Skip to content

Three Level Source of Truth

Three-Level “Source-of-Truth” SOP (know where the real answer lives—and what to trust next)

Field Content
Purpose Ensure everyone consults and updates information in the same deterministic order, eliminating “which doc is right?” confusion.
Applies to All SOPs, templates, metrics, deliverables, project status—basically everything that can drift.
Owner System Architect (Richard) maintains Level 1; every contributor must escalate corrections.
Success Signal Any two team-mates looking up the same item reach the exact same answer in < 60 s.

The 3 Levels (highest authority → lowest)§

Level Name & Location What it Contains Trust Level Update Path
1 Canonical Markdown Repository – Shared Drive › SOPs › Personal Management OS Version-controlled README.md, phase docs (Phase A.md …), subsystem SOPs, policy appendices. 100 %—“If it isn’t here, it isn’t official.” Pull Request → review → merge by System Architect.
2 Oracle GPT Knowledge Base (the 6-chunk “compile knowledge” prompt) Parsed digest of Level 1; fast Q\&A, step look-ups, context summaries. 95 % – may hallucinate or lag behind last PR. When you spot a mismatch, open the Markdown file, patch it, then re-compile GPT.
3 Convenience Surfaces – Trello cards, personal Google Docs, Slide decks, chats, screenshots Task tickets, working notes, how-to GIFs, mind-maps. 80 % – handy but never authoritative. Update locally; if it changes truth (not cosmetics) ➜ promote change upstream (Level 1).

Hierarchy Rule: In case of conflict → the higher level wins.

Workflow Rules§

  1. Look-up Order

  2. Start with Level 2 (fast).

  3. If answer is fuzzy / missing ➜ open Level 1 Markdown.

  4. Only consult Level 3 for examples or task-specific context.

  5. Editing / Contribution

  6. Cosmetic tweaks → fix directly in Level 3 artifacts.

  7. Content corrections / new steps → PR against the relevant Markdown file (Level 1).

  8. After merge, run compile knowledge to refresh Oracle GPT (Level 2) for the whole team.

  9. Conflict Resolution

  10. Spot a discrepancy? Stop work (invoke the 10 % Doubt Rule), flag the higher-level doc, and propose a PR.

  11. Until merged, reference the issue URL in your deliverable to show you followed process.

  12. Audit Check (Weekly)

  13. Random teammate pulls a Trello card, asks: “Show me the Level 1 source for this step.”

  14. Pass = link opens the correct Markdown section; Fail = fix & log in retro.

Quick Reference – Which Level for What?§

Need Go To Why
Precise step numbers, acceptance criteria Level 1 Only place guaranteed current.
“Where am I in the boot-camp?” orientation Level 2 Fast natural-language summary.
Example of what great looks like Level 3 Screenshots & galleries live here.
Update to policy / new subsystem Level 1 (PR) Changes ripple downward automatically.

Remember: Convenience is not authority. If you haven’t checked the Markdown repo, you haven’t checked the truth.