A.13:4.4 - The Agency Grade (Didactic Layer)
Engineers and managers can use the Agency Grade as a non-normative, didactic summary of a profile. The scale runs from 0 to 4; an assurance use that consumes agency characteristics needs their supported values, not this summary.
| Grade | Label | Typical agency-characteristic profile (Conservative Lower Bound) | Archetypal Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Non-Agential | BMC ≈ 0, PH ≈ 0, MP ≈ 0 | An admitted System whose supported profile has the stated values. A document or another non-System has no Agency Grade. |
| 1 | Reactive | BMC > 0, PH ≈ 0, MP ≈ 0 | A thermostat; a simple feedback controller. Follows fixed rules. |
| 2 | Predictive | BMC > 0, PH > 0, MP ≈ 0 | A model-predictive controller with a fixed model; a chess engine that plans moves but doesn’t learn new strategies. |
| 3 | Adaptive | BMC > 0, PH > 0, MP > 0 | A self-calibrating sensor system; a machine learning agent that updates its model with new data. |
| 4 | Reflective/Strategic | High BMC, PH, MP, PER, and OC. Capable of meta-cognition (reasoning about its own reasoning) and pursuing abstract goals. | An autonomous R&D system; a cohesive, self-organizing DevOps team. |
The Grade 0 label summarizes a profile; it does not settle the separate local-kind classification or assignment claim.
The profile states characteristic claims and their supporting evidence; the Grade is a pedagogical summary. A claim about a holder’s Agency Grade requires a corresponding auditable profile under CC-A13.3. The Grade remains unavailable as a normative premise under CC-A13.4.