- Layer: 6 — Evolution & Adaptation
- Status: Template — use to propose a time-bounded experiment
- RCOS reference: §8.3, §8.7
Experiments let the community try a change without permanently adopting it. To stay safe, every experiment must be time-bounded, labeled, and auto-expiring — and must record its results in the Learning Log.
Required Fields
RCOS clauses: 8.3.1, 8.3.2, 8.3.3, 8.3.4, 8.3.5, 8.7.3
Why require these fields?
Without scope, duration, success criteria, and rollback, an “experiment” is just a permanent change with friendlier branding. Forcing every proposal to specify what it changes, when it ends, how it will be reviewed, and how it will be rolled back keeps experimentation reversible — and prevents the experiment label from being used to bypass deliberation.
How to fill this in
Fill each field. Maximum duration is set by your Change Protocol. The decision authority must come from the Decision Matrix.
- Title:
- Proposer:
- Decision type: Strategic
- Scope:
- Duration:
- Review checkpoints:
- Success criteria:
- Failure criteria:
- Rollback conditions and process:
- Authorized decision path:
- Labelling:
- Safety suspension:
Expiry and Renewal
Why must experiments expire?
The community needs the option to revert. Auto-expiry forces a deliberate decision to make the change permanent — not a slow drift in which nobody remembers it was ever conditional.
How to fill this in
State the auto-expiry rule, the renewal mechanism, and the obligation to record results in the Learning Log.
Outcome Record (filled in at experiment end)
- End date:
- Outcome:
- Decision record:
- Learning Log entry:
- Summary: