# Target Revenue Framework — SCOPE

**Status:** Living document for Stage 0  
**Authority:** Describes what is actually in design or delivery *now*.  
**Counterpart:** [`INTENT.md`](INTENT.md) is stable and aspirational. A gap between INTENT and this file is expected and is a maturity signal, not a defect.

**Last updated:** 2026-07-28  
**Basis:** SWOT recommendations in `history/260728-SWOT-Assessment.md`

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## 1. Current maturity

| Label | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Stage 0** | Concept consolidated; product/tech orientation specs exist; no production legal text; no production Trust Service |
| Trust Service federation | Stages 1–6 from concept §15 are **out of current delivery scope** (design readiness only) |
| Legal TRSL | Research and non-binding draft skeleton only; specialist review required before any real Phase |

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## 2. In scope now

### Documentation and specification

- Maintain INTENT, this SCOPE, concept, PRD, TSD, and working defaults.
- Extract normative core artifacts (PRD Roadmap Phase 1):
  - `specs/TargetRevenueFrameworkCore.md`
  - `specs/PhaseManifestSpecification.md`
  - `specs/TargetLedgerSpecification.md`
- Prior-art research (archived under `history/260729-TRSL-*.md`) and non-binding `TargetRevenueSourceLicense-V1C1.md` and `TargetRevenueCommercialUseAgreement-V1C1.md` candidates (WP-0001).
- Provisional answers to conversion-critical open questions (`specs/OpenQuestions-WorkingDefaults.md`).
- Degeneration policy research artifact (recommended default for Stage 0 pilots).
- Canonical monetization profiles as documentation (defaults + examples).
- Lightweight contributor policy (`CONTRIBUTING.md`).

### Runnable specification foundation (not a hosted service)

- Machine-readable schemas for Phase Manifest, Ledger Entry, Extension Contract, Conversion Attestation.
- Pure, deterministic Outstanding Target fold and offline conformance validators.
- Golden Phase package under `examples/` (concept §23 numbers).
- Optional thin library/CLI for `validate` / `fold` — **no** requirement for multi-tenant hosting, auth productization, or federation protocol.

### Work system

- Hub-linked workplans, progress events, and consistency sync for this repo.

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## 3. Explicitly out of scope now

| Item | Deferred to |
| --- | --- |
| Production Trust Service (registries, hosted ledger API, metrics product) | After Phase 1 normative docs + schema foundation; dedicated Trust Service PRD |
| Finalized legal license text and commercial agreements | Specialist legal review post draft skeleton |
| Final degeneration formula as irreversible norm | Research + pilot learning |
| Federation Stage 2+ (replication, multi-operator, multi-authority) | PRD Roadmap Phase 6 |
| Multi-stakeholder governance institutions | PRD Roadmap Phase 7 (lightweight draft only if needed) |
| Tax / statutory revenue recognition | Permanently out of framework core (INTENT boundaries) |
| Governing third-party product Phases in production | After legal + Stage 0 package ready |
| Accepting external code into a governed Milestone Release | Until contributor-rights instrument exists |

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## 4. Sequencing rules (binding for workplans)

These rules implement SWOT I-05 / I-06 and the PRD roadmap order:

1. **Normative extraction (WP-0003) and prior-art research (WP-0001)** proceed in parallel with **schema + pure fold + golden fixture (WP-0002)**.
2. **Full Trust Service implementation** (Phase Registry service, hosted append API, Metrics product, multi-user operation) **must not** start until:
   - WP-0003 core extract deliverables exist (or are explicitly waived by human decision), and
   - Working defaults for Longstop, currency, recognition, and minimum evidence are published.
3. **Human accept gates** (recorded in the workplan or a decision note) are required before treating as done:
   - WP-0001-T06 TRSL draft skeleton (legal-sensitive),
   - WP-0002 stack/library ADR (if technology is locked),
   - Any promotion of working defaults into normative core language.
4. New monetization ideas land as **profiles/extensions**, not core terms, unless they pass the complexity budget (universal / interoperable / trust-critical).

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## 5. Stage 0 “done enough” signal

Stage 0 package is acceptable when:

1. A newcomer can explain the five-verb lifecycle from README + core doc alone.
2. Offline tools validate a golden Phase and recompute Outstanding Target to zero with no network service.
3. Open questions have provisional defaults or explicit “blocked on legal/research” labels.
4. WP-0001 research artifact exists; legal draft is marked non-binding and not used in production.
5. This SCOPE honestly states what is not yet claimed.

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## 6. Change policy

Update this file when Stage 0 boundaries change (e.g. first hosted Trust Service pilot authorized, first legal review complete). Do **not** weaken INTENT to match short-term delivery; expand SCOPE when INTENT milestones become active work.