# Coherence Audit Template ### Looking for places where understanding can improve. --- > *A coherence audit is not a search for perfection.* > > It is a structured way to notice tensions, hidden assumptions, fragile dependencies, and opportunities for greater clarity. > > The goal is not to "pass." > > The goal is to understand the shape of the system you're looking at. --- ## What can this be used on? Almost anything that has structure. - projects - communities - organizations - AI systems - prompts - documentation - moderation policies - workflows - personal practices - belief systems - research ideas If people can interact with it, it probably has coherence to examine. --- # How to use this template Move through each section slowly. Skip questions that aren't relevant. If you don't know the answer... leave it unknown. Unknown is useful information. There is no score. There is no final grade. The audit itself is the product. --- # Status Markers Instead of ratings, use simple observations. ๐ŸŒฑ Healthy The current structure appears internally coherent. ๐ŸŒ€ Needs Attention Something feels unstable, conflicting, incomplete, or fragile. ๐Ÿšง Unknown There isn't enough information yet. Uncertainty is not failure. --- # 1 ยท Purpose **Question** What is this trying to accomplish? --- Prompts - What problem does this exist to solve? - Who benefits? - What changes if this succeeds? - What happens if it disappears tomorrow? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 2 ยท Definitions **Question** What words carry the most weight here? --- Prompts - Which terms matter most? - Could two reasonable people define them differently? - Which definitions are operational? - Which are aspirational? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 3 ยท Assumptions **Question** What must already be true for this to work? --- Prompts - Which assumptions are explicit? - Which assumptions are hidden? - What breaks if one assumption is false? - What does everyone seem to take for granted? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 4 ยท Incentives **Question** What behaviors does the system actually reward? --- Prompts Ignore what the documentation says. Watch what consistently succeeds. - What behaviors are reinforced? - Which behaviors quietly disappear? - What gets attention? - What gets ignored? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 5 ยท Failure Modes **Question** How could this fail? --- Prompts Imagine: - sincere misuse - accidental misuse - malicious misuse - scale - success - abandonment What breaks first? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 6 ยท Boundaries **Question** Where does this system stop? --- Prompts - What belongs here? - What doesn't? - How are edge cases handled? - Who decides? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 7 ยท Feedback **Question** How does this system notice mistakes? --- Prompts - Can participants challenge it? - How are corrections handled? - Can beliefs change? - Can rules evolve? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 8 ยท Continuity **Question** What survives change? --- Prompts - What depends on one person? - What survives migration? - What knowledge exists only in people's heads? - Could someone else continue this? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 9 ยท Compression **Question** Could a newcomer understand this? --- Prompts Try explaining it in: - one paragraph - one sentence - one metaphor Which parts refuse compression? Why? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # 10 ยท Reflection **Question** What surprised you? --- Prompts - What changed your mind? - Which section produced the most uncertainty? - Which assumption deserves another look? - What would you investigate next? Status โ–ก ๐ŸŒฑ โ–ก ๐ŸŒ€ โ–ก ๐Ÿšง Notes --- # Patterns After completing the audit... Look for recurring shapes. Not isolated observations. Patterns. Examples - One assumption appears in six different sections. - Every failure traces back to documentation. - Incentives conflict with purpose. - Definitions drift over time. - Feedback exists but nobody uses it. - Continuity depends on one individual. These patterns are usually more valuable than any individual answer. --- # Common Traps Trying to be "right." Trying to defend the system. Mistaking confidence for evidence. Confusing intention with observed behavior. Assuming unknown answers are failures. Auditing people instead of structures. --- # Closing Reflection Every coherent system contains tensions. Perfect coherence isn't the goal. Living systems adapt. Healthy systems make adaptation easier. A coherence audit is simply a way of seeing where understanding can deepen next. --- *"You're not trying to win an argument with reality.* *You're trying to see it more clearly."* โ€” VESTIGIA