For ALL plans (including Free/Pro) - Use Write tool strategy:
User: /arckit.requirements but write directly to file using Write tool, show me only a summaryThis tells Claude to use the Write tool to create the file (doesn't count toward output tokens) and only show you a summary.
Which commands are affected?
- 🔴 HIGH RISK:
/arckit.sobc,/arckit.requirements,/arckit.data-model,/arckit.sow - 🟢 MITIGATED (agent):
/arckit.research,/arckit.datascout,/arckit.aws-research,/arckit.azure-research,/arckit.gcp-research,/arckit.gov-reuse,/arckit.gov-code-search,/arckit.gov-landscape,/arckit.grants— run as autonomous agents in separate context windows - 🟡 MEDIUM RISK:
/arckit.risk,/arckit.evaluate,/arckit.principles
See full guide: docs/TOKEN-LIMITS.md
Common Issues
Command not found: Ensure commands are available
# For Codex, check if skills directory exists
ls .agents/skills/arckit-principles/SKILL.md
# For Claude Code, install the ArcKit plugin:
# /plugin marketplace add tractorjuice/arc-kit
# For Gemini CLI, install the ArcKit extension:
# gemini extensions install https://github.com/tractorjuice/arckit-gemini
# For GitHub Copilot, check if prompt files exist
ls .github/prompts/arckit-*.prompt.md
# For OpenCode CLI, check if commands directory exists
ls .opencode/commands/
Template not found: Ensure you've run /arckit.principles first
# Check if templates exist
ls templates/
Project creation fails: Ensure you have an ArcKit repository initialized
# Initialize if needed
arckit init .
Support
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Releases: GitHub Releases
- Latest Version: v4.19.2
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details
Acknowledgements
ArcKit is inspired by the methodology and patterns from Spec Kit, adapted for enterprise architecture governance workflows.
Built with ❤️ for enterprise architects who want systematic, AI-assisted governance.