Skill Profile

Architecture Decision Records (ADR)

ADR format, decision log, team alignment, ADR management tools

Architecture & System Design Architecture Governance

Roles

where this skill appears

Levels

structured growth path

Mandatory requirements

the other 7 optional

Domain

Architecture & System Design

Group

Architecture Governance

Last updated

3/17/2026

How to Use

Choose your current level and compare expectations. The items below show what to cover to advance to the next level.

What is Expected at Each Level

The table shows how skill depth grows from Junior to Principal. Click a row to see details.

Role	Required	Description
Technical Writer		Understands the purpose of Architecture Decision Records and their role in capturing architectural decisions. Knows the basic ADR structure (context, decision, consequences). Can find and read existing ADRs in the project repository.

Role	Required	Description
Engineering Manager		Applies ADR practices in engineering management: ensures teams document significant technical decisions, reviews ADRs for completeness and stakeholder alignment, and tracks decision outcomes. Facilitates architectural decision-making processes across team boundaries.
Technical Lead		Applies ADR practices in technical leadership: writes well-structured Architecture Decision Records with context, options analysis, and consequences. Reviews team ADRs for technical accuracy and maintains ADR repository with consistent numbering and status tracking.
Technical Writer		Independently creates ADRs based on discussions with architects and developers. Maintains numbering, coherence, and relevance of records. Integrates ADRs into docs-as-code pipeline, ensuring publication on the developer portal.

Role	Required	Description
Engineering Manager	Required	Designs ADR governance framework for engineering organization: defines ADR templates, review workflows, and lifecycle management processes. Implements metrics for decision quality tracking and ensures ADRs inform capacity planning and technical roadmaps.
Solutions Architect	Required	Designs ADR practice for solution architecture: creates comprehensive decision records covering system boundaries, integration patterns, and technology selections. Evaluates cross-system impact of architectural decisions and maintains traceability between ADRs and implementation.
Technical Lead	Required	Designs ADR practice for technical teams: establishes lightweight decision records for code-level choices, defines escalation criteria for architecture-level ADRs, and implements ADR-as-code workflows integrated with version control and CI/CD pipelines.
Technical Writer		Develops ADR process for the entire organization: templates, review rules, lifecycle statuses (proposed, accepted, deprecated, superseded). Helps architects formulate decisions clearly and argumentatively, reviews context and consequences.

Role	Required	Description
Engineering Manager	Required	Defines product architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Shapes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.
Solutions Architect	Required	Defines product architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Establishes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.
Technical Lead	Required	Defines the product's architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Establishes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.
Technical Writer		Establishes corporate Architecture Decision Records practices: governance, integration with architecture review board, onboarding for new developers. Conducts ADR audits and ensures their relevance as the system evolves.

Role	Required	Description
Engineering Manager	Required	Defines organizational architectural strategy. Designs reference architectures. Establishes architecture governance.
Solutions Architect	Required	Defines enterprise ADR strategy and architectural governance framework. Shapes organization-wide decision-making culture with structured ADR processes spanning multiple domains and business units. Mentors architects on effective decision documentation and trade-off analysis.
Technical Lead	Required	Defines enterprise ADR standards and technical decision-making framework. Shapes engineering culture around evidence-based architectural decisions with measurable outcomes. Establishes cross-team ADR review boards and drives adoption of decision records as first-class engineering artifacts.
Technical Writer		Defines architectural knowledge management strategy at the company level, where ADR is a key element. Establishes connections between ADRs, C4 diagrams, and architecture roadmap, ensuring traceability from business requirements to technical implementation.

Junior 1 requirements

Technical Writer

Understands the purpose of Architecture Decision Records and their role in capturing architectural decisions. Knows the basic ADR structure (context, decision, consequences). Can find and read existing ADRs in the project repository.

Middle 3 requirements

Engineering Manager

Applies ADR practices in engineering management: ensures teams document significant technical decisions, reviews ADRs for completeness and stakeholder alignment, and tracks decision outcomes. Facilitates architectural decision-making processes across team boundaries.
Technical Lead

Applies ADR practices in technical leadership: writes well-structured Architecture Decision Records with context, options analysis, and consequences. Reviews team ADRs for technical accuracy and maintains ADR repository with consistent numbering and status tracking.
Technical Writer

Independently creates ADRs based on discussions with architects and developers. Maintains numbering, coherence, and relevance of records. Integrates ADRs into docs-as-code pipeline, ensuring publication on the developer portal.

Senior 4 requirements

Engineering Manager
Required

Designs ADR governance framework for engineering organization: defines ADR templates, review workflows, and lifecycle management processes. Implements metrics for decision quality tracking and ensures ADRs inform capacity planning and technical roadmaps.
Solutions Architect
Required

Designs ADR practice for solution architecture: creates comprehensive decision records covering system boundaries, integration patterns, and technology selections. Evaluates cross-system impact of architectural decisions and maintains traceability between ADRs and implementation.
Technical Lead
Required

Designs ADR practice for technical teams: establishes lightweight decision records for code-level choices, defines escalation criteria for architecture-level ADRs, and implements ADR-as-code workflows integrated with version control and CI/CD pipelines.

Lead / Staff 4 requirements

Engineering Manager
Required

Defines product architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Shapes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.
Solutions Architect
Required

Defines product architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Establishes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.
Technical Lead
Required

Defines the product's architectural strategy with Architecture Decision Records. Establishes architecture guidelines. Conducts architecture reviews.

Principal 4 requirements

Engineering Manager
Required

Defines organizational architectural strategy. Designs reference architectures. Establishes architecture governance.
Solutions Architect
Required

Defines enterprise ADR strategy and architectural governance framework. Shapes organization-wide decision-making culture with structured ADR processes spanning multiple domains and business units. Mentors architects on effective decision documentation and trade-off analysis.
Technical Lead
Required

Defines enterprise ADR standards and technical decision-making framework. Shapes engineering culture around evidence-based architectural decisions with measurable outcomes. Establishes cross-team ADR review boards and drives adoption of decision records as first-class engineering artifacts.

Community

👁 Watch ✏️ Suggest Change

Loading comments...