3-in-3 SDLC Framework (3SF)¶
Introduction¶
The 3-in-3 SDLC Framework — or 3SF — is a relationship-aware software delivery framework that unites Client, Vendor, and Product / Service into one coherent system of collaboration.
It helps organizations design, execute, and evolve delivery systems that are aligned, predictable, and continuously learning, regardless of project type or commercial model.
Where most delivery frameworks describe what happens inside a vendor organization, 3SF explains how success depends on the relationships between all three system elements — Client ↔ Vendor ↔ Product — and how alignment across them determines value realization.
Purpose¶
The 3SF was designed to:
- Connect strategy and delivery by translating goals, constraints, and context into practical delivery configurations.
- Expose and close maturity gaps between Client and Vendor through shared understanding of responsibilities and decision-making.
- Balance structure and adaptability — combining predictable delivery with continuous learning and feedback.
- Enable contextual decision-making — showing how commercial, organizational, and technical drivers shape the right delivery approach.
- Build partnership maturity over time, turning transactional engagements into strategic collaborations.
Theoretical Foundation¶
3SF is grounded in the Human Cooperation System (HCS) — the theoretical model that defines the systemic “physics” of cooperation.
Where HCS explains how stability, trust, and feedback sustain collective work, 3SF applies these principles to the mechanics of software delivery systems.
In other words, HCS provides the laws; 3SF builds the machines that use them.
3SF serves simultaneously as:
- A delivery-system design framework — guiding how to configure projects before execution.
- A diagnostic and learning tool — helping leaders assess delivery health and identify systemic improvements.
- A maturity model — supporting continuous evolution of trust and accountability.
Core Idea¶
Every delivery system operates within a triangle of relationships:
Product | Service
/ ^
/ \
Value / \ Delivery
/ \
/ \
/ \
v \
Client (Business) <----------> Vendor (Engineering)
Engagement
Scope of the Client–Vendor Relationship
The 3SF model defines “Client” and “Vendor” as systemic roles, not organizational labels.
- In multi-organization engagements, they represent separate entities.
- In single-organization environments, they correspond to internal systems of accountability — for example, Business (Client) and Engineering (Vendor).
This universality allows 3SF to govern any relationship where value is created through delivery.
Each side of this triangle represents a relationship line:
- Engagement (Client ↔ Vendor): defines collaboration and trust.
- Delivery (Vendor ↔ Product): defines execution and quality.
- Value (Product ↔ Client): defines outcomes and impact.
Healthy delivery emerges only when all three sides evolve together.
Framework Overview¶
The 3-in-3 SDLC Framework (3SF) is organized into interconnected systemic layers that together form one continuous system of alignment, flow, and learning — connecting strategy → execution → collaboration → maturity.
| # | Layer | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vision, Principles & Beliefs | Establish the mindset foundation — the shared philosophy and guiding values behind 3SF. |
| 2 | 3-in-3 Model & Relationship Maturity | Define the structural ecosystem — how Client, Vendor, and Product interact and evolve through the maturity path. |
| 3 | Rules of Governance: Contextual Drivers Layer and Stable Rules Layer | Describe the contextual drivers and stable rules that maintain coherence, adaptability, and systemic balance. |
| 4 | Rule Audit Checklist (RAC) | Provide a structured way to evaluate delivery health, rule adherence, and improvement priorities. |
| 5 | Contextual Rules Catalog (CRC) | Translate the framework into actionable playbooks for specific delivery contexts (e.g., Fixed-Bid, Co-Delivery, Continuous Evolution). |
| 6 | Practice Setup & Tools | Explain how to apply 3SF in real projects — using High-Impact Contracts, Execution Tools, and Diagnostics. |
| 7 | Maturity Integration Layer | Connects all other layers through feedback and learning, ensuring relationship growth and delivery resilience. |
Evolution¶
3SF evolved from repeated real-world observations where delivery success or failure rarely came from technical complexity but from misaligned expectations, ownership gaps, and systemic friction between Client and Vendor.
It emerged as a unifying model — connecting strategic, operational, and adaptive layers into one ecosystem of delivery understanding.
3SF Compact Core – The 3×3 System¶
“The Systemic Contract — turning Trust and Context into measurable results.”
To make 3SF memorable and transferable across both executive and practitioner levels, its logic can be summarized as a 3×3 System — three layers that define what, why, and how the framework governs delivery relationships.
