# Contract

**Status** Draft · **Version** 0.1 · **Updated** 20 July 2026 · **Doc ID** META-CONTRACT-01 · **Definition ID** OCOM-DEF-0009 · **URI** `ocom:Contract`

Canonical: https://ocom.uno/vocabulary/contract

> The OCOM Specification defines Contract as — A Contract is a governed agreement between two or more Objects.

## Definition

A Contract is a governed agreement between two or more Objects. A Contract specifies the conditions under which participating Objects interact, exchange information, perform activities, or provide Capabilities. A Contract represents the rules governing an interaction rather than the interaction itself.

## Purpose

This document defines Contract within the OCOM Specification. A Contract establishes the governed agreement that defines expectations, responsibilities, obligations, and interaction rules between participating Objects. Contracts provide a consistent mechanism for governing operational interactions across the OCOM ecosystem.

## Business meaning

Contracts establish clear operational expectations between participating Objects. They improve consistency, accountability, interoperability, and governance by making interaction rules explicit.

## Design principles

Every Contract shall:

- define participating Objects
- define interaction rules
- establish responsibilities
- support governance
- preserve traceability
- remain technology independent

## Core characteristics

- Identifier
- Purpose
- Participants
- Scope
- Effective Date
- Responsibilities
- Obligations
- Preconditions
- Postconditions
- Constraints
- Policies
- Service Levels
- Termination Conditions
- Review Schedule

## Relationship to other specifications

Contract interacts with:

- [`ocom:Object`](/vocabulary/object)
- [`ocom:Relationship`](/vocabulary/relationship)
- [`ocom:Capability`](/vocabulary/capability)
- [`ocom:Policy`](/vocabulary/policy)
- [`ocom:Constraint`](/vocabulary/constraint)
- [`ocom:Ownership`](/vocabulary/ownership)
- `ocom:Evaluation`
- `ocom:Workflow`
- [`ocom:Organization`](/vocabulary/organization)

Contracts govern interactions between Objects.

## Referenced by

- [`ocom:Object`](/vocabulary/object)
- [`ocom:Capability`](/vocabulary/capability)
- [`ocom:Policy`](/vocabulary/policy)
- [`ocom:Constraint`](/vocabulary/constraint)
- [`ocom:Ownership`](/vocabulary/ownership)
- [`ocom:Organization`](/vocabulary/organization)

## Independence — does not prescribe

- legal contract formats
- API specifications
- workflow engines
- implementation technologies

## Conformance

A compliant implementation shall ensure that every managed Contract:

- define participating Objects
- establish interaction rules
- preserve governance
- support lifecycle management
- maintain auditability
- remain technology independent

## Provenance

Governance records: CAND-005

| Version | Date | Change |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0.1 | 20 July 2026 | Initial draft |
| 0.1 | 25 July 2026 | Added Organization to Relationship to Other Specifications and Participants, per ADR CAND-005 (Option C) |

## Recommended citation

OCOM Specification. Contract. META-CONTRACT-01 (OCOM-DEF-0009). Version 0.1. https://ocom.uno/vocabulary/contract

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Machine representations — JSON: https://ocom.uno/vocabulary/contract.json · JSON-LD: https://ocom.uno/vocabulary/contract.jsonld · Markdown: https://ocom.uno/vocabulary/contract.md · Source: https://github.com/DenisHogberg/OCOM/blob/main/docs/Meta/Contract.md · History: https://github.com/DenisHogberg/OCOM/commits/main/docs/Meta/Contract.md

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