The Governed Agentic Framework

AI contributes the thinking. Deterministic systems retain the authority.

A governance-first architecture for enterprise-grade AI systems where auditability, predictability, and accountability matter as much as innovation.

The Layered Model

Layer 3 · Meta-Agent · Optional
Meta-Agent
Advisory reasoning across steps and iterations
Optional
Layer 2 · Step Reviewer · Optional
Step Reviewer
Validates executor output against step contracts
Optional
Layer 1 · Core
Planner
Executor
Workflow Engine
Business Objective Planner Produces plan with steps Step Execution Loop Workflow Engine Deterministic control Executor Reviewer OPTIONAL Meta-Agent OPTIONAL assigns step validates recommends Output steps done replan Escalate to Human

Core Layer: Planner + Executor

An AI planner analyzes a business objective and produces a structured sequence of steps. Each step is executed by a scoped AI executor that sees only its specific step. A deterministic workflow engine enforces boundaries and manages progression.

What It Provides

  • Flexible AI-generated plans
  • Reduced risk of runaway autonomy
  • Clear step boundaries
  • Controlled execution scope

Business Value

Enables AI-driven productivity while limiting exposure. The system cannot expand its own scope because control over workflow progression is not delegated to AI.

Step Reviewer: Improves Correctness

An optional layer that adds structured validation. A second AI component reviews the executor's output against the defined step contract, providing a decision (complete or needs revision) with a confidence level.

What It Provides

  • Higher step correctness
  • Early detection of errors
  • Reduced silent failures
  • Clear evidence for audit and review

Business Value

Reduces costly rework and prevents flawed outputs from propagating through the system. Increases trust in AI-assisted processes without slowing innovation.

Meta-Agent: Improves Robustness

An optional layer that adds intelligent workflow adaptation. Evaluates outputs of both executor and reviewer, including confidence levels and iteration history. Recommends: continue iterating, advance, trigger replanning, or escalate for human intervention. The workflow engine retains final authority.

What It Provides

  • Intelligent adaptation across steps
  • Data-informed iteration management
  • Reduced over-iteration or premature progression
  • Structured replanning when needed

Business Value

Improves workflow robustness. Helps the system adapt intelligently while maintaining governance and control. Reduces instability without surrendering authority to AI.

Governed Autonomy

AI systems that are genuinely capable and adaptive, operating within explicit boundaries enforced by deterministic systems. Not "human in the loop" for every decision, but governance that is structural, not optional.

AI reasons & recommends Policy systems enforce Failures escalate, not hide Every decision is auditable

The Challenge: Why AI Agent Projects Fail

1
Runaway Autonomy

Traditional agent designs allow AI to both plan and control execution over time. This creates risk of scope expansion, unintended actions, and decisions that no one authorized.

The framework removes long-term control authority from AI. No single AI component controls the full process.
2
Silent Failure & Overconfidence

AI systems often self-certify completion. Errors may not be detected until downstream impacts occur, by which point the damage is done and difficult to trace.

The reviewer layer introduces independent validation with confidence scoring. Failures are detected and handled, not hidden.
3
Poor Auditability

Fully autonomous agents make decisions that are difficult to trace or reproduce. When regulators or auditors ask "why did the system do this?", organizations struggle to answer.

Explicit step contracts, clear decision points, confidence-based recommendations, and deterministic progression create complete audit trails.
4
The Governance Gap

Most organizations have AI policies on paper but lack the operational mechanisms to enforce them. Governance becomes an afterthought rather than a design principle.

The framework makes governance structural: policy-governed systems enforce boundaries, not guidelines documents.

Guiding Principles

1
AI proposes. Policy-governed systems decide.
2
Authority over time, state, and information flow remains outside AI.
3
Every step has explicit contracts defining inputs, outputs, and completion criteria.
4
Correctness improves through independent review with tiered criteria.
5
Robustness improves through meta-level monitoring and proactive escalation.
6
Failures are detected and handled, not hidden or ignored.
7
Humans retain control of what matters: policy, escalation, and final authority.
8
Governance is a design principle, not an afterthought.

System Components

Planner
AI Agent · Runs once per workflow

Analyzes a business objective and produces a structured sequence of steps. After generating the plan, the planner exits. It does not control what happens next.

  • Translates business objectives into executable step sequences
  • Scoped to planning only, with no execution authority
  • Can be re-invoked if the Meta-Agent triggers replanning
Executor
AI Agent · Runs per step

A scoped AI component that performs the work for a single step. It sees only what it needs for its specific step, not the full task, future steps, or information beyond its context contract.

  • Operates under a context contract defining its information access
  • Cannot expand its own scope or see other steps
  • May be iterated if the Reviewer requests revision
Step Reviewer
AI Agent · Optional · Validates each step

An independent AI component that reviews the executor's output against defined criteria. Provides a decision (complete, needs revision, or cannot complete) with a confidence level and specific findings.

  • Evaluates structural criteria (format, schema) and semantic criteria (accuracy, completeness)
  • Confidence scores drive workflow decisions via policy thresholds
  • High-risk steps can require human review of the reviewer's assessment
Meta-Agent
AI Agent · Optional · Monitors workflow

Monitors the overall workflow, evaluating patterns across steps: confidence trends, iteration counts, execution times, and failure conditions. Recommends actions but does not have final authority.

  • Can recommend: continue, advance, replan, or escalate
  • Operates under tiered authority where routine decisions flow and high-risk decisions require policy approval
  • Detects cross-step patterns that individual components cannot see
Policy-Governed Workflow Engine
Deterministic System · Central authority over all progression

The deterministic core of the framework. Enforces step boundaries, manages state, controls information flow between steps, and determines all workflow progression. Follows explicit policy rules, not AI recommendations.

  • Enforces context contracts that limit what each AI component can access
  • Evaluates AI recommendations against policy before acting
  • Handles failure conditions: iteration loops, low confidence, timeouts, conflicts
  • Produces complete audit trails of every decision and transition

Failure Handling: Built In, Not Bolted On

The framework treats failure handling as a core design element. Problems are detected early, responses are predictable, and escalation happens before small issues become large ones.

Iteration Loop

A step has been retried too many times, indicating the AI cannot resolve the issue through iteration alone. Prevents infinite loops and wasted resources.

Detect: Count exceeds policy threshold Respond: Halt step, preserve state Escalate: Human review or replanning
Low Confidence Stall

Reviewer confidence remains below threshold across multiple attempts, indicating the AI cannot reliably complete this step.

Detect: Confidence below X for N attempts Respond: Pause workflow, summarize attempts Escalate: Human decision or meta-agent replan
Context Overflow

Information accumulation approaching system limits, which can degrade performance or cause crashes.

Detect: Token count approaching limit Respond: Compact context per policy Continue: With summarized state
Step Timeout

Execution taking longer than expected, which may indicate a stuck process or external dependency failure.

Detect: Execution time exceeds bound Respond: Terminate step Escalate: Retry, skip, or escalate per policy
Conflicting Requirements

The reviewer identifies contradictory criteria within a step, requiring human judgment to resolve the conflict.

Detect: Reviewer flags contradiction Respond: Pause for clarification Escalate: Human resolution required