The System (Pillars)
/ | \
Client Vendor Product
\ | /
The Mindset (Principles)
[Context] [Trust] [Outcome]
↓ ↓ ↓
The Action (Contracts)
[ECC] [Boundary] [OAM]
The System (3 Pillars)¶
Defines what the framework unites — the foundational structure of every engagement.
| Pillar | Focus | Represents |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Value | The owner of the outcome and the budget. |
| Vendor | Delivery | The owner of the flow and system maturity. |
| Product / Service | Solution | The owner of the scope and architecture. |
The Mindset (3 Principles)¶
Defines why the framework works — the governing beliefs that make relationships effective.
| Principle | Core Belief | HCS Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Context before Method | Stop guessing; start grounding. | Enforces Alignment on Why (Purpose × Shared Understanding). |
| Trust before Control | Trust must be earned, measured, and delegated. | Enforces Empowerment (Trust × Autonomy). |
| Outcome before Output | Focus on results, not tasks. | Enforces Responsibility (Interdependence × Commitment). |
The Action (3 Contracts)¶
Defines how the framework delivers results — the mandatory co-signed artifacts of a healthy engagement.
| Contract | Purpose | 3SF Tool |
|---|---|---|
| The Grounding Contract | Defines the reality of the system before any commitment. | Engagement Context Canvas (ECC) |
| The Trust Contract | Defines the boundaries of decision authority and delegation. | Autonomy & Control Boundary Agreement |
| The Value Contract | Defines measurable business results that justify the work. | Outcome-to-Accountability Map (OAM) |
These nine elements — three pillars, three principles, three contracts — form the Systemic Contract that governs all 3SF engagements.
The Quick-Start Mantra (for Practitioners)¶
For those applying 3SF in real projects, the same logic simplifies into three sequential steps — Ground → Align → Govern.
| Step | Core Question | 3SF Tool | VMOSA Analogy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ground | What is the reality we face? | ECC | Vision & Objectives (“What” and “Why”) |
| 2. Align | Who is responsible for which outcome? | OAM | Strategy & Action Plans (“How much by when, and by whom”) |
| 3. Govern | How will we manage control and risk? | Boundary Agreement | Structure (“Rules of the game”) |
Together, these steps operationalize the 3×3 System — ensuring that every engagement begins with shared context, aligned accountability, and measurable value.
Resilience by Design¶
3SF recognizes that delivery systems often fail not from poor execution but from systemic resistance — competing incentives, unclear accountability, or organizational inertia.
It is intentionally designed to be anti-fragile:
- Contextual Drivers Layer (CDL) and Stable Rules Layer (SRL) identify and stabilize environmental forces.
- Rule Audit Checklist (RAC) detects friction before it escalates to failure.
- Maturity Layer ensures trust and accountability evolve together with process maturity.
- Learning loops convert mistakes into insight — making the system smarter with every iteration.
3SF doesn’t eliminate risk — it makes risk visible, discussable, and manageable across both Client and Vendor organizations.
When to Use 3SF¶
| Use Case | Typical Goal |
|---|---|
| Before a project starts | Design the right delivery system based on context and commercial model. |
| During delivery | Diagnose bottlenecks and maturity gaps using CDL, SRL, and RAC. |
| After release | Guide retrospectives and continuous improvement across projects. |
| For leadership development | Teach systemic thinking and contextual decision-making. |
Benefits¶
- Clarity: Shared language across Client, Vendor, and leadership.
- Alignment: Connected view of strategy, delivery, and value realization.
- Predictability: Systematic handling of uncertainty and governance.
- Learning: Built-in feedback loops to prevent repeated failures.
- Scalability: Works for individual projects or enterprise portfolios.
Reading Structure¶
The Theory section introduces 3SF from philosophy to application, following this order:
- Vision, Principles & Beliefs → Mindset Foundation — why the framework exists.
- 3-in-3 Model & Relationship Maturity → Systemic Foundation — how the system connects.
- Rules of Governance (CDL + SRL) → the bridge that maintains coherence and adaptability.
- RAC + CRC → methods and contextual playbooks to assess and apply the rules.
- Practice Setup & Tools → applying 3SF in real delivery contexts through High-Impact Contracts, Execution Tools, and Diagnostics.
- Maturity Integration Layer → ensures learning and partnership growth across all layers.
Summary¶
3SF connects delivery design with relationship maturity — aligning structure, behavior, and learning into a single, adaptive system.
3SF is not a methodology; it is a meta-framework that ensures any methodology fits its context, maintains coherence under change, and deepens trust between organizations.