Overview
ISO 17469-1:2015 - Document management - Strategy markup language (StratML) - Part 1: StratML core elements formalizes an XML vocabulary and XSD schema for the essential elements of organizational strategic plans. It defines a machine-readable core (the StratML Core) and minimal administrative metadata to enable discovery, sharing, linking and analysis of goals, objectives, stakeholders and related plan elements - without prescribing visual presentation, typography, or detailed planning methodologies.
Key topics and technical requirements
- XML vocabulary and XSD schema: ISO 17469-1 specifies the structure and data types for a StratML document so systems can validate and exchange strategy data.
- StratML Core elements: The standard defines seven primary elements and their child elements:
- Organization, Mission, Vision, Value, Goal, Objective, Stakeholder
- Administrative metadata: Minimal metadata elements to support management and provenance, including StartDate, EndDate, PublicationDate, Source, Submitter, GivenName, Surname, EmailAddress, PhoneNumber, Identifier, SequenceIndicator, and an OtherInformation catch-all.
- Validation and interchange: Use of an XSD enables automated validation of StratML documents and consistent interchange between systems.
- Scope limits: ISO 17469-1 does not dictate presentation (fonts, colours, layout) nor provide step-by-step guidance on how to compile high-quality strategic plans - it specifies the basic elements to include.
Practical applications and who uses it
- Government agencies and public sector: Publish machine-readable strategic plans to comply with transparency and performance reporting requirements; facilitate stakeholder feedback.
- Enterprises and NGOs: Make strategy elements discoverable and reusable across divisions, partners, and consortia.
- IT and data teams: Implement StratML XSD in content management systems, portals, and APIs to validate and serve strategy data.
- Interoperability and analytics vendors: Enable strategic alignment, automated linking of goals/objectives, discovery of potential collaborators, and consolidation of stovepipe systems.
- Performance managers and planners: Link strategic goals to performance plans (extensions referenced in Part 2) and support updates to discrete plan elements without reissuing entire documents.
Related standards and context
- ISO 17469 is a multipart standard; ISO 17469-1 defines the core elements. Subsequent parts (for example, ISO 17469-2) specify extensions for performance plans and reports. The standard was developed by ISO/TC 171 (Document Management Applications), SC 2 (Application Issues).
Keywords: ISO 17469-1, StratML, strategy markup language, XML schema (XSD), strategic plans, goals and objectives, stakeholder metadata, strategic alignment, machine-readable strategy.