ADR Maturity Model

Most teams that adopt ADRs start at level one: someone writes an ADR when they remember to. The ADR quality varies. Some decisions are documented, most are not. This is better than nothing and worse than useful. The maturity model has four levels, and each level compounds the value of the practice. Level one: ad hoc documentation of some decisions. Level two: consistent documentation of all significant decisions with a standard template. Level three: decisions are linked to the code they govern, searchable, and reviewed in design reviews. Level four: decisions are tracked across programs, connected to business outcomes, and used to inform future architecture.